Latest Buy--War Department Approved!

[mznb1u]

I have been looking for that perfect telephone for the game-room(when it is done).  Plus I wanted it to be one that would go into a vintage phone booth when I get one. 

I was looking at vintage phones on E-Bay about two weeks ago and ran across this one.  Thought it was very high on the cool factor so I showed it to my wife for her opinion and got a "That is a really neat phone!"  That was all the encouragement that I needed!

After a bidding war that went right down to the last second--it was mine. An Automatic Electric Type 21 Wall Phone.  Seller claims that this model was used in hotels.  It even has a hook on the bottom of the metal body where the phone book holder would have been attached.  These were made in the 20's and 30's.  Paid a bit more than I wanted to but since then I have done a little research on this particular model and it turns out that I probably did okay.  Besides I have no plans to sell!  You should hear this baby ring and the sound is crystal clear.  They don't build them like they used to--that is for sure!

On to the pictures!

  Tim

[loman4ec]

Wow thats really cool. Does it work? When I was a kid my dad bought out a warehouse full of old payphones and in order to get them to work on the modern systems we had to buy a bunch of rotary dial phones and take the guts out and put them in the payphones. He literally bought a dump truck full of used rotary phones to use the guts. I remember them pulling the dump truck into our driveway (it cracked because of it) and dumped hundreds of phones in our driveway He then restored all of the payphones. He did some in black, had some chromed and sent several to Las vegas and had them 14 carat gold plated. They were really cool. I bet we had 75 or more payphones in our garage. That was of course before ebay. I wish he kept a few. 

[SIGNGUY]

Cool phone, I'm looking at buying an old phone for my gameroom, but sticking with the 50's theme, so looking for a Chromed out Full size pay phone, got a line on one, gotta go get it.
cool find!

[Creighton]

Nice phone!! Sound quality is great on my old ones as well.
Creighton

[Kilroy]

Way to go Tim!

[sodaworks]

We have a restored 50's chrome payphone in the living room. Came out of a casino in Vegas I was told. There's a guy here in Calif. that restores old phones. His company is called "hello central". He restored the innards of our phone.

[BrianB]

Awesome looking phone, I love how the old ringers sound! I picked up an old Automatic Electric 3-Slot Payphone a year or so ago for under $100 at a yard sale. It was a pretty rough looking beige version. I tore it down and restored it and it found new life cloaked in black paint! Looks way better that way IMHO.

I also found a Northern Electric Model 352 Wallphone at a local Hamfest for $5! I didn't even realize what I had until I did some online research. A lot of cool old phones can still be found for a good price.

I couldn't help myself! When I got it finished and temp. mounted it on the wall studs where it's final home is going to be in the gameroom when it's finished.

[Eric]

Nice AE... I had that model.. Love phones... only have about 10  now....
I collect the WE models... Guess cause I work for Bell... I passed on a nice Candle Stick
at the Fall Chicago show... regret! Was holding out for the cooler that never showed...
These were all over... but popular in Hotle lobbies... my came out of cabin... nice original...
kinda wish I'd have kept it... Anyway great looking phone.... now you need a 102, 202, and 302!

[mznb1u]

Thanks for the compliments guys!

Eric,

The only one that I would have preferred over this one is an AE50 with the chrome dial and chrome trimmed hand-set.  I have tried to get one of those several times but someone always snipes me at the end.

I really like my 21 though.  My kids asked about how it works and tried to turn the dial counter clockwise!    It is great to have a phone in the house that actually has a bell ringer!

  Tim

[Kilroy]

Tim, I think you mean an AE 40,  got hooked ( no pun intended)  when I picked one up at a garage sale for a buck.   Yeah,  they rate high on the cool factor

I hope I didn't snipe you on any