Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Post your "Find of the Month" here.

A "Find of the Month" is a telephone or a related item that you acquired during the month that you are particularly excited about either because of its rarity, the difficulty you had in trying to find it for your collection or the exceptional "deal" that you got on it.

The "Find of the Month" contest is focused on the collection of telephones rather than on their sale for a profit. To be eligible for the "Find of the Month" contest:

- The finder must have personally acquired and actually own the item.
- The item can be acquired for free but it can not be a gift or present from anyone.
- The item (or any of its components) cannot be put up for sale during the contest period.
- Only one "Find" per owner can be in a "Find of the Month" contest.


A Nomination Should Include:

1) at least one picture of the item.
2) the price & shipping cost.
3) where and/or how it was found.
4) the forum link if discussed in another topic on CRPF.
5) the eBay link if won there.
6) and other information of importance about the find.


Ideally your item would be posted in its own thread elsewhere on the forum such as "Auction Talk", "Flea Market/Yard Sale Finds" or "Collectors Corner" Board. Then you or anyone else can nominate your "Find" to the Current "Find of the Month" thread by posting at least one picture and other details including the price paid, any shipping costs and a link to the original discussion on the forum. It is not a requirement that your find be posted elsewhere on the forum but the more details the better.

Nominations of phones listed in other forum discussion topics, by members that do not own the item but realize it is indeed a "find" worthy of being nominated as a "Find of the Month" candidate, are always welcome.

Please pick your best "Find" to submit for the month limiting your entry to one phone or one "Find" that might include multiple items. If you have already entered for the month and come up with something even better either submit your new find indicating that it replaces your previous entry OR you can enter your new Find in next months contest.

TelePlay has grabbed pictures of all of the "Find of the Month" winners since we started this back in 2010 and he has put them into albums on PhotoBucket. Thanks John.

To check them out, click  --> HERE <-- (http://s1000.photobucket.com/user/CRPF/library/Find%20of%20the%20Month)

Terry

This will be my first find of the month post so I'm very excited. Cross my fingers!! I would like to nominate my 1957 Northern Electric N717CG wood mount telephone that I purchase for $40 from a local seller on Kijiji. All the parts are original and original wiring is intact, and the best part, it works!! I'm really proud of this find. Good Luck Everyone!!

Ok got this one yesterday at a flea market in western PA for $6.00 after some haggeling the seller wanted $10.00. It is an appropriate August find as it is refurb dated in August of 1971

I'm putting in my AE 187 three line phone. I found it on Kijiji for $35.00 plus $5.00 for delivery. $40.00 CDN Total.
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14741.0 (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14741.0)

I nominate my 20x16 heavy porcelain TELEPHONE OFFICE sign with arrow. Two sided. In excellent bright and shiny condition. $50 at the ATCA national show.

Just because I have only posted one "find" so far, I'll nominate it.

Here's the link (http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14821.0) to the topic what I introduced the phone.

The story is that my wife and I were on the way to an antique show in Portland, OR that we attended every year.  We stopped at the mid-point to have lunch and stretch our legs in a town called Centralia, WA, known for a thriving antique district.  I went to an antique store looking for a nice door, and saw a bunch of old phone parts and this phone in one of the rooms.  I asked how much, and was told $49 for all the phone stuff.  I quickly paid for it (cash) and hauled it all back to the truck.  It included two extra ringers, and extra earpiece, and a couple of other items I can't remember off hand.  I haven't unpacked all my boxes since moving to TX, so I haven't found the rest of the parts yet.

As an aside, at the antique show I also came across two other old wooden phones... one for $25 and one for $80.  I bought the $25 one (and will unpack it eventually), but left the $80 one behind.  Any other time I would have jumped on the $80 one, but those two cheaper finds reset my expectations about prices for that trip.

- Greg

I'd like to nominate Jf510's Pekin Red 302 that he found at an estate sale for $60.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14854.msg154134#msg154134

What a great range of telephone types this month!  The competition is tough!  I want to enter my AE 34A3a in the find of the month. 

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14802.msg153477#msg153477

My sister sent me a text that said she saw an "old heavy phone painted green at a store downtown."  As a teacher, I have been trying to train my siblings to recognize a valuable old phone and this is what I get?!  She couldn't even remember if it was a "push button" reproduction phone or not.  What is the world coming to?  Long story short, this is what I found.  Several people generously helped identify this phone as an AE34A3a with a type 42 handset. 

I am looking for the earlier type 38 handset with the chrome trim if anyone has one lying around!

This was at a Hospice of Central Iowa second hand store.  The phone cost me $39 with no shipping.

