December 3, 2008
People started collecting phones shortly after Alexander Graham Bell patented them in 1876. Some of those early handmade wood telephones from the 1880s (e.g. those marked Charles Williams Jr. or American Bell) are among the most prized finds for telephone collectors.
Collectible antique and vintage telephones basically fall into three groups. Wood wall phones, which were produced from 1876 up through WW2, have lost much of their appeal (except those earliest models) as few collectors still remember growing up with them. Candlestick phones, produced from the 1890s through the 1920s, are still in great demand, especially the earliest turn of the century nickel-plated models.
Desk sets, including most phones after 1930, are the bulk of the hobby today, and range from early 1920's models with ringer boxes to the groovy 1960s and 70s Ericofon, Princess and Trimline models. The most commonly found phones are rotary dial models such as the Western Electric 202s (1930s), 302s (1940s-50s), and 500 sets (1960s and 70s).
While Western Electric is the big name for many American collectors, makers like Automatic Electric, Kellogg Switchboard and Supply, Stromberg Carlson and others are also in high demand. Many telephone collectors also focus on related items such as telephone signs and switchboards.
How did I get started collecting antique telephones? As a kid I always liked phones, using them, talking on t… [more]
I like mechanical things. I’ve collected outboard motors, things like that in the past. I got into the tele… [more]
If you're into old phones, check out this 600-page repository of images and historical information. Includes an ext… [more]
Richard Rose's tribute to the Ericofon, a colorful, stylish concept phone introduced in Europe in the 1950's and th… [more]
Mike Neale's fantastic collection of scanned PDFs showcasing the history and products of the Kellogg Switchboard an… [more]
For those who want highly detailed information on specific Western Electric antique and vintage telephone models su… [more]
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Nanaimo Daily News, Canada -
She asked it in such a way that it was apparent she saw rotary phones as something cavemen would use to warn each other of mammoth stampedes. ...
Dahlonega Nugget, GA -
For those of you who still own a rotary phone, texting is the act of, well, you should really know what texting is by now. But it's the equivalent of ...
The Lincoln Tribune -
Profile America — Monday, November 17th. We still use the word “dial” to refer to the act of calling someone’s phone number — even though several ...
Antiques and Arts Weekly, CT -
... 346, CV73, 74, 403, 3 Tobey Mugs, Tiffany Style Hanging Chandelier w/Turtle Back Glass, Wall Oak Telephone, Candlestick Telephone, Stangel Plates, Vict. ...
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, IN -
Why not 8-track tapes or rotary telephones? Proponents of vinyl say the sound of a high-quality vinyl record is just better. And recording artists are ...
Deadspin, NY -
We predict he'll call Al at his rotary phone within six months, begging to be let back into the asylum. Unfortunately, aspiring to SEC head coachhood ...
Foster's Daily Democrat, NH -
... trend away from landlines is being driven by young people who have grown up around Blackberry and other cell phone devices and not rotary telephones. ...
San Francisco Chronicle, USA -
He removed numerous items as the tow truck arrived, including an old rotary phone, some fishing reels and a power saw. Dunakin said some drivers arrested in ...
Cincinnati.com, OH -
... where Martha Reeves, later leader of the Vandellas, once worked as a receptionist, is a Teletype machine and a trio of rotary telephones. ...
