The Telephony category includes items related to transmission of information over long distances. The category encompasses not only Telephone items, but also telegraph, telegram, and we’ve included radios as well. By far the largest company in this category would be the Bell telephone company, which had many regional variants and held a monopoly or virtual monopoly on telephone service (both local and long-distance) in the US for most of the 1900s.

Common items include signage for offices, phone booths, or other variations. Some signs can be dated based on the particular company name and wording, and condition is very important as there were many, many signs produced and quite a few high grade signs exist. Outside of telephone items, early radios and advertisements as well as telegraph service signage and items are also well received by collectors. Prices in this category are generally high compared to some other categories due to high demand.

For help determining the value of or identifying your antique telephone, telegraph, or radio item please find us on our contact page.