If you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Find some of the most frequently asked questions here. But if you want to ask us something not listed please feel free to contact us.
Are your telephones originals or modern reproductions?
All of our telephones are genuine original items from around the world. Unlike other restorers, we always try to repair parts rather than replace them in an attempt to keep as much of the valuable originality as possible. Where we do have to replace components, these are usually ‘new old stock’ items. Only as a last resort do we use modern reproduction components and even then they are manufactured to be as close to the originals as possible.
Will these telephones still work?
Yes, in most cases they can be plugged straight in to a normal British BT type wall socket. However on rare occasions it’s a little more complicated. Please read on for the details.
Telephones usually make calls using one of two different systems. Older phones, such as the old British 700 series dial instruments from the 1960s-80s use a system of pulse dialling known as ‘loop disconnect’ or ‘LD’. More modern telephones use a system of tones known as ‘DTMF’ to dial a number. Whichever system your telephone uses to dial out, it will always be fully compatible with whatever type of phone is at the other end. LD dialling phones can still connect to a DTMF phone and vice versa.
DTMF / tone dialling is the modern industry standard, which allows for compatibility with automated tone services such as telephone banking etc. However most traditional telephone service providers have made sure their exchanges remain backwards compatible so LD telephones will still work.
In the rare event your telephone service provider does not support LD, then you can still use any LD phone by plugging in a ‘pulse to tone converter’ between the telephone and the wall socket. This changes the pulses sent out by an old LD phone into modern tones that can then be sent down your telephone line to the exchange. These converters also add the ability to dial * and # on old rotary dials, so making them fully compatible with all tone services.
In general, telephones with rotary dials are almost always LD dialling, while push-button phones can be either LD or DTMF depending on the exact model. Some push-button phones have a small switch to change from LD to DTMF dialling so they can use either system
The easiest way to find out if your telephone line still supports LD or pulse dialling is to try using a pulse dialling phone. If it can dial out (and chances are it will) then you’re good to go. If not, then you would need to purchase a pulse to tone converter so your old phone can dial out to the network. But even if it can’t dial out, it can always receive incoming calls.
Can you repair broken bakelite etc?
Yes, but the repair is not always totally invisible. Early British telephones were made from bakelite which is quite brittle. As the plastics industry advanced they then switched to a coloured plastic known as ‘diakon’ which is also brittle. By the late 1960s the G.P.O. were using ABS cases, which will take a lot more knocks without damage but tend to discolour with age.
All of the above materials can be repaired using modern glues and resins to re-cast small missing parts. Weather or not the repair is totally invisible depends on the colour and the material being repaired. Please contact us for free repair advise. We can also give you a no-obligation quotation for any work required.
Are your telephones guaranteed?
In reality, most of the telephones we sell are well over 30 years old and have survived all that time with very little maintenance. There is no reason to think a phone purchased from us shouldn’t literally last a lifetime! However occasionally electrical and mechanical components in any machine can fail. Although all of our telephones are thoroughly serviced and checked before sale, in the unlikely event of a technical failure (electrical or internal mechanics) within a year of purchase, simply bring it back to us and we’ll repair or replace it for free! All you pay is the postage.
Can you post everything?
Although we can post most items to you, somethimes things just can’t be sent in the mail. They may be too bulky or fragile to send. You can still buty them online though, then you can arrange to collect them from our base in Bolsover, Derbyshire. Items that have ‘Collection Only’ in their description can not be posted. Check the shipping type when you checkout to be sure if your item can be sent oor if you need to collect it.
If you place an order for multiple items but one of them is collection only, we will hold the entire order for collection to save you any postage costs.