1949-50 Western Electric 500 on eBay

[andre_janew]

The price is approaching the $400 mark.

[guitar1580]

WOW!  $871.42  Which one of you guys is the proud new owner?  'Twasn't me.  It is pretty though.

Josh

[tubaman]

That's a lot of money, but it does look like a really nice phone.
Way outside what I'd pay for a phone unfortunately.

[HarrySmith]

Way to much for a Black 500 without matching dates!

[Doug Rose]

What was the final verdict of this being the real deal? To me it has matching dates and it is in wonderful condition. With the dates off a couple of months on the beginning of a run, they match. The inside is in amazing shape.

This is SEVENTY years old.

How does this compare to Dan's 49 500?

If Janet brought this home, I would be thrilled. To me, this is the real deal. I thought it would have gone for around $1500 tp 2K.

Your thoughts?...Doug

Base: 1-50
Housing: 10-26-49-3
7A Dial: 1-50
Ringer: 1-50
Network: 12-49
Equalizer: 12-16-49
Handset: 11-49 (no dates on caps)
Receiver element: 1-24-50
Varistor: 12-49
Transmitter element: 1-50
Handset cord: III-49
Line cord: I-49

[Doug Rose]

I asked the seller where he go the phone...Doug


New message from: yahoo57 Top Rated Seller(7,497Green Star)
Hello,

I bought this phone last year at a local auction in Illinois. It did not have a number card in it and I don't know its history. It did have a newer aftermarket 4-pin plug on it, so it had been moved around and used. I think somebody had just used it and it wasn't part of a collection because it was the only phone in the auction. I enjoyed having it on display in my living room, but my collection is more vintage radios than phones and I decided it to pass it on.

Reply
Your previous message

Western Electric 49 500 set. I watched your auction until this got to expensive for me. It is a wonderful set. Can you tell me any information about it. Was it from your collection or how you got it....I do appreciate it you taking the time....Doug

[Jim Stettler]

What was the final verdict of this being the real deal? To me it has matching dates and it is in wonderful condition. With the dates off a couple of months on the beginning of a run, they match. The inside is in amazing shape.

This is SEVENTY years old.

How does this compare to Dan's 49 500?

If Janet brought this home, I would be thrilled. To me, this is the real deal. I thought it would have gone for around $1500 tp 2K.

Your thoughts?...Doug

Base: 1-50
Housing: 10-26-49-3
7A Dial: 1-50
Ringer: 1-50
Network: 12-49
Equalizer: 12-16-49
Handset: 11-49 (no dates on caps)
Receiver element: 1-24-50
Varistor: 12-49
Transmitter element: 1-50
Handset cord: III-49
Line cord: I-49

This  is a January 1950 based on the date of the base and on the transmitter element.  That makes it a production set.  The earlier parts were part of stock.

I talked to a WE executive (long ago). He said parts started before production. This allowed for production to continue if some portion of the line was down.
I have read the transmitter was considered the weakest part of the phone. The date of the transmitter is the date it came off the line. This was in a Bell System publication most likely labs or tech journal.

My guess is  the 500 production sets  started  January 1950. If a set is fully dated 1949, I consider it pre-production. The last quarter of 49 could be production sets as well. I think few if any of the 1949 sets when  off the line went to subscribers, these went to Bell people. or the field trial testers.
I was told the transmitter date is the day it came off the line.
This is just an opinion,
I do not have any documentation to back this theory.
Jim