Corded, cordless, or cell - rotary, touch-tone, or digital - candlestick, desk set, or Princess - the telephone has been a communications icon since 1876.
It has also become an extremely popular collectible with so many stylistic variations and technological advances over its long history that collectors are forced to specialize.
There are phones of wood, metal, Bakelite, and plastic. There are the familiar candlestick models of the gangster and detective films of the 1930's. There are the ubiquitous black Bakelite desk/table phones of the 1940's and 1950's. And there are the stylish Princess and Ericofons, available in a rainbow of colors, of the 1960's. But these are just the tip of the iceberg.
Then there are all the telephone-related items that some collectors troll estate and web auctions for: glass paperweights with the Bell logo, signs and advertisements, company catalogs, and even company trucks! And don't forget phone booths: a 1949 Western Electric wood booth (with working coin phone) recently garnered a highly respectable $800 final bid online.
And it's not just collectors buying vintage phones. Old phones have been considered decoratively retro for some time. Once, a person could pick up a cherry red desk set for a couple of dollars at the Goodwill. Now, red rotary dial and push button desk phones from the 60's, 70's, and 80's, are selling for $50, $60 and more at online auctions. (Guess most Boomers fondly recall the "hotline" from the White House to the Kremlin!)
Of course, vintage phone prices are all over the map. Many old phones are too common or are in too poor condition to be valuable for anything other than as retro decorations or for parts. But many others are rare or unusual enough that collectors are willing to spend several hundred to several thousand dollars to add them to their collections. A prime example is a 1920's Western Electric A1. This model is considered important because it represents the transition from the earlier candlestick to the later integrated handset models. Recently, an A1 fetched $1493.99 at an online auction, but it is not unusual for this model to sell for more.
Telephone color is a major determiner of value. Until the 50's and 60's, most phones were produced in basic black, so collectors are always on the lookout for some of the more colorful (and rarer) units. For example, a 1950's Western Electric 302 in ivory recently sold for $249, but the same model in the rarer blue closed for almost $1400!
Bakelite phones in any color are always in demand, and one in a jade green just sold for $987.86.
What if you find a desirable model at a yard or estate sale, but it is non-functioning or is missing parts? It is perfectly permissible to repair or restore the unit yourself, using genuine parts whenever possible, or to send it to one of the many individuals or companies that exist online and perform that service. (Check Telephone Tribute.com listed in the resource section below for a list of links to repairers and parts suppliers.) And, of course, you must note any repairs or substitute parts when selling an item.
As with any collectible, knowledge is money, and, thus, the following resources are highly recommended:
Books
"100 Years of Bell Telephones," by Richard Mountjoy
http://digbig.com/4mfjp
"Old-time Telephones!: Design, History, And Restoration," by Ralph O. Meyer
http://digbig.com/4mfjq
"Telephone Collecting: Seven Decades of Design," by Kate E. Dooner
http://digbig.com/4mfjr
"Telephones: Antique to Modern," by Kate E. Dooner
http://digbig.com/4mfjs
Websites
The Antique Telephone Collectors Association (ATCA)
http://atcaonline.com
Major organization offers history, newsletter, annual national show, links, more.
Australasian Telephone Collectors Society (ATCS)
http://www.telephonecollecting.org
For collectors down under, but check out the Articles and Links pages.
Cyber Telephone Museum
http://www.museumphones.com/index.html#t
Interesting site offers an exhibit "of common and rare antique telephones," old phone system trucks. For sale: switchboard operator's dialing pen, Maxim glass mouthpieces copies made from original molds.
Ericofon.com
http://www.ericofon.com
Absolutely everything to know about the Ericofon (1954-1976), from dating and repair to history, colors, styles, wiring diagrams, etc.
Gary's Telephone Collection
http://home.inreach.com/bgoff/index.htm
A virtual museum with lots of photos and enjoyable-to-read descriptive text.
Paul's Telephone Pages
http://www.angus1.com/ericsson
Devoted to early L.M. Ericsson telephones-LOTS of great photos, info!
Save the Phones!
http://members.aol.com/usedphones/packsafe.htm
"Shipping Guidelines" that help minimize or eliminate damage to old and fragile phones.
The Telephone Central Office Online
http://www.centralofficeonline.com
Interested in a description of what's involved to make a call via an automatic switcher? Try this site. (Sound effects included.)
Telephone Collectors International
http://www.telephonecollectors.org
Publishes "Singing Wires" and "Switcher's Quarterly" newsletters, hosts national and regional shows, offers links, special features, more.
The Telephone Exchange Name Project
http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html
Do you remember when phone numbers began with letters/names, like Pennsylvania 6-5000 (736-5000)? This site offers an in-depth look at telephone exchange names, and explains how to find yours.
Telephone Tribute
http://www.telephonetribute.com
History, glossary, technical information, links to part suppliers and repairers, more!
