Find of the Month - December 2014

[AE_Collector]

Post your "Find of the Month" for December 2014 here.

A "Find of the Month" is a telephone or a related item that you acquired during the month that you are particularly excited about either because of its rarity, the difficulty you had in trying to find it for your collection or the exceptional "deal" that you got on it.

The "Find of the Month" contest is focused on the collection of telephones rather than on their sale for a profit. To be eligible for the "Find of the Month" contest:

- The finder must have personally acquired and actually own the item.
- The item can be acquired for free but it can not be a gift or present from anyone.
- The item (or any of its components) cannot be put up for sale during the contest period.
- Only one "Find" per owner can be in a "Find of the Month" contest.


A Nomination Should Include:

1) at least one picture of the item.
2) the price & shipping cost.
3) where and/or how it was found.
4) the forum link if discussed in another topic on CRPF.
5) the eBay link if won there.
6) and other information of importance about the find.


Ideally your item would be posted in its own thread elsewhere on the forum such as "Auction Talk", "Flea Market/Yard Sale Finds" or "Collectors Corner" Board. Then you or anyone else can nominate your "Find" to the Current "Find of the Month" thread by posting at least one picture and other details including the price paid, any shipping costs and a link to the original discussion on the forum. It is not a requirement that your find be posted elsewhere on the forum but the more details the better.

Nominations of phones listed in other forum discussion topics, by members that do not own the item but realize it is indeed a "find" worthy of being nominated as a "Find of the Month" candidate, are always welcome.

Please pick your best "Find" to submit for the month limiting your entry to one phone or one "Find" that might include multiple items. If you have already entered for the month and come up with something even better either submit your new find indicating that it replaces your previous entry OR you can enter your new Find in next months contest.

TelePlay has grabbed pictures of all of the "Find of the Month" winners since we started this back in 2010 and he has put them into albums on PhotoBucket. Thanks John.

To check them out, click --> HERE <--

Terry

[WesternElectricBen]

No nominations yet?

Well, I would like to nominate my 1955 WE Mahogany Brown I purchased off of eBay for $91.00. It's mostly original, except replaced handset caps.

Previous Discussion link: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13144.msg138102#msg138102, including more information.

Ben

[WEBellSystemChristian]

No nominations yet?

Well, I would like to nominate my 1955 WE Mahogany Brown I purchased off of eBay for $91.00. It's mostly original, except replaced handset caps.

Previous Discussion link: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13144.msg138102#msg138102, including more information.

Ben

Very nice, Ben!

What were the original caps replaced with? Black caps? SC or ITT brown caps? Mahogany Brown caps from a different year?

[WesternElectricBen]

No nominations yet?

Well, I would like to nominate my 1955 WE Mahogany Brown I purchased off of eBay for $91.00. It's mostly original, except replaced handset caps.

Previous Discussion link: http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13144.msg138102#msg138102, including more information.

Ben

Very nice, Ben!

What were the original caps replaced with? Black caps? SC or ITT brown caps? Mahogany Brown caps from a different year?

Brown caps from '65.

Ben

[andre_janew]

I was browsing on eBay searching for bargains when a came across a avocado 1972 Rotary Trimline.  The starting bid was $0.99 and I put in a few bids.  There was 1 day and 2 hours left.  Someone else could've come in and outbid me in that time.  They didn't.  I ended up getting it for $0.99 plus $10 shipping.  I got a $0.99 phone last month and one this month.  What are the odds on that?

Here is the link:

www.ebay.com/itm/Trimline-Rotary-Telephone-1972-Avocado-/181602404542?hash=item2a4858c8be

It can also be found at www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13273.msg139220#msg138220

[Fabius]

Found a bronze VAIL MEDAL on eBay. Pretty scarce item so at $35 I felt I got a steal. The Vail Medal was the highest award presented by AT&T (Bell System) to Bell and Independent telephone workers for community service. Everything from acts of heroism to administration success. The bronze level winners were picked by the local operating company and then AT&T  picked from those nominated for the silver and gold medal. The medal is still being awarded today by at&t, Verizon and maybe other companies with roots to the Bell System.

http://tinyurl.com/kks2vzf

[Sargeguy]

Interesting:

The Vail Medal was created in 1920 in memory of Theodore N. Vail (President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company from 1907 to 1919) to perpetuate his ideals of service to the public. The medal, which bears his likeness, was awarded to individuals for noteworthy acts reflecting the Bell System's highest traditions of loyalty and devotion to duty.

Adolph Alexander Weinman, one of the leading sculptors in the United States, designed the Vail Medal in 1921. In designing the medal, Mr. Weinman captured not only the personality of Vail, but also his ideals of service to the public.

