Wanted: Old Motorola MC750 Brick Phone

A search for "motorola brick" on ebay turned up 20 listings - some new
in box! BTW, you'll find that there is brisk bidding for some of these.

From:Chris
cparker5@swbell.net

> I'm looking for one of the old Motorola brick phones called the MC750
> used on the analog networks in the very early 1990's. It is a very
> wide and heavy phone with a tall antenna. They are not worth anything
> anymore, but I used to have one long ago and would like to have one
> for old time sake. Mine was almond color and used it on Cellular One.
> If anyone may have one laying around collecting dust, let me know how
> much you want for it and I may be interested in buying it, or trading
> something else for it. I am in the cell phone business and have many
> things to trade. Only e-mail reply to chrisp@oklahoma.net.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Chris

On Sat, 01 May 2004 03:19:13 GMT, "BruceR" <brNOSPAM@hawaii.com>
wrote:

>A search for "motorola brick" on ebay turned up 20 listings - some new
>in box! BTW, you'll find that there is brisk bidding for some of these.

So a lot of people snapping these up for nostolgia just like our
original poster?

In article <8e0a909d8grpkttamibi8fsjh762l800gj@4ax.com>, Richard <r@r.com> writes:
> On Sat, 01 May 2004 03:19:13 GMT, "BruceR" <brNOSPAM@hawaii.com>
> wrote:
>
>>A search for "motorola brick" on ebay turned up 20 listings - some new
>>in box! BTW, you'll find that there is brisk bidding for some of these.
>
> So a lot of people snapping these up for nostolgia just like our
> original poster?

Mine is still in service, but only in the car because "normal" battery
vendors are unable to provide replacements. Now I see "OEM" battery
offers on eBay (thanks to this topic) and may try one.

Verizon will not offer new analog-only service in Massachusetts,
so one must be grandfathered.

"D. Weatherwax" <davew@joink.com> wrote in message
news:c6urtu0i8v@enews2.newsguy.com...
> 1. Brick phones were earlier than 1990's.

And also after

> 2."They are not worth anything anymore"...hahahahahaha

Whats your point?
They ARENT worth anything anymore

They're not worth a lot but there are some for sale on ebay. Here's a
link to a brand new one still in the box:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...2820 705&rd=1

From:Michael
michael@yahoo.com

> "D. Weatherwax" <davew@joink.com> wrote in message
> news:c6urtu0i8v@enews2.newsguy.com...
>> 1. Brick phones were earlier than 1990's.
>
> And also after
>
>> 2."They are not worth anything anymore"...hahahahahaha
>
> Whats your point?
> They ARENT worth anything anymore

"And also after"
Nope, Motorola was past the brick and into the early flip phone by 1990.

The early "brick" phones earned their name from their size and shape. The
first portable cell phone used on the Washington Baltimore FFC pilot project
in 1976 were the size of a building brick. By 1980 when the second and third
systems were being installed into Chicago and Houston, the "brick" was
downsized in weight a small amount but it was still a brick. These "bricks"
circa 1980's (beige and white in color with the "TAC" name) are worth a few
bucks because of their old metal module circuit construction. The later
"bricks" although inheriting the "brick" name were not true bricks. They
were about as long as a brick but did not have the width or depth and weight
of the old modularized TAC phones, as they had evolved into surface mount
device style circuit construction....and you are correct, THEY are not worth
anything.

"Michael" <michael@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:dLcwc.6598$rz4.2794@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
> "D. Weatherwax" <davew@joink.com> wrote in message
> news:c6urtu0i8v@enews2.newsguy.com...
> > 1. Brick phones were earlier than 1990's.
>
> And also after
>
> > 2."They are not worth anything anymore"...hahahahahaha
>
> Whats your point?
> They ARENT worth anything anymore
>
>

"DAW" <davew@joink.com> wrote in message news:<c9vtam0313h@enews1.newsguy.com>...
> "And also after"
> Nope, Motorola was past the brick and into the early flip phone by 1990.
>
> The early "brick" phones earned their name from their size and shape. The
> first portable cell phone used on the Washington Baltimore FFC pilot project
> in 1976 were the size of a building brick. By 1980 when the second and third
> systems were being installed into Chicago and Houston, the "brick" was
> downsized in weight a small amount but it was still a brick. These "bricks"
> circa 1980's (beige and white in color with the "TAC" name) are worth a few
> bucks because of their old metal module circuit construction. The later
> "bricks" although inheriting the "brick" name were not true bricks. They
> were about as long as a brick but did not have the width or depth and weight
> of the old modularized TAC phones, as they had evolved into surface mount
> device style circuit construction....and you are correct, THEY are not worth
> anything.
>


Do you think these are Motorola factory overruns, that have set in
some wherehouse for 10+ years?

