Printable View
On these old rotary phones I can see several connections that I know to be gold plated silver or gold. They also have screws that do have iron content but I didn't know if they were silver plated. Does anyone know if the screws in these old phones from the 50's have silver plated steel screws? I didn't know if they were worth keeping. Anyone know?
make sure to research these as they sell between $20-150
This thread hurts. Lol. I like collecting real old phones.
I found a nortel hazardous location explosion proof phone in a dumpster. It was a rotary phone from the 50s or 60s and sold for $55 on ebay. Looked cool and sold as a wallhanger.
Breaks my heart that these would be scrapped for a few cents...
I see I'm not the only odd ball that likes old phones. Lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by BurlyGuys
I don't know why screws would be plated with silver but then again I don't know alot of things.
Possibly chrome plated??Quote:
Originally Posted by happyscraper
I already have too many things that hurt to scrap. Anyone need an old teletype machine?
The old rotary desk phone also have a chunk of lead for ballast. There are guys on this forum Cast Boolits that will buy lead from you for bullet casting. I sell smelted wheel weights to guys there for $1 a pound.
If old things are not trashed (or much better recycled), then all you are left with is something old that everyone has, and no one wants!
I found there's two Gold (plated? Can't tell) contacts in the back of the dial part.
Two little Goldbars....... 1mm x1mm x 2mm approx
alot of these phones have brass bells. If you scrap sell these bells on ebay in a lot.
From where? A missile silo? lol. I had to look up what that was, never even heard of any such thing before!!Quote:
Originally Posted by MetalEarthRecycling
That might of also been what was used in mining (lots of explosives down there)Quote:
Originally Posted by newattitude
Military installations. Munitions bunkers just to name one.Quote:
Originally Posted by newattitude
DON'T scrap a old phone or parts until you research it. I like older vintage phones and still use some of them.
I have learned that there are folks that collect most anything there is. The trick is figuring out what is a hit and what is a miss.
A very good RULE of THUMB is that if the "item" looks quality made or has a unique or "artsy look" and such. Best research it a bit.
I DO like old telephones from the 60's & 70's as they were some of the best quality telephones made with many choices in colors. I like the first push button phones also. I have a newer model touch tone desk phone manufactured in 1990 that I use near the computer.
I like telephones that RING and not chirp like a drunken parrot. But then I do Live in a TIME Capsule.
I have a old teletype that I received for free at a auction years ago as the winner of the lot it was in didn't want to mess with it as they are very heavy for there size. They are a interesting curio from the past. I will have to dig mine out and see just what I have.Quote:
Originally Posted by erewen
yeah, I've got an old teletype too. there is actually a group out there that restores and uses these. what color is it? Blue was telegraph, green was Western Union. there was a group that converted these for the deaf to use I believe in the 70's, leading to the invention of closed captioning or something like that I read when I was researching. you can also download a pdf file of the original service manual for these.
Mine is blue with grey sides and says Teletype on it. The one I have has been sitting a long time. I went out and had a look at it as it's not far outside the door with a plastic dog kennel half covering it. It sure would need some cleaning up, but it seems that it's all there.
I have been getting the odd things I have around the yard collected together so I better know what I have.
I know that I have some old gasoline KEGS from back when the area around me got it's first gasoline powered tractors. They look much like a beer keg from what I remember. They have the original owners metal name tags on them. I think I have 3 of them out of 4 as the lady I got them from said that a family member had wanted one of them. From what the lady told me they would have 2 of the gas kegs for use as the other 2 were sent back to be refilled.
Never have found out much about them beyond that. I will be digging them out a little later this year and research them more then.
A lot of people made stoves out of those gas kegs. They are quite thick.