Vern's Place

[gpo706]

Vern, got a spare shelf I could store some of my gear on?

Absolutely amazing, its probably a better collection than most comms museums.

[Dan/Panther]

Vern;
Where are you located, I swear I've seen you before someplace ?
D/P

[Doug Rose]

Hey Vern....simply outstanding!! I don't think I've ever seen that many phones in one location. I'll keep an eye out for your Ivory 1554. Outstanding display.....Doug

[Jim Stettler]

New contest:
How many of Vern's phones are shown in the photos?
Jim S.

[Jim Stettler]

Vern is having trouble accessing the forum. He hasn't been able to get past the home page since he started this thread.

Vern uses webtv for his internet. The slow pace keeps him from getting sucked into the WWW. I have  suggested that it is time for him to get a old slow  computer w/modem  for "hobby" Purposes only.Possibly w/ a printer.

If anyone has a spare ( old) computer that might work for Vern, then e-mail Vern or me and I will get the message to him.
It is time we move Vern to at least "late" 20th century technology.

Jim S.

[Wallphone]

Vern,
I know that you have driven a million miles and kissed a lot of frogs,
but I never imagined you having that kind of collection.
Very impressive.
Leave the dust on them. It protects them from the sunlight.
Where is your next trip taking you?
Dougpav

[McHeath]

You guys with these massive impressive phone collections are scarin' me!  How are we ever going to keep up??

Very nice collection Vern, very nice!  You seem to have it all as well, the wow factor is off the chart.

[Jester]

That would be a great place to "get lost in".  Very nice!

[Dennis Markham]

McHeath, I think Vern and many other collectors have been doing it a long time.  A collection like that sure isn't made over night.  I don't think I will live long enough to amass the amount of telephones shown in those photos. That collection exemplifies the love for the old phones and the drive to hunt for them by Vern.  It's obvious that it has not been a passing fancy but something that has added quality & satisfaction to his life and the lives of all of us that collect vintage stuff.

Not that finding any of those phones was easy, but I wonder if one were to begin a similar quest, say for the next 30 years, beginning today if there would be as much success.  Finding them the old fashioned way, by "kissing frogs" as Vern says, rather than picking them off the shelf on eBay.  I'm sure there are still a lot out there but the pickins must be getting slim----which I guess adds to the pleasure of The Hunt.

[Vern P]

 First, THANK YOU for the kind words about my place. I hope all of you have enjoyed the photo's.

I will try and awnser all comments hear in this post.

Yes I have been collectiing for 25 years.  I live in SLC, Utah. There are not a lot of old phones out hear, put a lot of mine have come from Utah.  ALL collector are welcome to visit the telephones and me when they find them self in this neck of the woods. 

I have had many "road trips" over the years. I have been to 14 of the ATCA fall shows over the last 17 years. I had to miss the last 3 years. I plan to make this years show in Aug.  When I go to these shows, I have to fly in, as I can't take the time to drive. I am around there for 10 days.  I try and meet up with other around there to visit and view there telephone and learn from them, and share info. As we all know somthing that the other does not know.

How did I do this, well like every one else, I stated with one, then added 1 more and so on.   Yes a collection like mine could still be built today, as now there is eBay and other places. Not all but a good share of mine has come from the "wild" and from telephone shows.  There is no place like a telephone show to find and learn about telephones.  Plus you get to talk telephones and put a face with a name.

About my place. I am not mairried (yes a mate would be nice, but I don' have to share my time with anyone) and you have see my kid's.   I bought the house next door to me to build my "play pen" on the lot.  I rented a place for years.  The house is 940 sf. I rent it. My building is 1,600 sf with 10' 6" walls.   

Jim S. you lose, there are some 200 phones on disply, and over 1,500 in boxes and on shelfs.  Years ago,I bought 800 WE 564's in one lot, just for parts. More deals have come along, but not the size of that one.

Yes I know I am not the biggest "junk" I mean telephone collector around, but I am the bigest around hear. Just look at my belt size (boy am I fat !) There are not many phone collectors hear in the West, about 15 in the 5 states around Utah. Yes the is a nice group in AZ, and CO. I just took a short 3 day road trip over to CO.(365 mile one way) to see a guy that keep telling me "I am going to come see you"  We spent the day hitting the shops with in 100 miles of him. Yes I did clean out the shops in his town, before I called him to tell him I was in town. (2 C/S, early oak ringer box and a 302)  We did get 3 more C/S, and 302 wale we were shopping.

One of the C/S I got, was a AE stair step dial C/S (early 1915 kind) that I have been looking at in the shop for over 5 year, this time she was ready to deal.

As I say about looking for telephones "You need to KISS a LOT of FROGES to find that Prince"  Yes there are a lot of phones out in the wild to be found, I an others have not found them all.  So every one just need to keep "kissing them frogs !"

Not to by pass the forum, but I have been having trouble loging in. So the best way to reach me it to use the email listed in my profile witch is VERN1435@WEBTV.NET

Sorry I didn't mean to be so long winded.

Vern p
   

[JorgeAmely]

Vern:

Great pictures and story. One of these days I will knock on your door ... with a shopping cart ... and a pickup truck. 

[John S]

Vern,

Thanks for sharing your phone collection.  Its really amazing, very cool.....
Hope we can see more.....Welcome to the forum......

John

[Mainephones]

Unbelievable!! What a collection ... I'd like to here each one.

[Vern P]

Not to blow my own horn (ok maybe a littel), but I did want to let the new folks on the forum that I am a "real player" and not some new guy.

I will be selling a lot of my extra phones.  I don't have any way to post photo's, so I can't show what is beeing sold.  No I am not selling stuff out of the collection.

If you don't see the photo's hear, they are still posted at http://atcaonline.com/pictures  under "Show and Tell" dated 2-3-10

No list of stuff, I will just be pulling stuff out and put it up for sale.

Again the best way to email me is at  VERN1435@WEBTV.NET   and not thur the forum. Not to by pass the forum, but I use a TOY computer.

Later  Vern P. in Utah

[bwanna]

holy mackrel!