Western Electric Model 500 – Is It Really From 1957?

For the next several days I am going to post a series of articles on what to look for when browsing eBay in search of a Vintage Rotary Phone so that you make a purchase that will leave you satisfied. Very often sellers mislead buyers (perhaps not intentionally) by information they put in their listings. My intent is not to identify and criticize those sellers but to make the reader more educated about what is out there and help them buy the best phone for their money. I think that bringing such information to light will be helpful to those that may be looking for a presentable, working telephone to display and use in their home or office.

For purposes of this discussion I will analyze the most popular telephone of the 1950’s and 60’s, the black Western Electric model 500. I will explain in detail what the words AND photographs in an eBay listing are actually telling us. The old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” holds true. I believe more information can be obtained from several good photographs than the actual description of the phone for sale. The text of the listing only confirms what the photo is telling us.

Knowing what to look for and what NOT to buy can not only save you money but also heartache and disappointment with your purchase. So for what telephone will we be searching?

We are on a mission to search eBay to find a nice 1950’s black Western Electric. So where do I look first? Vintage Rotary Phones are categorized in three main areas on eBay. They are listed under Collectibles>Radio,Phonograph,TV,Phone>Telephone and then there are three sub categories. They are Pre 1940, 1940-1969 and finally 1970 – Now. Most telephones will be found in this area of eBay but some are listed in a more general “antiques” category. There is even one for corded desk phones. For our discussion we will stick with the three aforementioned categories.

Because sellers often list their telephones in the wrong section it is wise to search all three. That fact alone is an indication that sellers themselves don’t always know what they have when they list their phone for sale. Categories can be browsed by auctions “newly listed” or by auctions “ending today”. There are several ways that the category can be browsed but I prefer to check newly listed items and work backward through the category.

In searching I have found one! The title of the auction reads “Vintage 1957 Black Western Electric 500”. Exactly what I’m looking for—or is it?

Check back tomorrow and we’ll analyze photos and text. We will answer the question: Is It Really From 1957?