Q: I have an old telephone I want to get rid of, but I don't want to just dump it if it's worth something. It looks like the body is black Bakelite. Instead of numbers on the dial, it has a knob you turn. The only marks on it are "Leich" and "901B." What should I do with it?
A: Your phone was made by Leich Electric Co. of Genoa, Ill., and probably dates from the 1940s or '50s, when party lines were still common. The knob is turned to produce the number of rings needed to reach the operator or other people on the same party line. Yours is a "magneto" phone, which means it uses magnets to produce an electric current when the knob is cranked. It's "convertible," too — it could be set on a table or hung on a wall. Leich operated under various names and in several cities until settling in Genoa in 1903. The company became Leich Electric Co. in 1917. It was bought by General Telephone Corp. in 1950 and was a subsidiary until the 1960s. These phones aren't practical today. They sell online for about $10 each.
While the average price for vintage phones may be ± $10 ea., with creative wording (NEVER, EVER intentionally make false statements!) highlighting the phone’s properties and minimizing any defects, but again, be honest about them. Use the info Kovel’s gave you; it will make you appear knowledgeable. I think you can expect to make $20-$25, perhaps more if you have several bidders trying to win. But remember, you’ll have to pay any listing and end-of-sale fees from that amount, so don’t undervalue your starting point. Also, don’t be disappointed if you don’t make more than the $10 Kovel’s stated. Vintage and retro have been in high demand for the last decade, but the online auction market is highly variable, and the end price next week may be twice (or half!) the end price the next. You said you were going to get rid of it if it wasn’t worth much. If you itemize your taxes, it would be less hassle to donate it to your favorite charity and take a reasonable tax deduction.
Can it be answered if it rings? A phone like that can be good for a distant room where you might like to answer a call. Of course no one has any land lines at all, anymore!
They sell for more than $10!
$51 on 12/28/14
$74.99 on 1/3/15
yes, 2 sold for $22.50 recently but these other two sold for much more.
Don’t throw it out until you have checked with any community theater group to find out if they might like it for their prop collection. Old phones as props tend to disappear when they’re used by theater groups – obviously somebody thinks they’re fun to have.