There is a small but dedicated market for antique telephones. Though membership in the Antique Telephone Collectors Association is cozy (at about 600 members), those enthusiasts and some collectors like them will still pay a good sum for the right vintage phone.
There are also several telephone museums located around the United States, a few dedicated YouTube channels, and a great many books devoted to the hobby.
All of that means that if you’ve come across a vintage telephone – perhaps inherited from a relative’s estate – it might worth your auctioning it.
How much can I get for antique telephones?
Most phones worth auctioning will sell for $100 to $400, but some sales are splashier. For example, an Ericsson wall telephone commissioned for King Oscar II’s summer palace in Oslo (circa 1880) sold at auction for $89,300.
Though few people have such royal telephones in their personal collections, it’s hard to know what you’ve got until you get it appraised. The phone doesn’t need to have graced a palace wall to become a sought-after antique phone.
What makes antique phones valuable?
There are several groups of telephones that collectors look for.
- Wooded wall phones (1876 to 1939).
- Candlestick phones (1890s to 1920s).
- Desk set phones (1930 to the present day, though phones predating the 1980s tend to be more valuable).
- Novelty phones.
Of the three, candlestick phones are some of the most popular.
Rarity is another factor in value. Antique phones like the Western Electric 202 or 302 were mass-produced and are still in great supply, so they don’t sell for as much as something a bit harder to come by, such as a rare Strowger 1908 C-014 candlestick model. Novelty phones can run the gamut. A Quacky III novelty phone is worth less than $20, but an Alexander Graham Plane telephone is worth nearly $150.
Collectors also look for complete phone sets that have their original cords and equipment. Knowing whether you’ve got all the parts or accessories can be difficult if you’re not familiar with the telephone space and its history.
Authenticity is another issue. Most replica antique phones are essentially worthless.
Certain companies are also extremely popular. Kellogg Switchboard and Supply, Western Electric, Automatic Electric Company, and the Stromberg Carlson Company all have a strong base of collectors.
As with all collectibles, attractiveness and condition matter a great deal. As with many electronic collectibles, most collectors want to see models that still work and that look good.
Ready to sell your antique telephone at auction?
You don’t have to try to determine the value of your antique telephone with guesswork alone. You can schedule a professional appraisal instead.
If you work with us, we’ll get your antique phone in front of enthusiasts at live auction or online auction who are ready to pay top dollar.
