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How to Identify Western Electric Payphones

Western Electric payphones are popular with antique phone and technology collectors. Old phones can be found at flea markets, on eBay, Craigslist and maybe a few garage sales. If you're looking specifically for a Western Electric brand phone, then first you'll want to know what exactly to look for. According to "Manufacturing the Future: A History of Western Electric," by Stephen B. Adams, the company's rich past includes the fact that "on the eve of World War I, no American company had manufacturing facilities in more countries than Western Electric."

Instructions

- 1
  Find the coin slot on the payphone. Western Electric models vary in having 1 to 3 slots (for nickels, dimes and quarters) depending on the era it was built.
- 2
  Check the actual carriage and earpiece on the device. Most older models will have only an ear piece that extends from a cord unless they've been updated and refurbished.
- 3
  Look for the Western Electric "bell" logo and an AT&T logo. Western Electric was the sole manufacturer for the Bell system and AT&T during the early years of the phone.
- 4
  Check the manufacture date on the carriage or body of the telephone. Western Electric manufactured telephones the first telephones in the late 1800s until well into the 1990s when the company was dismantled and renamed by AT&T. A payphone manufactured by Western Electric could have been produced at any time during this period.

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