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Ebay Telephone Prices

Started by Babybearjs, March 04, 2013, 01:58:48 AM

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Babybearjs

looks like the phones are getting a dusting off.... prices on ebay are strong and even the 302's are fetching a good price! the question is.... will this last???
John

unbeldi

Quote from: Babybearjs on March 04, 2013, 01:58:48 AM
looks like the phones are getting a dusting off.... prices on ebay are strong and even the 302's are fetching a good price! the question is.... will this last???

The supply of the 302s seems plentiful despite what the high prices might suggest; at any given time there is probably a couple of dozen offered if not more. But I have seen and caught bargains too, sometimes they are advertised very non-specifically as antique phones, sometimes they just need a little cleaning. I caught some pretty ugly looking ones that even with the least amount of cleansing turn out real gems.

AL_as_needed

I see this is an older topic, but being the newbie, what is the general price for a 302 in less than perfect shape? I'm not after a show piece, love working on them and bringing things back. Just seems prices (eBay)are inflated for 302s and 500s in this category.

Thanks
TWinbrook7

unbeldi

#3
Welcome, AL.

You can spend literally anything you like on a 302.
You can find really good ones for very little if you learn to know what to look for and stay patient. With little, I mean less than $20 for a basis black set.
Color plastic sets of course are high in demand and not plentiful, so they go for quite a bit more.  But it's possible too, as I found this one for almost that ($25), a couple years ago.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=12392.msg130627#msg130627



But it wasn't an eBay find, where it would have gone for over $100, likely.

High priced are the items from resellers who polish them up and make them look almost like new. I suppose there is a market for that, because people buy them.

You should define your goal though before buying.  Buying a nice set that someone has made to work might be a good start to learn how they should work, but there is plenty of documentation, here on the forum and elsewhere, to learn enough to save yourself some money and do it yourself.


RotarDad

#4
I would say $20-30 is probably the low-end for a complete 302 plus shipping.  A 302 or 500 should ship in a USPS Medium Flat-rate box for $13 or so.  Manual (non-dial) 302s seem to not sell as well, and you find them more frequently at the lower end of the price scale.  I have seen quite a few 302s with big cracks or missing cradle ears as well, and not always cheap.  Look carefully at the pics and ask questions if needed.  Keep looking - 302s are very common, as you know....
Paul

HarrySmith

Agreed. You can always find plenty of 302's on eBay for under $20.00. Mostly not listed as 302's, usually just described as old phone, antique phone or something like that. Also listed as F1 phone due to the plainly visible number on handset. Lastly sometimes listed as H1 or 2 or 3 Stamped on the back of the housing. Be patient, be sure to find one with no cracks! Not easy to fix and not worth as much, maybe $5-10.00. Plenty of info & help here and online to fix them too!
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

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

Greg G.

#6
Also try other auction sites like www.shopgoodwill.com.  And what Harry said, try different search terms.  "telephone" will bring up different stuff than "phone", and "rotary phone" will bring up yet a different set of hits.  Plurals work too, e.g. "telephones" or "phones".  A couple times I found whole collections for sale using the plural that I would have missed otherwise.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

AL_as_needed

Thanks for the insights,

I'm not afraid of a project, I like the barn fresh stuff that others may pass over, sometimes the challenge is half the fun. That's actually how I came to find this forum, my first set was complete but wired as an extension in true C/D fashion.

Unbeldi: Colors are definitely at a premium across the board from what I have seen, baring newer models like the trimline and 2500 etc. I have had luck with the "off topic" search results, got a red 500 for about 12$ that way.

RotorDad: cracks are a big fear, not all sellers as I have seen online are up front with things that, some hardly provide good photos. As to price 20-30$ sounds about right for what I have seen off line, at least for 500s, so at least my expectations aren't too crazy haha.

Brinybay: Never thought of goodwill.com!
TWinbrook7