Nice Pink WE 5302 on eBay

[zaphod01]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/187788578600

[TelePlay]

Started at $20. Seven bidders have placed 23 bids to get it up to $400 with 24 hours to go.

One unusual thing about the color is of the bottom of the handset, it's almost white. Pink discoloration, every time I've seen it, has gone from pink to a salmon color. Have no idea why pink in the most sheltered from light area has become bleached to near white, lost its color.

And the rest of the phone is not showing discoloration toward salmon.

Maybe it's just the lighting.

[SUnset2]

I'm assuming that these are "soft plastic" rather than ABS.  The "soft plastic" pink phones I've seen tend to fade paler rather than yellow like the ABS.

[TelePlay]

I'm assuming that these are "soft plastic" rather than ABS.  The "soft plastic" pink phones I've seen tend to fade paler rather than yellow like the ABS.

Interesting, didn't know that but makes sense.

I've never had soft plastic colored phones. I still find it curious that one of the most light protected areas on a phone, the bottom of the handset, has changed the most. It could be due to hand oil transfer that affected the change.

[RDPipes]

I'll never understand why these people insist on creating a bidding war instead of going the smarter route.
Either they have way too much money and just want to try push their so called weight around or their trying
to push the market price up to increase the value of their own collection. Of course there's the other and
it may very well be in this case also.

[5415551212]

Started at $20. Seven bidders have placed 23 bids to get it up to $400 with 24 hours to go.

One unusual thing about the color is of the bottom of the handset, it's almost white. Pink discoloration, every time I've seen it, has gone from pink to a salmon color. Have no idea why pink in the most sheltered from light area has become bleached to near white, lost its color.

And the rest of the phone is not showing discoloration toward salmon.

Maybe it's just the lighting.

The higher prices for old phones get, the more incentive there is for people to do really good paint jobs or other sneaky mods, especially now that low-cost tech like 3D printing is widely available. I wouldn't go so far as to call them "fakes," but some of this work can be deceptive. This trend seems to be happening across antiques and collectibles in general.

Another example is the 500 series mushroom phones, I *think* years back someone even made a run of replacement mushroom light hoods, which led to some two-line phones being modified into mushroom models. That's fine if you just want to mod your own phone or paint it pink, but doing it just to fetch a higher price is a bit deceptive.

[TelePlay]

Another example is the 500 series mushroom phones, I *think* years back someone even made a run of replacement mushroom light hoods, . . .

Yes, at least one person did:

https://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=3401.msg45085#msg45085

This is from 15 years ago, info is probably not active today.

[TelePlay]

Rarity still sells high.

Seller did it the right way, started it at $20 and let the market determine its value.

Sold for $710, saw 3 snipes within the last 10 seconds.

Seller appears to be an "antique store" based on other items for sale. Has different types of stuff currently listed so probably only lists stuff on eBay that has monetary value.

[5415551212]

Speaking of mushroom phones here is a pink one missing the cap:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/146073573446

[RDPipes]

Maybe I'm too old or too broke but, I just don't see a $700 phone there.
Maybe $300 but, no more. I think their throwing money to the wind.
It's only a stinking phone, don't get me wrong I love collecting them but,
I'm not going to spend that much money on anything to just stare at. I just
got better things to do with that kind of money.

[TelePlay]

There have only been 2 pink 5302s in the auction contests, more may have sold but only 2 were tracked.

One, with a white bezel, sold for $453 in 2009. In today's dollars, adjusted for inflation, that would be $698. Auction contest 33.

The other sold for $575 in 2017. Inflation adjusted, that would be $769 in today's dollars. Auction contest 270.

So, $710 shows the rare, pink 5302 has held a value but has not appreciated over time.

As always, something is only worth to a seller what a buyer is willing to pay. It would have sold for a lot less if there was only 1 buyer. That eBay listing had 8 potential buyers and 3 serious snipers, a winning combination for the seller. After all, it's the buyer's decision, the buyer's money.

[RDPipes]

Well it just goes to show you how only two people can influence many other lives.
So when someone says, "That doesn't effect me so why should I care!" they need to think twice
and realize everything trickles down like turds in a drain pipe.