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For some members Singing Wires, the official Telephone Collectors International newsletter, is the whole reason they joined us. Read on to find out why!

Singing Wires presents a unique collection of informative articles and news of the telephone collectors' community. The newsletters' primary focus is the telephone collecting hobby but it includes many well written articles on telephone history that make it interesting to anyone who is interested in the history of telecommunications.

Singing Wires also includes members' free advertisements.

Advertisments for Singing Wires should be sent to Shana Davis, the editor, at

Article submissions, questions about contents and letters should be addressed to the Singing Wires Editorial Advisory Board at

Deadlines are as follows:

Advertisments: The first of the month. (For example, the advertisments for the July issue must be received by July 1st.)

Article Submission Deadline: The 25th of the month before the issue date. (For example, the July issue article deadline is June 25th.)

Bonus Pages Material: The 12th of the issue month. (For example, the July issue Bonus Pages material must be received by July 12th.)

Large area display advertisment space is also available for a modest fee.
Go here for more information.

Where Were You for the Last 21 Years?
The entire collection of TCI Newsletters
from 1986 to 2007 is now available on DVD or CD.


Go here for more information about this exciting offer!

See a "searchable" index of all the past issues from 2006 back.
(You will need the Adobe Acrobat reader.)

This Month...

Roger’s Reminiscences: Wire Tapping in Perú by Roger Conklin

Restored Ceiling Mural by Paul Wills

The President’s Column by Jonathan Finder, M.D.

Letter to the Editor

Bell Telephone Magazine: Consolidation of Keystone System with Bell Company of Pennsylvania Eliminates an Uneconomic and Inefficient Situation in Only Big City Where it had Continued by Peter L. Schauble

50-Hz Metering in Austria by Gerhard Fuchs

TCI Leadership for the Next Year by Roger Conklin

Buy / Sell / Trade

Show Announcements

Go here for a free sample "E"-version Singing Wires.


Featured Articles

From the October 2008 issue: Roger's Reminiscences Why the Bell System Opposed the Automatic Dial Telephone, Part I by Roger Conklin.

From the June 2004 issue: The Kellogg Type 1000 Masterphone By Roger Conklin. A definitive article on the Kellogg 1000 or, "Redbar" as it is known by collectors.

From the December 2002 issue: The A-B-C's of Western Electric Desksets By Gary Goff. Do the terms A1, B1, C1, D1, 102, 202, etc. have you confused. Gary Goff provides a definitive reference as to what they all mean.

From the July 2001 issue: When Western Electric Secretly Controlled Kellogg By Roger Conklin. An interesting story of corporate intrigue and betrayal.

From the November 1990 issue: The Western Electric Color Palette By Paul McFadden. An overview of those elusive Western Electric Colored Sets.

Also from the March 1998 issue: The Wire Chief's Dream. A spooky followup to The Phantom Circuit originally from the March 1917 issue of The Telephone News.

From the March 1998 issue: The Phantom Circuit by Paul Wills. A nifty way to obtain three telephone circuits from four wires!

From the February 1999 issue: The Attachment Corner by Mitch Soroka. This installment features the Red Cross Germ Proof Mouthpiece.

From the March 1999 issue: 50 Years Old, And Still Going Strong. A 50 year tribute to the 500 set by Bruce Crawford.

From the December 1998 issue: The Book Shelf by George W. Howard. This month, George reviews The Speaking Telephone, Electric Light, and Other Recent Inventions by George B. Prescott.

From the December 1998 issue: Tickled by Nickel By Steve Brink. Dedicated to the person who finds a really nice telephone that needs a little work!


Display Advertisments

Members and non-members are invited to take out 1/4, 1/2 and full page "display ads" for a very reasonable monthly fee.

The commercial advertising rates for members are:
$10 (ten dollars) for ¼ page
$20 (twenty dollars) for ½ page
$40 (forty dollars) for a full page

The commercial advertising rates for non-members are:
$20 (twenty dollars) for ¼ page
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Remember that these rates are for "display ads" only. Regular buy-sell-trade listings are always free to TCI members. Download AdSizeTemplates.pdf for more information.


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Revised 06/18/09