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Compubit / Jim's (Growing) Phone Collection

Started by compubit, March 18, 2015, 12:20:12 AM

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compubit

It has the square buttons, but the buttons have a different feel - it feels like a rubber membrane button, vs. a spring loaded in earlier models.

Also, the font on the Button face is a Helvetica-style font vs. the original square button phones used a Univers-style font. (The number 1 is the definite giveaway)

This last generation of rotary Princess phones use Helvetica-style numbers on the number ring, as do the rotary Trimlines.

The screw covers on this series also say AT&T in matching colored plastic on the handset, vs. the base seen on earlier models, but the bases seem to be refurbished original bases (with an RF sticker on the bottom).

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

compubit

Well, I can add Country Blue (-305) to the Trimline Color Collection.

[Pictures for comparison vs. Teal Blue (-145) ]

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Stormcrash

Nice! Seems the Teal one has yellowed a bit, as they are very prone to do. My mom has a Teal CS Trimline from 83 so I like both it and the Country Blue. I believe Country Blue was only available on lease models. I wonder if that handset was remanufactured like the base and got an updated AT&T screw cover as part of it.  The CS trimlines sold after breakup had the Bell Trimline screw cover replaced with a plastic number card cover and a paper strip with the AT&T globe logo on it, so I think the molded plastic AT&T covers were only used on lease phones.

Interesting about the short travel keypads too. Does the Country Blue one have it like your sunny yellow one? I wonder if it was a cost reduction for keypad replacement during refurbishment post breakup, as I think all the pre breakup Trimlines I've come across have the normal long travel linear keypads.

compubit

This one has the old keypad in the handset - the box that came with it is marked "Refurbished" (vs. "Reconditioned" on the Sunny Yellow Trimline).  The Sunny Yellow keypad has nearly the full throw as the classic square-button handsets, but it has a different feel (membrane-based switch, vs. spring-loaded mechanical)

I do recall the paper/clear plastic screw cover on the CS models.

The teal has slightly yellowed, but the picture amplifies the yellowing...

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

compubit

Finally have a pair!

The blue/green one needs a retr0brite (or equivalent) processing to get the base to the original white. The good news is that the buttons don't yellow!
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Jim Stettler

Quote from: compubit on September 10, 2019, 08:35:28 PM
Finally have a pair!

The blue/green one needs a retr0brite (or equivalent) processing to get the base to the original white. The good news is that the buttons don't yellow!
The blue /green is very hard to find. It makes a pair. Submit it to find of the month.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
You could swap the buttons to an un faded set.
A buddy of mine had the orange set . He dialed by pattern, so he swapped around the buttons for fun.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

compubit

I've been lucky. Both sets of button look mint. Many have scratches and fading (yes,I've seen some fading of the orange buttons to almost yellow...)

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

compubit

How I spent my holiday weekend:

While not on the scale of FABphone's new phone room, I did put up shelves for displaying a couple of my subcollections:

- Desk Trimlines (25 different colors + white)
- 1500s in color (10 colors plus an early 2500 light gray which will change to a 1500...)
- Princess phones (18 + Imperial + White)
- Many of the various white phones in my collection (but not all)

I still need to organize the white phone (and remove duplicates from the display)and to build out the panel for wall-mounted phones (it'll go to the right of the shelves).  I can also see how faded some of them are...

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

.....

Nice collection, you get any more and will have to reinforce that wall. :)

FABphones

Wow. Lots of phones, and a nice collection of Trimlines. I have only a couple of Trimlines but if I had to choose just one everyday phone that would be it. Nice to hold, a good weight, and great to have the dial in the hand.
:)
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

Key2871

Well I see you were quite busy, that's impressive!
Nice work!!
KEN

compubit

Thanks!

Now I have to start "unfading" a number of the phones...

Actually, the shelves are bolted to studs in 35 places (5 Vertical supports with 7 screws...). They're not going anywhere! ;D
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

Key2871

Wow, I should say not. Those are there to stay!
Good luck on faded sets, I never had much luck with those in the past, so I avoid those sets were possible.
KEN

.....

Quote from: compubit on May 26, 2020, 10:05:00 PM
Thanks!

Now I have to start "unfading" a number of the phones...

Actually, the shelves are bolted to studs in 35 places (5 Vertical supports with 7 screws...). They're not going anywhere! ;D

Lots of information on the process of restoring the colour of the bodies and handsets out there. "unfading"

Sounds good on the wall, I use 2" lag screws to mount my payphones to the studs and they're not going anywhere either! :)

HarrySmith

Great collection. I see a lot of yellowed white phones. There are a few different methods on here about restoring plastic. Teleplay (John) has posted some very good, very detailed processes. Also I have used Salon Care peroxide hair cream with great results on white phones.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"