Auction 66 possibility

[Dan]

High on everyone's list is this 302 Blue beauty. It is already at $150 and the sky is the limit.

http://tinyurl.com/3rlfrvw

Someone please transfer a picture of this beauty for me so the auction will make more sense for the archives.

I'm going $ 1,535.34

[Doug Rose]

High on everyone's list is this 302 Blue beauty. It is already at $150 and the sky is the limit.

http://tinyurl.com/3rlfrvw

Someone please transfer a picture of this beauty for me so the auction will make more sense for the archives.

I'm going $ 1,535.34

Look at that handset, it has grooves....it looks painted to me. Limited Pictures....Warning Will Robinson ....DANGER .....DANGER... Robot

[JimH]

Looks painted to me too, but it sure is pretty!

[Doug Rose]

Looks painted to me too, but it sure is pretty!

I asked seller, he said it was "original." I asked him to unscrew the caps. No answer. Its a good space holder, but not the real deal. No open face finger either...Doug

[Doug Rose]

Notice how you cannot read the Western Electric under the handset grip. Polene. Goes on thick, won't chip. I had one as a placeholder for many years. $200 is about what its worth.....Doug

[JimH]

This looks like the "painted blue 302" from Old Phone Works, right down to the repro blue dial card.  Sometimes if the person bought it that way, they don't know it's painted.

Here's the Old Phone Works phone (top), and the Auction phone (bottom).  

They look almost the same, exept the lighting makes the auction phone look more teal.

[Dan]

That's why I stay away from 302's!

[Kenny C]

Does the color seem a lttle off to anyone else?

[Dan]

It does look turquoise and should look more like my avatar color. The blues do yellow over time.

[GG]

Y'all have probably noticed this, but the dial has a solid-center fingerwheel, and it's a #6 dial, and the number card appears to be printed rather than a blue mask over a white card per original. 

Methinks an Old Phone Works creation.  Excellent work of course, but not the same thing as a blue plastic 302. 

And while we're on the topic of Polane paint jobs, is there anyone out there who'll do those to order, and can color-match components?   I'm thinking of my smashed & repaired HES 2+10 in gray, for which the repair isn't quite up to my normal spec, but the whole thing might look better if given the Polane treatment.  I would also be reluctant to bake on a finish on this one since the heat might cause the acrylic repair areas to expand differently than the bakelite, and break out again.

[JimH]

This painted-polane beauty is up to $610!  WT*!!!  Somebody's going to be very disappointed! 

[Doug Rose]

Seller never answered me about unscrewing the caps. They must know. This is a shame....Doug

[JimH]

I just emailed for more photos.  It's definately got a groove on the handset. Looks like new cords, possibly a dial overlay, and repro clear plungers.

[Doug Rose]

That's why I stay away from 302's!

Dan....no reason to stay away from 302s because of this, like any phone; the more knowledge you have the easier it is to spot an issue. In my opinion, the 302 is still the coolest looking phone that was ever made. From the heavy metal 8 pounders to black thermoplastic to color thermoplastic to the variants with an on off (305) to two line (410) to multi line 302s (444). The 302 was the workhorse of the Bell System for over 15 years, so there are alot of them out there. I had a blue polane coated on for many years as a place holder. Its tough to spot, even up close. It feels just like thermoplastic. With a handset that doubles as a weapon, there is no better phone than a 302. In-destructable, easy to repair and just so cool looking....Doug

[Brinybay]

Does the color seem a lttle off to anyone else?

Maybe it's been "aged".