Blue Painted AE40

[JimHyak]

It's back, it's blue, it's painted from old phone works
http://www.ebay.com/itm/322223410882
It also has a tiny crack below the dial.
Wiring inside has been hacked to add the rototone converter
Save your money

[andre_janew]

At $800, it should be a genuine blue phone and not a painted one!

[Doug Rose]

I emailed seller asking if it was painted as I had never seen a matching blue bottom cover.    No reply.....

Andre.. A real Blue AE 40 would command well over 2K...Doug

[JimHyak]

I posted this as a warning - this IS a painted phone, unfortunately I have firsthand knowledge. See eBay item 322200370731
Note the original listing did not show the bottom of the phone and was edited at the last minute to indicate the rototone was inside, also a sign this phone was not what it appeared to be. All I can say is thank you eBay buyer protection and I wish I had looked closer at the pics. Notably around the vents -compare to a molded color phone. If I wasn't on my iPad I would post pics of the comparison, it's worth looking at. The recess around the vents looks different.

The current listing does not show the OPW label on the bottom but it's there.

The original listing claimed "This is a true collectors piece with similar sales above $1700."

Doug, if the seller remains true to form he will reply to your question concerning painted or not with "I didn't paint the phone"

The intent of the seller seems to be to deceive, it's hard to come to any other conclusion.

I feel stupid for falling for it, and there is a bit more to the story in my defense, but anyway caveat emptor.

[rdelius]

Note the bands on the handset are  the COT type.They fit over the caps instead of in a groove.I have never seen origional AE colored caps with no groove for a band

[JimHyak]

Good point, Rdelius thanks.
So if I sent an original blue AE40 to OPW and asked then to install a tone converter inside the phone, do you think they would warn me about the damage to the collectability of such a rare phone? I would like to think so, but I don't know them. The seller claimed that OPW added the label when he sent them the phone and had the converter installed.

So besides the obvious problems of a rototone inside and a blue painted bottom with damaged gromment and OPW label, here is a photo of what I was talking about, which should have been my tip-off. It also points out rdelius's observation on the rings:

[Doug Rose]

Here is the real deal at a great price.....someone go and get it....Doug


http://www.ebay.com/itm/131916791001?

[Doug Rose]

Sold  $1500

[TelePlay]

Sold  $1500

That didn't last long. I'd say the seller left some money on the table with the BIN listing.

Also, is there any way to find out who bought this phone? Without bids, how do you get the eBay handle of the buyer, if at all with a BIN listing and not being the seller, or buyer?

And, the Captain Nemo painted blue AE is still for sale at $888 with free shipping.

For posterity:

[JimHyak]

I was asking the seller questions when someone hit the BIN button. You snooze, you loose but after my recent "hit the button too quick" episode (insert flashback here ) I was a little slow on the uptake.

I heard yesterday that some of my collector friends have been antagonizing Captain Nemo with questions! Honestly, I didn't put them up to it, but I had to laugh when I heard.

I notice he's now posted a pic of the whole bottom, after removing the OPW label.