Find of the Month - February 2011

[paul-f]

The Princess announcement date was in September, 1959 according to AT&T's "Events in Telecommunications History."

Production would have started several months earlier.

There are photos of the bedroom phone field trial set (1957) here:
  http://www.paul-f.com/webr.html

[jsowers]

Here is what I consider my find of the month, an NOS ivory soft plastic 554 from 3-59. It came complete with the original box and backboard wrapped in the original packing material. The auction ended at $20.50 and the shipping was $15.95. With what NOS phones with the box have been bringing lately, it was a total surprise to me. Here is the auction link, if you're interested...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270701507855  Dead link 2/9/14

It only lacked the coil cord, and I had one to complete it. It does have outgassing from the rubber ringer mounts on both sides that have come through to the outside, but otherwise it looks and feels as new as the day it left the plant. The plastics sort of "squeak" when I handle them and the inside is dust-free. Here are some pictures of it...

[Dan]

Gorgeous!! You are one lucky man!

[stopthemachine]

Wow!  I saw that 554 phone, but just assumed the box came with it... didn't think the phone was NOS!  Nice find. 

I have another possible contender for the month of February.  I recently acquired a WE 510 with what appears to have all original, 1955 parts!  It even has the original G1 handset-- best of all?  I got it for just $35 which includes shipping!

Here's a pic...

[DavePEI]

I have another possible contender for the month of February.  I recently acquired a WE 510 with what appears to have all original, 1955 parts!  It even has the original G1 handset-- best of all?  I got it for just $35 which includes shipping!

Thought you might get a kick out of this thread....

510's in triplicate"

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=4397.0

[Dennis Markham]

Jonathan, I think that was an awesome find.  Since I enjoy collecting the soft plastic 500's and 554's that would be one I would be proud to have in my collection.  I think that "flew below the radar" with similar collectors.  I know I missed it.  Congratulations on your find!

[stopthemachine]

Thought you might get a kick out of this thread....

510's in triplicate"

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=4397.0

Wow!  That is awesome!  I noticed from Paul's site that these two-line phones worked with a 4-condutor mounting cord -- how are they hooked to the line to work as a two-line phone then?  I guess I'm just a bit confused.  Right now, there's a four-prong plug on it.

[AE_Collector]

Wow!  That is awesome!  I noticed from Paul's site that these two-line phones worked with a 4-condutor mounting cord -- how are they hooked to the line to work as a two-line phone then?  I guess I'm just a bit confused.  Right now, there's a four-prong plug on it.

I don't know the phone at all but would guess that the set cord green/red = Line 1 and Black/Yellow = Line 2.

Terry

[stopthemachine]

Terry,

I was thinking the same thing. 

He said that the phone does not contain a bell (not sure if that was the usual or not), but I'll have to "pop the hood" later and see what's inside.

Dan

[DavePEI]

Wow!  That is awesome!  I noticed from Paul's site that these two-line phones worked with a 4-condutor mounting cord -- how are they hooked to the line to work as a two-line phone then?  I guess I'm just a bit confused.  Right now, there's a four-prong plug on it.

Exactly as Terry said above....

[Dan]

Agree with the wiring, I have a 410 WE at work and the girls hate it, line two rings and the dead awaken!

[stopthemachine]

Haha.  That explains how it works then.

I noticed something when I popped the hood of the phone--it DOES have a bell in it (even though the seller said it didn't--actually, I looked at the bottom "vents" and it was obvious there were two bells in it).  Maybe he tried tried it out, and it didn't ring because it has a party-line or frequency ringer?  It doesn't look like any wires were unhooked though.  No idea.

It's a great phone though with all dates of the phone from 1955--inside and out.  Even the handset caps and transmitter/receiver elements hadn't been replaced over the years with the PVC plastic caps or newer parts. 

Interestly enough, my SC 510 phone from 1983 (funny to think the same model phones were made 28 years apart from each other) is, of course, marked 510, but it also has the white exclusion/hold-key switch hook.  Although they share the same numberical code, could it have to do with a letter difference in the coding?  (I'll have to check them again to see if there is a difference.)

[paul-f]

Nice find.

I can never remember all the variations, so look them up in the chart here:
  http://www.paul-f.com/we500typ.htm#Variations

Scroll down to the 510s.  Notice there are several variations.  The BSPs show the wiring details. 

Note that two extra wires are needed in the mounting cord if you want to use the pushbutton function on the line key.

If your SC set has an exclusion or hold plunger, it should be marked 511 or 515.  (See the chart for a quick reference.)

[JimH]

I have a "Princess" phone from July, 1959 that has a soft-plastic handset, but an ABS base shell.  I have "Princess" in quotes because it does not have the name marked on the bottom.  I was told this was before Bell had the name trademarked, and they did not mark the phones "Princess" yet.  The handset had faded to a whitish pink, just like many pink 500s did.  I've since restored the set and the pinks match, but here's photos from the ebay ad.

[Dan]

That's as early a princess as I have ever seen!