There are markets in the developing Americas still using analog AFAIK,
but it seems the packaging would likely be in Spanish for those
markets.

I've also heard a new "disposable" cell phone coming out, using the
analog network. Strange huh? Pharosint said they may have them. Not
sure what kind of handset will be used.

Consumers would never accept anything near the Motorola "Classic"
brick size. Just using a modern LI-ion battery would reduce the
phone's weight dramatically. Those old Nicads are heavy! They are
about 8oz and the Classic tranceivers are a little over 9oz.
Modern analog circuitry is going to be much more efficient as well.
Improved power management too.

Just made a call on the old "ultra classic" brick...wish my Verizon
phone sounded that good... What a fun phone!
FYI, Calls from an unactivated phone, in the SF Bay Area, cost $2.99
set up and then 1.99 a minute using a calling or credit card. Calling
collect is also an option. Verizon is blocking unactivated phone calls
on B side. ATT, A side connects to the "American Roaming Network"

One things for certain, the few Classics and Ultra Classics I have are
worth very little, if a new one is going for $50.


Any idea what the MC750 model the OP wanted, sold for originally?
-
David

"David L" <davidlind@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:e1705cb3.0406070250.38b89e6f@posting.google.c om...
> "DAW" <davew@joink.com> wrote in message
news:<c9vtam0313h@enews1.newsguy.com>...
> > "And also after"
> > Nope, Motorola was past the brick and into the early flip phone by 1990.
> >
> > The early "brick" phones earned their name from their size and shape.
The
> > first portable cell phone used on the Washington Baltimore FFC pilot
project
> > in 1976 were the size of a building brick. By 1980 when the second and
third
> > systems were being installed into Chicago and Houston, the "brick" was
> > downsized in weight a small amount but it was still a brick. These
"bricks"
> > circa 1980's (beige and white in color with the "TAC" name) are worth a
few
> > bucks because of their old metal module circuit construction. The later
> > "bricks" although inheriting the "brick" name were not true bricks. They
> > were about as long as a brick but did not have the width or depth and
weight
> > of the old modularized TAC phones, as they had evolved into surface
mount
> > device style circuit construction....and you are correct, THEY are not
worth
> > anything.
> >
>
>
> Do you think these are Motorola factory overruns, that have set in
> some wherehouse for 10+ years?

Yes, although Motorola has always tried to unload the obsolete quickly.

> There are markets in the developing Americas still using analog AFAIK,
> but it seems the packaging would likely be in Spanish for those
> markets.
>
> I've also heard a new "disposable" cell phone coming out, using the
> analog network. Strange huh? Pharosint said they may have them. Not
> sure what kind of handset will be used.
Although the Pre-Paid are not intended to be disposable, people tend to use
them in that fashion. I suppose this is a logical spinoff, but I would think
the EPA would have conurnes about Li-Ion batties being tossed willy nilly.

> Consumers would never accept anything near the Motorola "Classic"
> brick size. Just using a modern LI-ion battery would reduce the
> phone's weight dramatically. Those old Nicads are heavy! They are
> about 8oz and the Classic tranceivers are a little over 9oz.
> Modern analog circuitry is going to be much more efficient as well.
> Improved power management too.
>
> Just made a call on the old "ultra classic" brick...wish my Verizon
> phone sounded that good... What a fun phone!
> FYI, Calls from an unactivated phone, in the SF Bay Area, cost $2.99
> set up and then 1.99 a minute using a calling or credit card. Calling
> collect is also an option. Verizon is blocking unactivated phone calls
> on B side. ATT, A side connects to the "American Roaming Network"
>
> One things for certain, the few Classics and Ultra Classics I have are
> worth very little, if a new one is going for $50.

I thought the real old stuff was worth more...I guess not.

> Any idea what the MC750 model the OP wanted, sold for originally?

No. But I do remember back when AT&T was the "A" side and independents were
the "B" (like McCaw Paging out your way), a brick was around $1200 and a
mobile was $800-$900.
Thanks
DAW
> -
> David