atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems Antique Telephones Collection

This is part of my Western Electric pink collection. It was on display a few years ago at an ATCA show in Connecticut. Since then, I have added a few more items.

Nice Arthur , whats the small 500 ?

I have a aqua 500 pen holder that looks to be about the same size but I don't see a pen holder on yours

I tell people that's what happens when you put a 500 in the dishwasher.

Seriously, it's a pen holder, without its pen, but the photo is not that great. The weird shadows are from a plexiglass cover to protect against sticky fingers.

The phone at the bottom left is my favorite. It's one of about three known to exist. My Ebay handle is 2565HK-59, by the way.

Arthur, have you ever seen the salesman's display case of phones? It's a bunch of mini 500s that look the same size as yours. They have one hanging up right outside my dad's office..
I don't consider myself a collector of much other than junk, but I do have some decent WE phones...a few 500s in various colors, 2500s in various colors, a 1500 I snagged for like 5 bucks, and my personal favorite, the 302 my dad's friend gave to him. It sits prominently in our family room but is missing the dial card and holder. Anybody know where I might be able to get one?

Arthur, is it shadow or are several of the phones a slightly darker shade of pink? Any how, neat display. Now, how about the miniature ferrolinquology display. John C.

Jeff, yes I have seen those salesmen's sets. They are fascinating, especially the early ones with the very early colors that were discontinued. I can send you a number card holder. Let me know where to send it.

Horse, The top two model 302 sets are darker than all the others. Actually, one is a 302, and the other is a rare variant, the 305, that has a ringer cut-off key at the lower left corner. They are made in "Old Rose" color suffix -16.

The bottom row, 2565HK-59, 510A/B-59, and 565HK-59 are all the same color as the rest of the newer stuff ("Rose Pink" color suffix -59.) It's just a shadow that makes them appear darker.

None of these is painted. They are all factory -59.

Arthur, PM Sent...thanks

That's a real nice collection of phones you have there.

I don't remember ever seeing MTS offer that colour here in Manitoba when they were renting sets.

I do have a question though, does anyone make coloured telephones anymore? I remember back in the 70's seeing all sorts of colours in my friends parents houses that matched their decor.

All I see now are ash, ivory and black for desk and wall phones. Red I know is still available for emergency phones.

Even the decorator lines like the Nortel Contempra have gone away.

I know that system deregulation here in Canada and the US hurt Nortel and Western Electric to the point they got out of production, but I thought somebody would have taken up the slack for unique residential sets.

Everybody can't want the $10 offshore special from Wal-Mart can they?

Like you said, you can probably still get red phones from Cortelco and the like...that's about it I think. I wanted an orange 2500 set so I got a can of spray paint

Arthur, I had my wife convinced they didn’t make pink phones. She saw your collection and now “we gotta get one.”