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Please besure to read the description as the payphone is sold as shown anddescribed; and if you have any questions please call us at Phoneco[phone removed by ]. No returns. We are not responsible for your mistakefor not reading our description. Sold as shown in the photographs,please see photos for best description of cosmetic condition andstyle.
Thisphone does not work and is not wired so it will not immediately work.
Shippingapplies to the lower 48 States, please send an email if you havequestions or to request shipping charges for International shipping,and shipping to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico which will cost extraas determined by weight and size. Ordersoutside the United States will be shipped the most economical wayavailable to us, and costs may be higher than the shipping cost shownon this listing.Thisitem expected to ship on the following Wednesday or Thursday afteroffer close and payment is received.
WesternElectric #212-G 3-Slot Payphone
It can beassumed with some confidence, that the smaller number (200 instead of236) will correspond with more of the 1950\'s rather then the 1960\'s,but this is not always the case, since there was: overlap and notsharp cut-offs of all numbers while a succeeding number came out. Bythe time the 200s came along a large margin were nearly identicaloutwardly, this identicalness included #200, 203, 210, 212, 213, 223,233, 234 and 236. Other than the printed red number and the date,they all look the same to us off the street. They all represent the1950\'s. But to “Sherlock Holmes”, internal differences existed. A small handful of payphone collectors may detect the uniqueness ofeach number and letter. Some “don\'t care”. I don\'t have time topay tribute to trifle differences that would make a difference to thevery few who highly regard them. I know of at least one payphonecollector who very very likely has one of each finite change thatidentifies it with the correct number. But if you want a payphonethat represents what you recognize as a 1950\'s 3-Slotter, any ofthese numbers will do. The numbers represent most 1950 – 1960\'spayphones used in the Bell System.
Niceexample of a 1950\'s Western Electric payphone. This is labeledtraditionally 212G in the top housing. The date is unclear 1950?Also in red is printed P81B603.
It isnormal for us to correspond the lower numbers as older, especiallysince the 50A is 1912-1917 and the 50G & 150G are 1918-1934. The161 was made in the 1930\'s, and the 182 appeared in 1940. But thispattern was interrupted with “strange” numbers such as 74 and 174which labeled “upgraded” #50\'s, 150\'s, and 160\'s, even thoughthey weren\'t chronologically successive. The 200\'s are somewhatconfusing since both Western Electric and Northern Electric were verysimilar and both used the same number. Most 200 series were madebeginning in the mid 1950\'s with the 233 seemingly the largerproduction and which continued until the end in the late 1960\'s. Thedifference between some of these 200\'s were small and perhapsundetectable to the average person. Having a dial instead of adirection card (non dial) was more prevalent in the earliest andearlier numbers. Western Electric was most popular in urbancommunities whereas it\'s very close relative the Northern Electricwho stretched out into outposts where only the cranks were used tosignal and payphone didn\'t have dials. Earlier Western Electricswere also many with no dial. Obvious change in details were opencoin buckets instead of open slots, aluminum instead of cast ironbackboards, coin return buttons and security locks and color variety. These changes took place in the early to mid 1950\'s. Where a 233,234 or a 236 is found with the detail of an older (such as #182)phone, it is because it was converted from an earlier payphone. Most200 series are extremely similar. The difference was signified bysome small unnoticed electrical change. This 212 is nearly identicalto any other 200 number. It is not wired to work.
The number(212) is listed as 1959 on page 291, 279, 277A, and 1959 – 63 onpage 272. On page 271 implications are that it is both WesternElectric and Northern Electric and also made in 1965. Charts on page258 and 259 list the 212. These are found in the large book:“Payphone History”. As with other old Western Electrics, muchinsight into the details can be extracted by hands on comparison. 212\'s have been seen indicating that some were converted from anearlier manufacturer, but I\'ve found little/no documentation toverify this. Other payphone collectors may have deducted detailspeculiar to the 212 that I\'ve not witnessed. Otherwise, it is partof a list of numbers assigned by Western Electric for purposes. The212 is also mentioned on page 278A of the “Payphone History”book. In this book, it tells that it was a 10 cent dial type as werethe 158, 168, 177, 193 and 210. 212\'s have been seen with a varietyof dates including 1959, 1963 and 1965. On page 260, the #212G islisted as a post pay.
Options:
Add an OldTop Sign $29.00
Read Signor Dial First $19.00
MakeFunctional $60.00
Add Ringer$15
NewLocking Door $25.00
OldLocking Door with Key $40.00
History ofthe Payphone Book $14.00
There isno room for a ringer in these phones, unless the coil is taken out.They had separate ringer boxes.
Otherchanges can be made. We welcome your calls with questions 608 5824124
