Art Deco Western Electric 302 antique telephone phone 1942. Restored to like new. Lifetime Warranty. Start Price USD 9.99 Current Price USD 255.00 Time Left - Bid Count 5 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, August 17, 2008 End Time Sunday, August 24, 2008 Location Houston, TX area See more about 'Art Deco Western Electric 302 antique telephone phone' Description Metal Art Deco Western Electric 302 antique phone telephoneUp for auction is a restored metal-bodied Western Electric 302 phone. This phone was also nicknamed the "Dreyfuss phone" after its creator, the great art deco designer Henry Dreyfuss and the "Lucy phone" from its many appearances on the "I Love Lucy" show. The phone was completely disassembled and every part was cleaned and/or polished. The 5H dial was ultrasonically cleaned, lightly point-oiled and checked for proper return speed. The metro-style (numbers + letters) "Z" operator porcelain dial plate is in very good shape. The card in the center of the dial is a new and printed on good card stock. The center ring in the on the fingerwheel is hand-polished brass. The metal body of the phone and the fingerwheel were refinished with a professionally applied satin black powder-coat for durability and to handle the long-term wear of everyday use. The satin black powder coat is a near exact match to the original paint and an upgrade - it's tougher and won't chip in the cradle area from normal usage like the original paint did. Note: there is a small bump on the back of the phone - probably a casting error that popped up during the powder-coating process. Not that noticeable but should be mentioned. The metal body 302 phones were most abundant between the years 1937 to 1941 and are a bit more collectible than the thermoplastic versions that came later. This phone must have been one of the last batch as it is mostly dated from early 1942 as public phone production virtually shut down during WWII. Some of the major parts are dated thus: ringer and baseplate = 1/42, coil = 1st qtr 1942 and cacitor = 4th qtr 1941 and 5H dial = 1st qtr 1942. The metal base (bottom plate) is in very good shape. The feet were re-covered with high quality leather. The ringer bells were hand-polished so that they ring clearly. The F1 Bakelite handset was buffed to a high gloss and is equipped with a new brown cloth handset cord. The matching brown cloth line cord is also new and has a modular plug so it is ready to plug 'n play on today's phone jacks. The phone works fine and rings loud and clear with that old-timey sound that only a dual-toned ringer can do. If you would like to hear the ring of this phone, click here - 376 kb (56k'ers may want to save first: right click link-->"save target as"). Many, many hours were spent in the restoration of this phone. It is a functioning piece of nostalgia, a great conversation piece and a real beauty. $225 reserve. Customer satisfaction:Upon arrival, if you are unhappy with the phone for any reason or it does not meet your expectations, ship it back "as received" within 30 days and I will refund your winning bid 100%. Warranty:I will support this phone for one year on the phone operating as it should or from parts failure due to natural causes - free parts, labor and shipping both ways for US customers, international pays return shipping. After the first year, any problems and I will still fix it for free only you cover the cost to ship it back to me. I will pay return shipping. Shipping:See the shipping calculator for actual shipping charges for USPS Priority mail (no handling). Canadian fees will be more but will only be the actual fees to get the phone to you. Insurance is optional but the item will be *well* packed. Money Orders or checks are preferred. Money orders provide instant shipping once received. Checks are OK but will delay shipping 10 business days. I now accept PayPal for your convenience. Thanks for looking! :-) Member of: Place a Bid!