"Real" Telephones

[Pangloss62]

Hey rkzen!

I know you can find a nice Western Electric 300 or 500 instead of going for the PB repros. Really, there's nothing like the real thing. I've got about 3 or 500 series desksets that I've found at thrift stores and yard sales. They all work and were wicked cheap too.


They made over a million of these babies. A dealer would sell you one for less than the PB repro.

That "Boomerang" pattern of Formica was called "Skylark." But most people call it boomerang for obvious reasons. I love Formica.

[Elspode]

I still have and use a Western Electric desk phone. First generation touch tone, whatever series that was. I've had it since 1975. Works perfectly, despite having been dragged to the floor from table/desk height countless times. Faceplate is busted and I disabled the bell because it was too damn loud, but otherwise...flawless function.

[Pangloss62]

I picked up the below a few weeks ago to add to my retro kitchen. It's not much different then a blender, but it looks so cool. And it says "Bar Mixer" on it! And it works like a charm. $5.00 at a thrift store.

Hmmm. I think were drifting away from telephones...but that's ok.

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by Elspode

I still have and use a Western Electric desk phone. First generation touch tone, whatever series that was.

That would be the 1500:



Unless it was new enough to have an asterisk and an octothorpe, in which case it is a 2500:



http://www.bellsystemmemorial.com/telephones-2500.html

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

Hey rkzen!

I know you can find a nice Western Electric 300 or 500 instead of going for the PB repros. Really, there's nothing like the real thing. I've got about 3 or 500 series desksets that I've found at thrift stores and yard sales. They all work and were wicked cheap too.


They made over a million of these babies. A dealer would sell you one for less than the PB repro.

That "Boomerang" pattern of Formica was called "Skylark." But most people call it boomerang for obvious reasons. I love Formica.

I know you can get them (lovin' the eBay), but the dial is painful for me, unfortunately, plus it is a pain with all the automated crap we do (I refill a ton of prescriptions).
So the repos are the way for me, sucks though.

[Shawnee123]

There is an old hamburger shop in a neighboring town that has been there forever (not sure of the date but you could once get a bag of burgers at a nickel apiece.) Anyway, my mom took me there when I was young and I was fascinated by the boomerang table tops. I had no idea you could find it anywhere else but there!

Thanks, I LOVE the pics I see in here from time to time of people's retro decor. Very cool!

You can get a tie:

http://shop.brooklynmuseum.org/bofotie.html

[footfootfoot]

I picked up one of those 300 series phones at a stoop sale in Brooklyn for about $5. It was great. Heavy as a seal club. It made phoning someone seem important.

[Pangloss62]

I picked up an unusual WE 5302 at a telephone show up in Wisconsin. It's got the "guts" of a 302, but a shell of a 500. You find these with either the F or G handset.


This one has the F handset found on most 302s.



This one has the G handset like the one I have. Note how the 500 shell is cut off at the back because the 302 guts take up less space.