Western Electric prices to Bell Companies -- October, 1939

[poplar1]

Sample prices from an October 1, 1939 List of Prices Western Electric charged the Bell companies:
Telephone Sets [Painted metal 302s]

     [Manual]                             [Dial]                                                           
302A-3F         $9.50           302C-3F  $12.00   [Black with F1A handset)
302A-4           11.74           302C-4     14.85   [Ivory)
302A-6           14.84           302C-6     17.75   [Old Brass]
302A-7           14.19           302C-7     17.10   [Statuary Bronze]
302A-8           14.49           302C-8     17.40   [Oxidized Silver]
302A-12          12.66          302C-12    15.85   [Dark Gold]
302A-16          11.74          302C-16    14.85   [Old Rose]
302A-18          11.74          302C-18    14.85   [Dark Blue]
302A-19          11.74          302C-19    14.85   [Gray-Green]
302A-20          11.74          302C-20    14.85   [Pekin Red]

H1 Telephone Set Mounting:
-3             $5.98
-4              6.73
-6              8.63
-7              7.98

D3AL mounting cord $0.22
H3C handset cord $0.20

[JimH]

Interesting!  These sound like bargains, but one inflation calculator I used says $14.85 in 1939 is $253.66 in 2014 dollars.  That was quite an investment back then.  No wonder they were so guarded and careful to recycle everything they could.

Jim

[Doug Rose]

In comparison....

Gas was 10 cents a gallon.

You could rent a house for $28 a month

Average yearly income was 18K

So....in those days, these were luxuries...Doug

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Wow, no wonder the metallic color sets are so rare!

[baldopeacock]

In comparison....

Gas was 10 cents a gallon.

You could rent a house for $28 a month

Average yearly income was 18K

So....in those days, these were luxuries...Doug

I think the annual income was more like $1800, which is kinda mind-boggling.

[Doug Rose]

David...you are correct.....t was 1800 a year...agreed,  amazing in itself....Doug

[Russ Kirk]

These high prices for 1939 telephones remind me of computers in the late 70's to early 80's. 
Prices for Personal Computers were outrageously high compared to the prices today.
Color monitors, hard drives and modems were luxuries on many PC's from that era.
One could spend $1-2k for a PC and not have all the features.
If I recall correctly I spent about: $150 for a 2400 baud modem (I upgraded from a 1200 baud modem) , $300 for a 10meg hard drive, $250 for a daisy wheel printer and $200-300 for a a VGA monitor. 

So spending a few extra dollars on the luxury of a colored telephone is completely understandable.

[JimH]

I was thinking that a lot of people back then did not think of telephones as decorator accents.  For comparison, I have a flat screen TV that is black (as I'm sure most of you do, too).  Would you pay a day's pay extra to get one in a color?  I sure wouldn't.

[andre_janew]

I don't have a flat screen TV.  I have a standard TV with a converter box and an antenna.  My 19 year old set still has good picture and sound.  I also have a 35 year old touch tone phone that still works. 

Back in 1939 there were probably people still using the candlestick phones.  There were probably people who put off getting 302 phones because their candlesticks still worked.  Yes, they may have rented their phones.  Even so, the rent on the newer models was probably higher.

[JimH]

I know there was a one-time "change" fee, and then a one-time charge to get one in color.  I think the standard line charge included one basic phone whether you had a new one or an old one.  It seems I remember a BSP from around 1960 that directed repair men to replace any candlestick phone with a new model, unless the customer was absolutely against it.  So there must have been people still using sticks that late.

Jim

[andre_janew]

My grandmother had a black WE 500 rotary phone for more than 30 years.  She didn't want a touch tone phone because she didn't know how she was supposed to dial one of those new fangled push button phones.  I guess some people really get attached to the phones they use.