Posted 9 years ago
Alchemy1949
(9 items)
The stuff dreams are made of - and of all places, discovered in my little home country of New Zealand in 1990. Was buying a large lot of ordinary black bakelite 1950s desk and wall phones from a private individual's garden shed, when he said "oh there's a peculiar red model in this bag if you want it, for $5 extra". True.
Am delighted it is a Chinese Red model, as I taught English all over China for eight years...an unforgettably exhilerating experience. Karma.
I use this phone daily and with original carbon granule microphone. It is similar to the less rare (but still highly prized) GPO issue, however the Siemens bellset is more elegant, being slimmer (bell mechanisms are open-cast, whereas the GPO No.25 or 26 bellsets were lidded, adding height.
Nowadays it is virtually impossible, even in the UK, to source one of these, either GPO or this much scarcer Siemens Brothers London version.
You'll see similar ivory, red and green examples in the War Rooms, below Whitehall in London, to satisfy your craving to view these.
Very cool phone - congratulations!
Even the bat phone was not this cool, love it!
I agree the Siemens bell set is more elegant. I know the GPO 1/232 with a bell set No 26 sells for 2 to 3 thousand GBP so I wonder what yours is worth? Not bad for $5 :-)
Yes, the red GPO equivalent in truly outstanding condition would, I imagine, realise well over £2,000 nowadays. Two of my lacquered GEC 1934 pyramids from Gleneagles Hotel took £5,000 and £6,000 respectively (incl. buyer's premium) in April last year at Lyon & Turnbull's Design and Art auction, Edinburgh, due to their having experimental, reddish-brown mix bakelite under the veneer. I find the later 300 series phones in all colours have seriously slumped in value, whereas the far more elegant and much scarcer pyramids are holding up well.
Love this phone..
Believe it or not, I picked up a 300 series Siemens Chinese red phone the other day at an Antique fair. It has a couple of tiny chips, but otherwise sound.
Tentatively I asked what he wanted for it, £65 he said, £50 I said to which he agreed. Couldn’t believe my luck ! Its a stunning phone.