Vintage Bell System Black Rotary Dial Phone 500DM

The Bell System, which included Western Electric, was a network of telephone companies and labs that held a near-monopoly on American telephone service from the late 19th century until its breakup in 1984. Phones like the 500DM – made for them by Western Electric - were the standard issue for decades, becoming an iconic household item. 
 
The 500-series phone featured a simple, functional design with a handset cradle and a ringer volume control accessible on the bottom. They first appeared in black only in 1949. Other colors were introduced in 1954. The DM series (DM standing for dial modified) were produced from 1960-1980. Touch tone phones were introduced in 1963 but the 500DM continued to be manufactured until Bell Systems was broken up in 1984.
 
Ours does have some defects, including two cracks on the left side as shown in photos as well as other signs of usage and age. The headset cord is a bit damaged, but would be easy to replace.Most of these online sell for $ 40-50 so we are going a little lower.
 
Approx. H 5” x L 8” x D 8 1/2”
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.