Beige 66-500

[Greg G.]

At another estate sale yesterday that featured lots of vintage electronics, mostly for TV and radio, but they did have one phone left out of 4 they started with (note to self - next time get there right when they open).  

Almost all matching dates except for the line cord restraint which says 58, and maybe the transmitter cap which I think says 59, can't quite see it even in macro.  Beige isn't a terribly exciting color, but for $5 I wasn't going to sneer at it, especially after I saw the nearly pristine bottom.  Insides are the same.  Case is in good shape, no cracks or gouges except for a small nick on the handset.  No significant fading, except maybe the dial bezel, but I haven't cleaned it yet.  Handset cord is a little stretched and badly kinked.  Dial operates very smoothly.  Extra long matching color 4-prong line cord.

[Greg G.]

More pics.

[Greg G.]

The only other phone item I found at the same place was a long 4-prong line cord extension.  Not sure what I would use it for, but it was only $1 so I grabbed it.

[WesternElectricBen]

I like the long four prong connected to the phone. I think I got a 4 prong connecter at Lancaster for 2 dollars... I use the extender for phones so I can move them around the room while they are still connected up.

Ben

[Greg G.]

I like the long four prong connected to the phone. I think I got a 4 prong connecter at Lancaster for 2 dollars... I use the extender for phones so I can move them around the room while they are still connected up.

Ben

Yeah, me too, especially if it's matching.  Adaptors are not hard to come by.  It's distressing when I find them with the plug cruelly amputated and a modular end mickey-moused onto it, like my pink 500.

[WesternElectricBen]

Nasty! I agree with you, there is a person on youtube called "Dennis McDonald" and thats what he does....

[Greg G.]

Nasty! I agree with you, there is a person on youtube called "Dennis McDonald" and thats what he does....

And I don't understand why, can't they see the plug has screws and can be easily dismantled w/o resorting to barbaric amputation?

[WesternElectricBen]

Nasty! I agree with you, there is a person on youtube called "Dennis McDonald" and thats what he does....

And I don't understand why, can't they see the plug has screws and can be easily dismantled w/o resorting to barbaric amputation?

I would just simply wire it into a phone jack, he is always saying "so my clients can just take any cord... and just plug it up..." well then...

[AE_Collector]

Yeah, me too, especially if it's matching.  Adaptors are not hard to come by.  It's distressing when I find them with the plug cruelly amputated and a modular end mickey-moused onto it, like my pink 500.

Did you open up the tape Briny? Could be the new mod cord wires wrapped around the spades of the old cord. There may not have been a 4 prong on this, it may have been hard wired to a set block.

I see your new 4 prong extension cord has the custom "This Side Up" marking!

Terry

[poplar1]

What I don't understand: Why do people always feel they must cut off the spade tips and then skin the tinsel wires. Do they think the phone will work better this way, or that spade tips are insulators?

[AE_Collector]

The most basic instinct is twisting two wires together. Anything foreign at all (spades, plugs, jacks etc) gets cut off to expose the wires that they (sort of) think they know how to deal with!

Terry

[oldphon]

Great way to put it, Terry!

[Greg G.]

Did you open up the tape Briny? Could be the new mod cord wires wrapped around the spades of the old cord. There may not have been a 4 prong on this, it may have been hard wored to a set block.

I see your new 4 prong extension cord has the custom "This Side Up" marking!

Terry

Yes, that's the first thing I did, and what I found was pretty gruesome!  There were no spade ends, just a chopped cord split to expose wires that were painfully twisted around each other, then crudely bound in even more electrical tape, like something out of a horror movie!  I removed the hack job and hooked it up to a biscuit adaptor.  I've since found a pink 505A plug, but it's an OMS project (Oh Maybe Someday).