Solomonster

So, I'm over at eBay, you know the auction site?, and I'm looking for an old rotary-style phone because I think it'd be cool to have an olde rotary-style phone and maybe I'd do something cool to it like control WinAmp with it or put a PC in it or something like that. 

So, I'm over at eBay looking at rotary-style phones and I'm reading a product description that suggests to me that this seller has encountered some heavy-doody, whack-job collectors with serious questions on the authenticity of the phones and their ages:

Okay, I've sold a fair amount of Western Electric phones on ebay, so I
will try to think of all the questions I've been asked in the
past....The bottom is black, not silver. The feet are in great
condition. The bottom is marked F-364 C/D 500 3-64. There is a loudness
adjustment wheel on the bottom of the phone. The earpiece has 6 holes,
not 7 (I've tried to get a picture of that). The inside piece where you
talk (how's THAT for a technical term) is dated 5-25-62, the inside
piece where you listen is dated 4-13-59 and is stamped 44A. The plastic
inside the earpiece is dated 8-56. When you take the plastic
(bakelite?) housing off, it is dated 64. There are two dates that I can
find on the inside. The piece where all the wires hook up (another
technical term?) is dated 1-64 and the piece right below the left bell
is also dated 1-64. All in all, a very nice, clean, older working
phone. Please email me with any questions or if you would like more
pictures.