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The kids all gathered around this amazing object. Phone from the 70's?

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

What is that thing?

How does it work?

What a funny color.

I was showing an REO and someone had left a wall phone in the house.  A family with children came to view the house.  The kids all gathered around the phone (which looked just like the one below) and gazed and touched and wondered how something like that had worked.

Green phone

Phones have changed so much that even I am amazed.  How could we have dialed all those numbers with a rotary dial?  Course we shortened to about 4 numbers at that time.  We bought 24' long cords so we could carry it around the room as we talked.  To get color might have cost more so this fashion color phone may have been at additional cost.

So what's the reason for this blog? 

It's just to say I'm trying my hardest to keep up but my new iphone 4 is a real struggle.  I think I'll hire a kid to help me figure it out!!

 

 

Show All Comments
Ron Tarvin
Residential, Investment properties, rehab projects, property management, luxury homes, new construction! - Katy, TX
Broker, Katy, Houston, Cypress 77450,77494,77095

LOVE my iPhone but my wife struggles with hers at times.  Course my iPhone is outdated...it's only a 3GS and not the latest, greatest thing from Apple so I'm sure I'll have a lot more learning to do when I upgrade again...

It just doesn't seem that long ago that we had a phone like you're showing! My grandmother, who turns 90 in June, worked for the phone company (when there was only ONE) and worked a switchboard, connecting plugs into holes to connect calls!  Now that seems a long time ago! 

Mar 17, 2011 02:13 AM
Richard Weeks
Dallas, TX
REALTOR®, Broker

Your picture invoked some good memories.  Growing up we had a phone just like that one.  My sister actually had a princess phone in her room.

Mar 17, 2011 02:55 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

it's amazing that the kids today understand the term "dial" the phone, when there is no longer any dial, we just press numbers (we don't even push-buttons).

Mar 17, 2011 03:02 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Ron, I remember my mentor when I started in real estate and we'd converse each night on the phone.  To keep from having to sit in one spot and talk we each had the long phone cords so we could take the receiver with us as we did our chores.  Her husband got fed up with having to answer the phone so the cord made it possible to put the thing right beside her (assuming it was not a wall phone) and he could continue with his chores.  I am proud that I've been a part of the change that has happened since I've been in real estate. (30+ years)

Richard, my daughter wanted a princess phone so badly!!  They cost more and we were reluctant to pay it.  Somehow, however, she finally got it and thought she was a real princess!

Alan, you're right.  Why hasn't "dial" been put away and "mash" become the right term?  "Press" could also work.  Mebbe them kids ain't so smart after all.  Come to think of it, I just have to "touch" my phone to dial. 

Mar 17, 2011 03:21 AM
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

We still have two like this. One wall model like above and one desk model.

Mar 17, 2011 03:33 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

remember "Princess" phones... my older sister really coveted that one!

Mar 17, 2011 04:42 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Jeff, you had the height of fashion at the time!

Alan, what did they call phones for boys?  Did they have any?  Prince phones perhaps?

Mar 17, 2011 06:10 AM
Luke Jones
Garver - Little Rock, AR

And when you pick up a phone, it's still called a "dial tone," even though that no longer makes sense. Incidentally, my house on Market has a shallow alcove in the hall for a phone. There's a little cabinet underneath (probably for a phone book), and a hole for the cable to poke through. As I'm young enough that Jenna and I have no need for a land line, we'll never use it, so it remains a charming curiosity in our house.

Mar 17, 2011 09:22 AM
Anonymous
Debbie Wantulok

Barbara - call the hospital and book me a room!  I just learned today at lunch that 22 years of age is OLD!  I'm well pasted that...so...what am I...ancient? Antique?  Museum quality?!  At least the phone gets oo's and ah's!

By the way, how do you like your Iphone 4.  Stephen got one and he likes it but he is a Mac user.  My phone is going to have to be replaced and I was wondering what suggestions there might be.  Personally, I would perfer to take the green one but it won't fit in my pocket and the cords wouldn't be long enough to follow me around town. 

Luke - that sounds like the perfect reading or sewing spot in your house. 

My grandmother had a piece of furniture that had a seat, a place for a phone and a phone book.  They were able to sat it to where they could have more private phone calls and be comfortable she said.  My other grandmother just kept hers by the couch cause she never intended on putting it down...she was on a partyline witht he other older ladies in our neighborhood and they talked all day and listened in when they weren't talking. 

Mar 17, 2011 09:43 AM
#9
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Luke, it is surprising how many people are dropping their landlines.  I'm old fashioned and want to be found as long as I'm in real estate.  How long before we have a phone book for cell phones??  Many of the old houses had those phone cubby-holes.  I think it was a fashion thing because only the nicest old houses have them.

Debbie, I've said many times to folks that I hate this new phone.  I want my Treo back.  My daughter tells me that the iphone is better for fun but the Blackberry is a better business phone.  NOW she tells me!!  I haven't done the fun stuff yet....don't have time to seek it out.

Mar 17, 2011 09:54 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

That looks pretty familiar to me. We had one just like it but cream color.

Mar 17, 2011 04:19 PM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

By the way, the green reminded me to say have a good St Paddy's Day.

Mar 17, 2011 04:20 PM
Dana McGary
Crye-Leike Champion Real Estate Group, Searcy, Arkansas - Searcy, AR
Realtor - White County, Arkansas

Mrs. Duncan,  We had a red wall phone (very similar to that one) while I was growing up.  I now have a Blackberry Torch but have not taken the time to learn how to work half the features!  Makes me miss the old style phone and I surely miss the old days!  I too, have wondered if there will be cell phone directory books. 

Mar 18, 2011 06:20 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Steven, cream color was nicer!  I had a great St Paddy's Day and hope  you and the Nut did too.

Dana, red would have been classy!  Look how many red walls we have now!  I gotta find time to learn this dadburned new phone.

Mar 18, 2011 11:39 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Godmother,

I am very pleased to know that you had a good day yesterday.

Mar 18, 2011 01:33 PM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

Barbara, I was in a motel in Olathe, Ks. this week, visiting with my grandkids.  We were in the indoor swimming pool, when low and behold, I looked up and attached to the wall was a red wall phone....but with the touch tone dials. 

Luke:  I have called JoAnn many times and have had wonderful long conversations, as she sat in that little alcove and talked on the phone. Wonder if it was a candlestick phone?  Might have been.

Mar 20, 2011 08:06 AM
#16
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Anita, I think you should sorta call upon the "spirits" to let JoAnn get back inside her old house and wake Luke up.  Luke would love seeing your friend sitting there talking on the phone.  I'd kinda like to be invited to the show myself.

Mar 20, 2011 02:26 PM
Michael J. Perry
KW Elite - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist

I remember standing up while on one of these in our kitchen for minutes at a time or playing with the cord while talking !

Apr 18, 2011 02:31 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Just think, Michael, your kids will never have that pleasure!!

Apr 18, 2011 09:38 AM
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