FrankenPhones AKA the Kludge of the Month Award

[HarrySmith]

I would follow the lead of other sellers on the description for similar phones.
"Totally Restored" "Guaranteed to work when you get it" "Shiny" "Vintage" "Old" "Rare" etc
That is what I did when I started selling on eBay. Just do not say 100% original and you will be OK. Most buyers would not know the difference anyway!

[tjmack99]

Hmmm, just thinking out loud here, if someone from the UK wants to buy it, will eBay convert from dollars to tuppence? 

[Tom B]

It certainly does 

[Dave F]

Here's a good example that I stumbled upon today.  This Red "Western Electric" model 500 has an Automatic Electric chassis and housing, a Western Electric dial bezel and dial along with a G5 W.E. handset.  The ringer box is thrown in for fun.

http://goo.gl/99CrR

When I read this post by Dennis, I took a look at the phone.  The auction had ended with a winning bid of $104.49.  This morning, I was snooping around on eBay and saw that it been relisted with a BIN of $70.48.  I don't know why the original auction was cancelled, but I bought it.  Heck, a nice red G5 handset and that red ringer box are probably worth more than that just by themselves.  When it arrives, I'll take it apart and let you know how they mounted a WE dial in an AE set.  I have previously seen one other AE80 with a WE dial, and I suspect that AE did make a provision for doing this when customers requested that ability.  If it was done with factory parts, not only is this NOT a Frankenphone, it is a really obscure and uncommon item.  Will keep you posted.

[Adam]

Excellent!  I too saw this relisted.  Glad you got it!  We're looking forward to a full report! 

[stub]

Dave ,
          I missed the relisting , but if you want to sell the 33 ringer box I would like to try to buy it for my AE 183, that is if you would like to sell it.    stub

[Dave F]

Excellent!  I too saw this relisted.  Glad you got it!  We're looking forward to a full report! 

Well, I bought it, but I haven't got it yet.  In fact, I'm waiting for the seller's response to my "Careful Shipping" memo before I pay for it.  We'll see....

Dave ,
          I missed the relisting , but if you want to sell the 33 ringer box I would like to try to buy it for my AE 183, that is if you would like to sell it.    stub

Hi Stub,

For the moment, I would like to hang onto the red ringer, as red is one of my favorite colors to collect and it may be useful to have.

Dave

[stub]

Dave ,
          I don't blame you for keeping it. I had bid in the 1st listing but had to leave and saw what it went for . Anyway nice buy .
          Did you ever get that AE 890 Data phone going?   stub

[Dave F]

Dave ,
          I don't blame you for keeping it. I had 70.00 bid in the 1st listing but had to leave and saw what it went for . Anyway nice buy .
          Did you ever get that AE 890 Data phone going?   stub

Stub,

Some of these red items are really tough to find.  I don't think I've ever seen a red 33 ringer come up for sale, and the red G5 handset is a gem.  I'll probably stick that on one of my red Card Dialers.  I'm really anxious to get a look inside that phone.  I hope the WE dial wasn't just Mickey Moused in.  On the bright side, a red Frankenphone is probably not so bad!

I haven't had even a minute to look at the AE 890.  Always seems to be some other project that rises to the top of the to-do list.  This week, I have to see why the washing machine is misbehaving -- probably needs another new timer.  Then I need to replace the garbage disposer which also conveniently decided to go belly-up.  If my wife catches me fiddling with a phone before I get those two things done, I'm gonna be in deep doodoo!

Dave

[stub]

I've seen 3 or 4 of the 33 ringers ,in red , over the years but this is the only one I've seen since I bought the red 183 Spacesaver.    stub

[Dave F]

Here's a good example that I stumbled upon today.  This Red "Western Electric" model 500 has an Automatic Electric chassis and housing, a Western Electric dial bezel and dial along with a G5 W.E. handset.  The ringer box is thrown in for fun.

http://goo.gl/99CrR

When I read this post by Dennis, I took a look at the phone.  The auction had ended with a winning bid of $104.49.  This morning, I was snooping around on eBay and saw that it been relisted with a BIN of $70.48.  I don't know why the original auction was cancelled, but I bought it.  Heck, a nice red G5 handset and that red ringer box are probably worth more than that just by themselves.  When it arrives, I'll take it apart and let you know how they mounted a WE dial in an AE set.  I have previously seen one other AE80 with a WE dial, and I suspect that AE did make a provision for doing this when customers requested that ability.  If it was done with factory parts, not only is this NOT a Frankenphone, it is a really obscure and uncommon item.  Will keep you posted.

