What to look for when buying or selling Bakelite Telephones
There are many potential pitfalls to avoid when buying or selling British Bakelite Telephones (1929 to 1960). This website has been put together to help you avoid some of these problems so that you can make the right decision when you buy or sell your antique telephone.
Although this information has been deliberately simplified you will also see links to more detailed information about old telephones, where appropriate.
- Is it a British Bakelite Telephone?
- Is it an Original Chrome Telephone Dial?
- Condition of the Bakelite body of the Telephone
- Braided Handset cords
- Pull out Telephone Drawers
- The main Bakelite Telephone Models
- Conversion Restoration and Servicing
Whenever buying antique telephones always take your time and research these classic telephones to make sure you get the best deal for your money.
1) Is it a British Bakelite Telephone?
The first thing to be aware of is that there is a big difference in quality between the classic British made Bakelite telephones and the foreign made versions (which look very similar). This is particularly true of the poor quality Indian versions of these bakelite telephones.
The quickest way to identify a British Bakelite telephone is to look at the markings impressed into the bakelite under the handset, half way between the mouth piece and the earpiece. For more details please select the "Bakelite Handset Markings" page.
2) Is it an Original Chrome Telephone Dial?
The single most important (and valuable) mechanical part of these old GPO telephones is the original chrome dial (£20 to £40 of the value). The quality and superb engineering of these original chrome dials means that they can be serviced and if required repaired to last and last. Unfortunately rather than service these classic chrome dials some dealers go for the quick/easy option and replace them with modern, lower quality (£2 to £7 in value) copies.
Thankfully it is easy to spot these fake chrome dials on bakelite telephones (even in a photograph) if you look at the shape of the chrome "finger stop". For more details look at the "Original Chrome Dials" page
3) Condition of the Bakelite Body of the Telephone.
Once you have established the authenticity of the vintage telephone the next most important thing to look for is the condition of the Bakelite. These old telephones are made of Bakelite a thermosetting plastic, which means that once heat and pressure had been applied to the mould it can not be reversed. This makes it almost impossible to successfully repair any cracks in Bakelite phones.
Cracks in Bakelite
Cracks and fine hairline cracks impact the value of bakelite telephones significantly. Although larger cracks may show up in photographs, hairline cracks may not be immediately visible on these classic telephones. To look for fine hairline cracks it is often necessary to examine the bakelite of the telephone closely under a bright light. See the "Cracks in Bakelite Phones" page.
Chips and nibbles
Whilst small chips (nibbles) below a few mm on certain parts of these antique telephones are to be expected and are regarded as consistent with usage, large chips above 4mm reduce a vintage telephones value (although not as drastically as cracks).
Dull and faded Bakelite.
Correct and sympathetic restoration of black bakelite telephones can often restore much of the original shine, this is important as the sheen of a Bakelite phone does impact on its value. Colour fading is particularly important on ivory, red and green antique telephones, as any fading caused by exposure to direct sunlight (over long periods of time) on these coloured vintage telephones can't be reversed.
4) Braided Handset Cords.
Although nearly all British Bakelite GPO telephones started life with a braided and plaited handset cord (between the telephone and the handset) they proved to be a weak point electrically and so the GPO tended to replace them over time with more reliable plastic curly handset cords. Due to the reliability issue with braided handset cords many restorers replace the originals with replicas. However the quality of these replacement braided cords can differ enormously from telephone restorer to telephone restorer.
The choice of plastic curly cord or braided handset cords is down to individual preference and has only a small impact on the value of the antique telephone.
5) Pull out Telephone Drawers.
Most of these classic Bakelite telephones contained a pull out drawer (aka a cheese drawer) to keep important numbers, such as local dialling codes handy. However the contents of these drawers often jammed the telephone bells so the GPO routinely replaced these drawers with drawer blanks. On later model GPO Telephones and bakelite telephones produced for office use these drawer blanks were fitted as standard in the factory.
In general if the antique telephone contains a pull out drawer it will be worth slightly more than a similar telephone with a drawer blank.
6) The main Bakelite Telephone Models
Please see below for the main type of bakelite telephone antiques
200 series Bakelite Telephones (1929 to 1957)
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1/232's predominantly from the 1940's and 1950s. These art deco telephones were designed to use external bell sets, so they do not contain internal bells. Be aware that without the matching "bell set" these bakelite telephones will not ring. Some antique telephone dealers fit small modern ringers inside the telephone case, although because of there small size these modern ringers do sound a bit tinny. For more details on 200 series telephones see the website British Telephones. |
300 Series Bakelite Telephones (1937 to 1960)
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332's Predominantly from the late 1940's and 1950s although some were produced in the early 1960's. These were the first British bakelite telephones to have bells inside the telephone body. The Main Models were:
The order above also indicates increasing rarity and value. For more details on 300 series bakelite telephones see the website British Telephones. |
7) Conversion Restoration and Servicing
10 years ago the market for antique telephones was largely limited to "collectors" such as myself however by far the biggest market for these vintage telephones today are people who want to own a retro telephone or classic icon of design and engineering.
The big difference is people now want to use these old telephones on the modern telephone system. The good news is that this can be done sympathetically (without damage to the telephone or its antique value). However to do it properly so that the telephone does not intermittently interfere with the other phones in the house, fail to ring on occasion or test incorrectly from the telephone exchange is not always easy. For example it may require careful mechanical adjustment of the bell and chrome telephone dial.
If you are buying a bakelite telephone please make sure the seller has had this conversion and servicing performed by a professional, alternatively only pay the amount you would expect to pay if it was an unconverted telephone.