eBay NOS 1957 (Light Gray/White?) WE 500 BIN listing

[Western Bell]

Just listed in a BIN auction.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1957-NOS-White-Western-Electric-Bell-System-500-Rotary-Desk-Telephone-w-Box/233190755646
( dead link 01-23-22 )

Does not look white but might be. Back of dial not shown. Seller description says white.

"New Old Stock 1957 Soft Plastic White 500 C/D Desk Phone.  All dates are correct.  Base dated 11-57, network dated 11-57, bells dated 11-57, dial 7C-58 (White) dated 11-57, handset cord dated 57, mounting cord dated 57, all plastics and handset parts dated 11-57.  The original open face finger wheel .  Still wired for 3-wire operation.  The box is correct and has the original bell instruction card.  Will be double boxed for safe shipping.

This set is NOT ready to plug in and use.  It will need to be hardwired or made modular.  It would be best for a collector.

Came from Western Electric Hawthorne Works. "

According to paul-f's site, both white and light gray were new colors in 1957. Photo lighting is not the best. May be a bit of yellowing to the left of the handset mouse hole. Otherwise, in very nice condition and comes with the box (marked white) and instructions.

[RotarDad]

Very nice phone!  I'm pretty sure that is white.  It looks bright on my screen, and the light gray dial gasket (all gaskets were light gray on color 500s) does contrast with the lighter bezel color.  The 11-57 date is correct for white which was part of the "new" colors launched in late '57.  Not sure why the seller says the phone was mfg at Hawthorne.  The huge WE Consumer Telephone plant was the Indianapolis Works, which opened in the late '40s.

[jsowers]

Paul is correct on both counts. It's white and it wasn't made at the Hawthorne Works. I think they made 302s there prior to the building of the Indianapolis plant, which was designed to manufacture the 500 set and its brethren. This phone was listed before at a higher price, $399.95. I included a screen clip of that auction that ended back in March. The same seller has a green 500 that's NOS with gray cords for slightly less and it was listed again too.

NOS commands high prices, but in my opinion these are too high. I guess eventually they will sell to a collector if he keeps lowering the price. He did sell a NOS white 554 for $279.95, which to me was jaw droppingly high. He's also sold red 1960 and 1964 554s for $149.95 each. No doubt about it--he can get some high prices. What scares me is the people who are forking over all this money--are they collectors or are they just well-heeled people buying a "new" phone for their retro kitchen? Will they actually use their NOS phone? Yikes!

[poplar1]

Seller says dial is marked "7C-58." Dash 58 is the code for white. (Light Gray is -61).

Also, box is marked "500 DR -58" which is correct for white.

[RotarDad]

Poplar - Good call on the box code.  We do see phones in wrong boxes sometimes, but the 7C-58 dial code erases any doubt about the phone being white.

Jonathan - Very scary thought indeed that someone would actually use such a phone because they have the $ and want to go retro in a high-quality way...  I'm sure it's happened before with various antiques  but probably not likely.  That's part of our job as collectors - to help preserve many examples of these phones for the future.....