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Interesting 410? with 500 box on eBay

Started by TelePlay, November 08, 2015, 10:18:51 AM

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WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: unbeldi on November 11, 2015, 03:34:31 PM
Quote from: Jim S. on November 11, 2015, 12:29:20 PM
Not all of the 302 housings have the key position molded into them. I know some of  the early clear  housings did not have them. I don't know if they were added  to all the later housings or just to the later molds.
JMO,
Jim

Ray K. stated he made his  clear 302 housings  without them to help indicate they were repro housing. I did point out to him that someof the early sets were made the same way. So if your clear 302 doesn't have the key position it is probably  early or a Ray K repro.

Some clear 302 housings?
My clear 302?  How many do you have?
Who has any of them?   As far as I have heard, clear 302 housings were only made for an exhibit in the late 30s (some world fair?), even before the plastic 302s were introduced in 1940/1.  Since then, Ray is probably the only one to make them, not?

From an old posting:

Does it have it or not?
In case anyone is confused, that article picture looks looks like both phones are repros, most likely by Ray himself. Unbeldi, I'm not exactly sure where you were going with that post referencing the picture, but if you were referencing those as originals, I'm pretty sure they aren't.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

unbeldi

No, I just searched the forum to see if any clear one's had been posted, and came up that.
I wouldn't know how to distinguish a real one either, but I guess I would look for warping or shrinkage.

Jim Stettler

#17
The reference photo is from page 124 of "The Telephone Connection" By John J. Dommer's  aka "Dommer's book" it was published in 1983.
Gary Goff did offer reprints in the past. This used to be a  popular collector book. For years that snippet was the only info on clear 302's.
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That is the historical "FACT",
Supposedly" non of the world's fair models survived a fire.
Probably the most seen (by collectors) clear 302 was the one Jim Aiata had. This was the info he had heard regarding the clear 302's and it eventually became "fact". I was guilty of spreading this "fact" as well.
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The following information is my opinion based on my research.


From my research and examination of photos and examples of clear 302 , I have found that they were many different examples of clear 302's

The "Worlds Fair " sets  were used in the voice mirror exhibit and had a clear "mother-in-law" receiver.
They were used in the 1939 world's Fair in  New York and also San Francisco.
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There are quite a few examples of clear 302's out there. Most of the ones I am talking about were offered up on ebay, I have examined   4 at telephone shows. (see auction contest 34, it has the "boss"
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Many of the examples seem to be "retirement sets" made in the 1940's. These typically are dated with matching dates by month/ year and some parts are matching day. There are typically more dates than you see an a line built set.
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Another common Clear 302 is a clear "Colored" set. They had a telephone office display of all of the colors and a clear set. If you are looking to complete a  set of the post-war 302 colors then a "clear" Colored set is the one you need to complete the telephone display.
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Some of the others are a bit oddball.

A clear 302 style housing with a clear federal handset. (Federal did make a look alike set). http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1879.msg25392#msg25392

A rose-clear 2 line "302" with a clear solid F-1

My clear set is a small plunger housing. I assembled it with a small plunger base and E handset. I know of a clear e handset.

A clear soft plastic 302

2 different clear 5302's

A clear/white swirl housing made by bell labs to study the flow of plastic in the mold. ( Bell Laboratories Record  January 1943 page 120)

These are the ones that come to mind
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Some of the  reasons why any  clear sets exist :

Engineering models-
Marketing model-
educational models-
Security Models-
Novelty
Sample plastics


Just my opinion,
Jim S.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Babybearjs

interesting variation on this thread.... so, this phone would have considered "custom"? I have several 302, and a few 304's.   only one phone that I have I marked for use as a 410 shell (that way I know it can be modified without damaging it.) now, does anyone know if I got the ringer cut-off switch for a 305, and modifies a 307, would the switch fit in place of the inductor that is mounted where the switch would go in a 305?
John