Interesting Advertisements in 1970 Popular Mechanics

[Partyline4]

Now I know someone here knows about these advertisements. 

They seem to advertise Western Electrics restored for a pretty fair price for "back in the day".

At least, if you bought the lot back then, you'd have a small fortune now!

Let's talk about who did all of this, and how they got away with it.

It just seems very interesting to me how someone could sell those phones back then before the big break up.

FIRE AWAY!

[poplar1]

Metropolitan Teletronics was owned by Al Kay. He bought phones from independent (non-Bell) telephone companies, refurbished them, then resold them to the public. The independent operating companies had a mixture of "off the lines" such as Western Electric, Northern Electric, Leich, Automatic Electric, Kellogg, North and Stromberg-Carlson phones, but their WE phones were not marked Bell System.

"Surplus Saving Center" of Waymart, PA was actually Telephone Engineering Co. of Simpson, PA. Their refurbishing operation was far superior to that of Metropolitan Teletronics.

Other companies that rebuilt phones purchased from independent telcos during that time were Bohnsack Equipment Co. (BECO) in Germantown, NY; Surplus Center in Lincoln, NE; Telephone Repair and Supply Co. in Chicago, and Black Panther Trading Co. (Hallmark House) in Springfield, MA. 

[Partyline4]

WOW!

Amazing that someone knows so much about that!

Thank you so very much!

[G-Man]

 It was not unlawful to buy, sell or own a telephone, only to hook it up to a telephone company owned line. There were a few exceptions for military, pipeline companies, railroads, power and gas companies, etc.

But for the average individual or business, the tariffs did not permit it unless complicated and expensive couplers were subscribed to. So these resellers were generally silent about potential ramifications and left the onus on the buyer to comply with any applicable FCC and State regulatory rules.

[Fabius]

I can't believe it! What a bunch of crooks. They want $2 extra for a color 302!

[andre_janew]

Don't forget about the extra $2 for the 4 prong plug!

[Partyline4]

Yeah,

I thought it was a pretty neat deal.

You guys think they were REAL color 302's, or a painted version....



MAN! Just think if you bought a storage locker full of those things today...

YOU'D BE RICH!


Fun to think about though...

[unbeldi]

Those were the kinds that we find on eBay today, painted over, with painted finger wheels, washers on the dial screws instead of dial adapters...

There weren't that many color thermoplastic 302 phones to be had, since they were only made for about five years (1949-54) and only few people had them. That's why they are expensive now.   [PS: I am excluding the few that were made just before the war.]

[Partyline4]

Ha Ha!

I keep an eye out for'em.

I fantasize about a storage locker somewhere that is just slam full of NOS WE stuff....

I know it's out there somewhere....

Maybe I'll find it.

[Dan/Panther]

Cool, I just ordered one of each He had in stock.
D/P

[tallguy58]

$8.95 in 1970 is $54.61 now.   That's for a 302.

You can get them cheaper on eBay and at flea markets today.

So if you would'a bought a warehouse full....you'd be broke.


$19.95 would be $121.72 for a 500 set.  Way cheaper today.

[Partyline4]

Nice catch Tallguy.

I was hoping someone would bring that up.

I guess you wouldn't be rich would you?

If you could go back in time from this point now, and buy them for $8.95, and come back with all those phones to the present, you would be rich!

That's pretty amazing though. Just think, paying over $300 for a trimline...

Stay sharp.