The face of the medal bears a portrait of Vail, while on the reverse; the central figure represents the "Civilizing Force of Communication" speeding the winged message along the wires. At the right, "Loyalty to Service" upholds the left hand of the central figure, while a third figure, "Devotion to Duty," helps to support the lines of communication.

There are three types of Vail Medals: bronze, silver and gold. Bronze medals were awarded to individuals in each Bell System company, by that company's awards committee. A Bell System Committee then reviewed these cases and selected those of "especially outstanding excellence or importance" for silver or gold medal awards.

A bronze medal was also awarded to groups of employees where the noteworthy act was due to the concerted action of the group, rather than by an individual.

Too bad they didn't make a soft plastic version!!!

[Sargeguy]

I'm going to nominate my Universal Service/Use the Bell sign that I purchased via a Best Offer on eBay for $201 (seller was asking $499).  Although I purchased it in November it didn't arrive until December 1st!  The sign has a couple significant areas of damage but one side is displayable.  Based upon the feedback I've received from other collectors this is an extremely rare sign, if not unique.  There are a number of scarce signs out there from small telcos, but this one was issued by AT&T as a generic sign, but it is of an uncommon type featuring a design that was in use for a very short period.



http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13138.0

[TelePlay]

To put a little bit of a bright color into this month's nomination, I would like to nominate LarryInMichigan's Australian 802 that he found on eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Retro-Red-Rotary-Dial-Phone-Telephone-/321611106492

for $27.09 plus $15.80 $10.80 for shipping - a total of $42.89 $37.89, less than what one would pay for shipment alone if this phone was sold by a seller in Australia. I've seen a lot of these listed on eBay from Australia but have never been able to cough up the funds to buy one. This one is in very nice condition with all the correct cords so a very nice find, indeed, for Larry this month. This phone is being discussed on the forum at this link:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13316.0

[Sargeguy]

I am also nominating my Southern Massachusetts Telephone Company Badges.    Southern Massachusetts Telephone Company stuff is very rare, and it one of my collecting interests.  These were purchased off eBay for $128 ea.  While not exactly a bargains the time to buy these is when you see them.  After purchasing them I did a bit of detective work to track down their provenance.  Eleven badges were in the possession of the grandson of the director of Southern Mass.  and were sold at an estate sale of his grandson.  Some were sold to a dealer in PA while one was kept by the purchaser.  All but one showed up on eBay in the same week.  Of the eleven So. Mass. Tel. Co. badges known to exist, there is only one Inspector Badge and three with raised bells.





We discuss some of the badges here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13285.msg139434#new

[LarryInMichigan]

To put a little bit of a bright color into this month's nomination, I would like to nominate LarryInMichigan's Australian 802 that he found on eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Retro-Red-Rotary-Dial-Phone-Telephone-/321611106492

for $27.09 plus $15.80 for shipping - a total of $42.89, less than what one would pay for shipment alone if this phone was sold by a seller in Australia. I've seen a lot of these listed on eBay from Australia but have never been able to cough up the funds to buy one. This one is in very nice condition with all the correct cords so a very nice find, indeed, for Larry this month. This phone is being discussed on the forum at this link:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=13316.0

Actually, I managed to convince the seller to lower the shipping charge to $10.80, so the total coast was $5 less.

Larry

[AE_Collector]

I like that Inspector Badge Sarge! That is really cool! Not enough to let you nominate two of your finds in the same month (sign or badges) but I still think that it is cool!

Decide which nomination you want to go with this month and the other one can be held over until next month which isn't that far away now.

Thanks,
Terry

[Alexander]

I got this off of e-bay for $35 total....it's a little dirty on the outside, and has a small crack where the line cord enters. I opened it expecting spider webs, dirt, but the insides are immaculate!

I'm not too familiar with the make, but I always wanted an AE-50, and this showed up in my search so I started bidding. It also came with about 30 feet of authentic line cord that I'm re-using on several phones.

I plan to turn the dial around and use this as a wall phone.

Update: Posted more at: 1958 Leich 115c.

[AE_Collector]

A "Leich" convertible. I was thinking a model 105 but base says 115....not certain about that. I am not real good at the Leich models.

Leich (pronounced LIKE, not LEACH), was General Telephones manufacturer until they acquired AE along with the "Gary Group". Then Leich slowly converted o making AE equipment and then was merged into AE. You can see that the dial assembly on this one is AE.

Now...how many AE50's would you like do you need!

Terry

[Alexander]

LOL...there's no real problem finding AE50's, I just enjoy the hunt. I'm looking for d(st)eals I'd like to eventually have 2 of them though.