Here's an update on the relisted red AE/WE Frankenphone that I "won":

Before paying, I had sent the seller a memo about secure packing, and was waiting for a reply.  I have learned from experience that waiting for a reply to the packing memo before paying for an auction is a good way to make sure that the seller acknowledges receipt of the packing info, even though it doesn't insure that the instructions will ultimately be followed.  Anyway, after a couple of days, the seller contacted me and told me that the phone and red ringer box had been sitting on a shelf that collapsed, destroying the phone, ringer, and the G5 handset.  Whether or not that actually happened, I'll never really know.  What I do know is that I didn't have to pay for it, and obviously I won't receive it.  I guess that's all part of the on-line auction experience.  However, the seller did say that there had actually been two identical red sets, and that the second listing was for a different set and not a relisting of the first one.  For those who want to learn more about this Frankenphone, it appears that Steph Kerman was the winner of the first auction, and he has posted pictures of his win here:

http://www.telephonecollectors.org/pictures/?id=296029019

http://www.telephonecollectors.org/pictures/?id=296028518

Anyway, that's the story up to now.  I don't expect anything to change, but will let you know if something does.  Onward to other things....

Dave

[AE_Collector]

Two different auctions, both with identical AE 80's in Garnet Red but a WECO dial and a WECo push to talk handset, then connect them both to a Garnet Red AE 33 ringer....Hey, it could happen, right?

I don't think that Steph won the first one, I'd hazard a guess at D Shtaida though. Steph was just wondering WTH out loud when he saw that combination of phone parts in that auction. He did have additional pictures that the seller emailed him.

There is little chance that the 33 ringer would be unrepairable if it fell from a shelf to the floor. The case might have cracked but enough people want a red 33 ringer to still offer him some $$ for it even if busted.

Something real fishy going on over there....

Terry

[Dave F]

Two different auctions, both with identical AE 80's in Garnet Red but a WECO dial and a WECo push to talk handset, then connect them both to a Garnet Red AE 33 ringer....Hey, it could happen, right?

I don't think that Steph won the first one, I'd hazard a guess at D Shtaida though. Steph was just wondering WTH out loud when he saw that combination of phone parts in that auction. He did have additional pictures that the seller emailed him.

There is little chance that the 33 ringer would be unrepairable if it fell from a shelf to the floor. The case might have cracked but enough people want a red 33 ringer to still offer him some $$ for it even if busted.

Something real fishy going on over there....

Terry

Yes Terry, my wife and I had quite a discussion about the whole thing, and there is definitely something fishy going on with this/these auction(s).  It would have been fun to take that phone apart and see what's really what, but nobody ever guaranteed us that life would be fair.  Maybe more info will surface after some time has passed.

Dave

[AE_Collector]

Yes Terry, my wife and I had quite a discussion about the whole thing, and there is definitely something fishy going on with this/these auction(s).  It would have been fun to take that phone apart and see what's really what, but nobody ever guaranteed us that life would be fair.  Maybe more info will surface after some time has passed.

Dave

There is still the possibility that the original winner will receive the item (no feedback left about it yet but it is still early) and he will tell us about it. I think Steve C has emailed him asking questions and I have as well.

The seller might have just totally screwed up when he relisted it and then realized his mistake but instead of telling you that he made up the shelf collapsed story. There is absolutely no logic to relisting a purported second "identical" item with a much lower BIN price of $70 something rather than offering it to the runner up and likely getting $101 for it.

I was looking to see who this seller is as he seems to have quite a few phone tiems. I hadn't heard of him before (look2selling) so thought it might have been a handle change from an existing known phone seller, but it isn't. He says he will be selling "a ton" of phones as his grandfather worked for "Ma Bell". It looks as though I need to get the info for the ebaY handles list.

Terry

[Dave F]

.....The seller might have just totally screwed up when he relisted it and then realized his mistake but instead of telling you that he made up the shelf collapsed story. There is absolutely no logic to relisting a purported second "identical" item with a much lower BIN price of $70 something rather than offering it to the runner up and likely getting $101 for it......

Terry

This is exactly the conclusion that Liz and I reached.  Great minds think alike!

Dave

PS: Any luck locating a chrome band for the ivory AE40?