Really old Telephone question

[loman4ec]

This old telephone was left to me dad from my great grandma. Her family was the original owner of it. I don't know anything about this phone. It has hung in our kitchen for a long time and before I moved my dad was going to throw it away and I got it out of the garbage. I couldn't imagine throwing it away. It is in great condition. Its dusty in the pictures. I am pretty sure it is the original finish. I know there are a few knockoffs of these phones but this is an original. Are these worth anything? I was thinking about putting the guts to a new phone in the earphone and speaker and a dial pad inside the hinged door and hanging it in the kitchen.

Anyone know anything about these phones? I know some of you are into old phones but I don't know if you are into phones this old. If it has some value I may sell it. Anyone have any knowledge on these or know anyone who does? This phone is in fantastic condition. I think some of the guts are missing though.

[Kilroy]

Don't gut it.
Others i am sure will join in, but you try Phoneco (http://phonecoinc.com) or the telephony musuem
http://www.telephonymuseum.com

Googling will turn up more results i am sur. i've  ordered parts form  phoneco, they are knowledgable and quite talkative.

The phone is older than i am used to, so i can't tell if parts are missing, but I would think prolly not.

[bigred]

all i know is the top half the crank box
makes a heck of a fish catcher in a river

[Eric]

Dave at oldtimephones.com could tell you all about it... and would know what you need to get it working...
He's restored several of my phones. great guy!

[loman4ec]

Eric,
your guy has retired and doesn't post any contact info on his site.

Kilroy,

I sent a message to http://phonecoinc.com/. We will see what they say. I don't want to sell it I just want to know what they have to say about it. I think there was a tag on the front but it is not there anymore so I know nothing about it. I just want to know what the age is and if it is collectable or not.

[scalebowler]

What does that thing with the crank do?

[Eric]

I'll try and contact Dave.... You could get that to work ... would be cool... I think how it works is
the crank “rev'd” up the battery/connection to the operator so they could connect you.

[GreginNM]

We have one VERY similar to that one that normally hangs in our kitchen.  Mine is a 1904 Stromberg Carlson, which is labeled on the upper box with the ringer bells and also on the mouth piece and ear piece.  It's a great phone to have and use!  I had mine restored several years ago...they put one of the network converters in the battery compartment to allow it to work on the modern network.  Otherwise, it's just as originally built.  We use it all the time to answer calls, but I didn't want to add a dial pad, so you can't call out on it.  Yours is very nice!  Don't gut it!!

Scalebowler, the crank part is what you cranked to send a signal to the operator that you wanted to place a call.

[MoonDawg]

          We had one like that on the farm in the early 1950's. Each household on the party line would be designated a certain number of rings to indicate who the incomming call was for. But since there were no TV sets, hence no soap operas etc, all the women would just eavesdrop on everybody elses conversations 

[loman4ec]

I was looking on ebay and there are a ton of repop phones but a few originals. Some nice ones at only around $25, Is that correct? Is that all these phones are worth? I didn't expect to retire on it by any means but I did expect it to be worth something.