Some details:
Dial markings:  60-C and 43(?)
Cord numbers: RUNZEL 3D09-RJ, CD-3500053
Base markings: L253AO and 90A.
Induction Coil:  D282781
Ringer:            D-56435-A

Tina Loyd

Not much of a picture, laying flat with the handset out of the picture, but it is what I'm exited about. It is being restored now.
Better pictures will follow when it's done.
I had one of these on the wall back in the '80s, but it got away from me somewhere along the line. Finally found another AE50 here.

I have a thread here:  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14822.msg154203#msg154203http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14822.msg154203#msg154203

cheers
Rob

Quote from: dumb_old_guy on August 27, 2015, 08:28:49 AM
Not much of a picture, laying flat with the handset out of the picture, but it is what I'm exited about. It is being restored now.
Better pictures will follow when it's done.
I had one of these on the wall back in the '80s, but it got away from me somewhere along the line. Finally found another AE50 here.

cheers
Rob

Nice phone! What did you pay for it?

Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on August 27, 2015, 10:35:27 AM

Quote from: dumb_old_guy on August 27, 2015, 08:28:49 AM
Not much of a picture, laying flat with the handset out of the picture, but it is what I'm exited about. It is being restored now.
Better pictures will follow when it's done.
I had one of these on the wall back in the '80s, but it got away from me somewhere along the line. Finally found another AE50 here.

cheers
Rob

Nice phone! What did you pay for it?

$95. Too much, probably, but I had to have it. Besides, after restoring it, I might sell it and make a little money.
I bought it at a local antique mall.

cheers
Rob

I'm nominating my two AE multi line models that I got for $10 a pop!

The beige on says it's a 186 W, I don't know what the black one is. I'm assuming just a different model number.

The beige one is to be hung on a wall. The black one sits upon a desk.

I can't seem to find any out on the bay....Are they uncommon?

Quote from: Partyline4 on August 29, 2015, 04:40:13 PM
I'm nominating my two AE multi line models that I got for $10 a pop!

The beige on says it's a 186 W, I don't know what the black one is. I'm assuming just a different model number.

The beige one is to be hung on a wall. The black one sits upon a desk.

I can't seem to find any out on the bay....Are they uncommon?

They are uncommon since there isn't much 10A2 equipment in use any more...

Both AUtomatic Electric 186's. The W on the Beige one indicates a wall model which is quite a bit less common than desk models. We called the wall versions 196 and the desk 186 since that matches up with the normal AE protocol of 80's being desk and 90's wall phones but I dont think AE looked at it that way!

These are relatively new versions of the 186 (or possibly refurbished) as they have the newer LED line lamps behind the red area of the faceplate.

As Cello973 said, they are 1A1 or 1A2 Key phones which refers to the eauipment in the phone room that operated the lights and hold function. AE called their version of this equipment 10A1 and 10A2.

Autonut's nomination for his AE 187 this month is almost the same as the AE 186 except the 187 doesn't need the equipment in the phone room. The 187 is a 3 line phone and each line jey has a coresponding red hold button that throws a big reaistor across the line to keep it holding while you are on one of the other lines.

Terry

I'll throw in my 1958 soft plastic WE 593 in Light Beige. This color is pretty difficult to find in SP, and even harder to find on a 554, and harder yet to find on a 593! Since my last post in the topic below, I have removed the ringer. It wasn't an original, and it would have come from the factory without a ringer anyway.

I found it on eBay for $22 BiN.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=14806

http://m.ebay.com/itm/191664736589

Time to vote for the August 2015 Find of the Month. There are 10 contestants so everyone can vote for their favorite THREE finds this month. Lets see who snagged the best Find of the Month for August.

Terry

are the nominees allowed to vote for other nominees finds?

Quote from: Telephone_Singer22 on September 07, 2015, 07:45:07 PM
are the nominees allowed to vote for other nominees finds?

Yes, they are. In this month, you get 3 votes to cast for 3 phones so one for your phone, if you have one nominated, and one for two other phones if you so desire. Some people only cast one vote and throw away the others available.

No matter who everyone voted for, it looks as though we may as well pull the plug on this months voting. A day early but I dont think anyone will catch Jf510's Pekin Red 302 with 20 votes! And there were 38 voters this month, that must be getting close to a record. Good turn out!

No one was real close to JF510 with 20 votes but everyone captured the vote of at least several other voters and three were up in double digits, cloyd with 13, WEBellSystemChristian with 12 & cello973 with 11.

Congratulations to jf510 for your resounding victory in the August 2015 Find if the Month!

Terry

Quote from: Telephone_Singer22 on September 07, 2015, 07:45:07 PM
are the nominees allowed to vote for other nominees finds?

They sure are.

When I have a phone in the FOTM running I always use my vote(s) to choose other phones, and leave the vote on mine free of my own bias. ;)

Best regards!