For the first half of the 20th century, most payphones were built by The Gray Telephone and Pay Station Co. of Hartford, Connecticut under contract with Western Electric and other leading companies. In 1889 William Gray got a patent for his innovative coin payment mechanism, which others were unable to replicate. The company also pioneered the popular and highly collectible 'three-slot' (nickel, dime, quarter) payphone configuration popular in the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

Before three-slots, Gray made ‘coin collectors,’ or telephones that required coins to be used to activate them. Some were separate units that attached to a wood wall or candlestick phone and just collected the coin. The operator could hear the coin going in over the line, and authorize the call. Some were a combination coin collector and built-in phone. They sat on bar tops or in phone booths or at a boarding house or a dime store. These coin operated devices locked the phone so people couldn’t use it until money was deposited to make the phone operational.

Interviews & Articles

Antique Telephone Collector Gary Goff Talks Candlesticks and Desk Sets

How did I get started collecting antique telephones? As a kid I always liked phones, using them, talking on them. As a teenager I … [more]

Why People Flip Over Vintage Pinball Machines

I didn’t really get into to pinball machine collecting until maybe 15 years ago, but when I was a freshman in college, video games… [more]

Uncovering Lost Treasure - Antique Art Deco Telephones In Storage Since 1945

Every collector dreams of being the person to uncover cities of lost gold, the next Tutankhamen's tomb, or if not that, an overgro… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

The Telephone Archive

The Telephone Archive

If you're into old phones, check out this 600-page repository of images and historical information. Includes an ext… [read review or visit site]

PinballHQ.com

PinballHQ.com

An enormous database focusing on pinball machines and other arcade games from the 1930s and on, from a collector wh… [read review or visit site]

International Arcade Museum

International Arcade Museum

This site boasts more than 13,000 pages of educational content on arcade and coin-op collecting, including innumera… [read review or visit site]



Clubs & Associations: Telephones

Discussion Forums: Telephones

Other Great Reference Sites: Telephones

Top eBay Auctions

See all 27 by  highest bidmost watchedcompleted
Automatic Electric 3-slot Coin Payphone Model Lpc 82-55Automatic Electric Three Slot Payphone - Coca - Cola Bottling CompanyAutomatic Electric Three Slot Payphone - Classic Black With Chrome TrimVintage 3 Slot Vegas Old Frontier Payphone Mid -1900s Northern Electric Ne233qfUsed Wallmount Payphone W/ Pay Phone Housing - Backboard And Enclosure 3 PiecesVintage 1950's Automatic Electric Co. Payphone 3 Slot RotaryAutomatic Electric 3-slot Coin Payphone Model Lpc 82-55 Probably Made In 1970sBell System Western Electric 212g 3 Slot Black Pay PhoneAn Antique Western Electric 233g 3-slot PayphoneVintage Collector Payphone**nos** Brand New Payphone Pay Phone Elcotel Series-5 Very NiceOriginal 5 Cent Coin Collector For Candlestick Telephone, Courtesy PayphoneIllinois Wisconsin Indiana Michigan Ohio Bell Ameritech Payphone Sign CollectionPayphoneVintage Automatic Electric 3 Slot Coin Payphone Telephone Phone Parts RepairVintage Reproduction 1956 Public Telephone Coin Payphone+++ Very Nice No Rust Ae We 3 Coin Payphone Vault Mirror Shiny Chrome Door +++New! Black 1950's Corded Wall Mount Rotary Coin Pay Phone Antique Style PayphoneBest Very Early 3 Slot Payphone Pay Phone Silver Anodized Top Telephone PartClassic Black Payphone/ Vintage ReproductionPay Phone Handsets-lot Of 23 For Parts (4 New!)Payphone ToolsPayphone Handsets ** 14 Total ** Parts Or Repair48 Payphone Plastic Top Instruction Cards New Old StockBlack 1950s Replica Working Payphone With Coin BankAntique Pay Phone Advertising Plate1996 Bellsouth Olympic Payphone Coin Vault Door