Mr. Kat has a rotary phone. He bought it on eBay. Because… rotary phone! Sadly, it’s an ugly mid-70s standard single desk phone. Brown. Ugly. Dull. But I’m trying to find him an old pre-dial wall phone of the speaker-cone-and-hand-crank variety. So far, not a lot of luck.
Why do people not understand when you say “rotary phone” or “hand-cranked phone?” Do they really not believe there was telephony before cell towers?
Can I get excited about Strowger exchanges now? Those were amazing pieces of electromechanical engineering.
Andrew Trembley
A friend of mine just transitioned from Radio Shack drone to phlebotomist. Less hours, better pay.
He had a secret file-the-serial-numbers-off blog about working in Radio Shack. Let me tell you, not knowing what a rotary dial phone was is one of the more obscure facts that most Radio Shack drones don’t know.
My 4-year-old knows what a rotary phone is, because she has one of those Fisher-Price chatter phones. I showed her how to dial. She thinks it’s keen.
M.A. Kropp
I have an old black rotary phone in the basement. Hung on to it because- yeah, that’s how learned to use a telephone!
Jon Marcus
@Wendy, we still have the old wooden one my sisters and I played with. Saving it for my granddaughter to play with, it’s become an antique!
Re the linked RadioShack phones, I can’t tell without actually looking at one. But I suspect they really are rotary phones, but they generate a digital signal instead of pulsing 9 times when you dial 9. (Which very few if any current phone systems would support.)
I had a hand me down rotary phone in high school in my bedroom. My best friends number was a pain as it ended in 9750. Better than sitting in the kitchen though.
Good luck going to radio shack if you need electrical components too half the time they don’t even know if they have the drawers of resisters and such. let alone knowing what the color codes mean.
Chris Russo
We have one that my grandfather never “returned” to MA bell way back when. The thing weighs about 8,000 pounds and is literally the best phone I have ever used. We guard that thing with our lives. 🙂
Lelsie
Are you sure you’re not still paying a monthly rent on it? 😉
I have a rotary pay-phone in a wooden cabinet with glass door panels in my family room. The fan and light even come on when you close the door. It no longer requires coins and both the phone and booth are older than I am by 3 years. It worked to both make and receive calls when I had a land-line…
Years ago now, I went to Radio Shack to get a keyboard cover. The clerk looked confused and tried to find me a Casio piano keyboard….
Mr. Kat has a rotary phone. He bought it on eBay. Because… rotary phone! Sadly, it’s an ugly mid-70s standard single desk phone. Brown. Ugly. Dull. But I’m trying to find him an old pre-dial wall phone of the speaker-cone-and-hand-crank variety. So far, not a lot of luck.
Why do people not understand when you say “rotary phone” or “hand-cranked phone?” Do they really not believe there was telephony before cell towers?
Can I get excited about Strowger exchanges now? Those were amazing pieces of electromechanical engineering.
A friend of mine just transitioned from Radio Shack drone to phlebotomist. Less hours, better pay.
He had a secret file-the-serial-numbers-off blog about working in Radio Shack. Let me tell you, not knowing what a rotary dial phone was is one of the more obscure facts that most Radio Shack drones don’t know.
http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=MPHPCL1893&name=PCL-1893-Vintage-Coffee-Mill-Telephone-Antique-Rep
I have a great 1970’s “sculptura donut phone” on my night stand. Chocolate brown. Sadly contemplating getting rid of it, because so many calls start with “press one for English”. I have several great vintage rotaries I have retired, because they are simply not fully functional anymore.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.modcats.com/objects/donut1_01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.modcats.com/item.php?item%3D574&h=442&w=600&sz=112&tbnid=SB7tRskSaxoGUM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=122&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dvintage%2Bdonut%2Bphone%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=vintage+donut+phone&usg=__rxbgF1veMEtIj_527FFck2dusgw=&docid=ZfqMy8rXIuQAAM&sa=X&ei=0DdGUrPqAsSMrQHeuoGoCQ&ved=0CC8Q9QEwAQ
My 4-year-old knows what a rotary phone is, because she has one of those Fisher-Price chatter phones. I showed her how to dial. She thinks it’s keen.
I have an old black rotary phone in the basement. Hung on to it because- yeah, that’s how learned to use a telephone!
@Wendy, we still have the old wooden one my sisters and I played with. Saving it for my granddaughter to play with, it’s become an antique!
Re the linked RadioShack phones, I can’t tell without actually looking at one. But I suspect they really are rotary phones, but they generate a digital signal instead of pulsing 9 times when you dial 9. (Which very few if any current phone systems would support.)
The description says that they are pushbutton phones.
Here’s where I got my “Lucy” phone (Western Electric Model 300):
http://www.oldphoneworks.com/
It wasn’t cheap, but I love it!
Actually, it’s a Model 302. This one:
http://www.oldphoneworks.com/302-black-metal-case.html
I had a hand me down rotary phone in high school in my bedroom. My best friends number was a pain as it ended in 9750. Better than sitting in the kitchen though.
Good luck going to radio shack if you need electrical components too half the time they don’t even know if they have the drawers of resisters and such. let alone knowing what the color codes mean.
We have one that my grandfather never “returned” to MA bell way back when. The thing weighs about 8,000 pounds and is literally the best phone I have ever used. We guard that thing with our lives. 🙂
Are you sure you’re not still paying a monthly rent on it? 😉
I have a rotary pay-phone in a wooden cabinet with glass door panels in my family room. The fan and light even come on when you close the door. It no longer requires coins and both the phone and booth are older than I am by 3 years. It worked to both make and receive calls when I had a land-line…