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What Phones Looked Like the Decade You Were Born
Reader's Digest ^ | 11/14/22 | Morgan Cutalo

Posted on 09/03/2023 11:43:00 AM PDT by DallasBiff

Some elementary school kids don’t even know what a landline is. Take a trip down memory lane and remember the type of phone you used to use.


(Excerpt) Read more at rd.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; History
KEYWORDS: phones
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To: dfwgator

And you just beat to my next reply!


121 posted on 09/03/2023 3:21:19 PM PDT by 1FreeAmerican
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To: Spacetrucker

” First cellphone was a 10# bag”

I still miss my bag phone. Was analog so not so much losing a cell tower signal, could play with the antenna and get to a high spot and it worked.


122 posted on 09/03/2023 3:25:44 PM PDT by nomorelurker
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To: Disambiguator

Rotary phones were built tough because you didn’t own them. AT&T retained ownership and only rented it to you.


123 posted on 09/03/2023 3:28:01 PM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Either you will rule. Or you will be ruled. There is no other choice.)
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To: DallasBiff


124 posted on 09/03/2023 3:44:03 PM PDT by mabarker1 ( (Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress!!!)
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To: Stayingawayfromthedarkside
"My grandma was a phone operator back in the 50’s and 60’s, maybe 70’s not sure. Maybe even in the 40’s. I just know that she was one."

A fairly busy job I'd say. I can't imagine have to learn how to handle a switchboard from those days. Putting calls on hold, while transferring them on modern phones was bad enough.

My second oldest sister eventually worked her way up to being a phone rep. She would handle all the calls from people, mostly complaints, overdue bills, etc. I don't know how she maintained her ability to deal with people once she retired. She still enjoyed helping people after that. I, on the other hand, worked in uniform for 25 years in NY State's prison system. Having to deal with the morons behind bars, which also included the administrators, and the people that came to visit the convicts, was enough for me. I've been retired for almost 20 years now, and have very little patience when it comes to dealing with people. I'm not much of a socializer.

125 posted on 09/03/2023 4:03:04 PM PDT by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: DallasBiff

I remember back in the day, using a rotary phone to dial, redial, redial, on and on and on, trying to connect for concert tickets. Santana, Starship, CSNY, etc. They would announce that a certain day and time was the start of the ticket sales. Once you started dialing, If you ever got anything besides the busy signal, it felt like you had won the lottery. Sometimes there was a limit of just 4 tickets per call. Once you complete the process for the first 4 tickets, If you wanted to get more, you had to start dialing again. Some years you might even develop calluses. Some bands eventually started using a mail-in lottery system. You mailed in a cashiers check, and included a self addressed stamped ENVELOPE (SASE). The SASE was to mail back the check if you did not get any tickets in the lottery.


126 posted on 09/03/2023 4:09:40 PM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus III (Do, or do not, there is no try)
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To: DallasBiff
You can buy a conventional style handset for a mobile phone. I've used one and it worked pretty well.

While not as comfortable as a headset, it was better than holding the mobile phone up to the ear. Depending on how many calls and what else I was doing, it worked well.


127 posted on 09/03/2023 4:09:53 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: mabarker1
Re: Candlestick Phone (Post 124)

I wanted one of those as a kid after seeing them in old movies. I thought they were better.

There are individuals who are now modifying such phones to work with bluetooth so that the modified retro phone can connect to your mobile phone just like a wireless headset would.

128 posted on 09/03/2023 4:16:12 PM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: T.B. Yoits

LOL...I can imagine somebody walking down the street with their cell phone in their pocket and yakking on that handset. That would turn a heard or two.


129 posted on 09/03/2023 4:17:21 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“Occupy your mind with good thoughts or your enemy will fill them with bad ones.” ~ Thomas More)
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To: DallasBiff

130 posted on 09/03/2023 4:19:57 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (The worst thing about censorship is ████ █ ██████ ███████ ███ ██████ ██ ████████. FJB.)
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To: DallasBiff

Can’t post a pic now but the Maxwell Smart Shoe Phone.


131 posted on 09/03/2023 4:52:05 PM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: dfwgator

American Greatness


132 posted on 09/03/2023 4:56:18 PM PDT by Third Person
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To: mabarker1

Wow…… my grandmother had a candlestick phone .


133 posted on 09/03/2023 4:59:49 PM PDT by Mears (.)
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To: mass55th

I’m not much of a socializer, either, but I’m a ways from retirement. LOL.


134 posted on 09/03/2023 5:02:27 PM PDT by Stayingawayfromthedarkside (D.C. (District of Corruption))
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To: dfwgator

Hittum enough & they’d pay off like slot machines


135 posted on 09/03/2023 5:06:57 PM PDT by thinden (buckle up ....)
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To: DallasBiff
This one had a 50 foot cord so you could take your call down the hallway and into a different room.

That room had paneling on the walls too.


136 posted on 09/03/2023 5:10:34 PM PDT by SamAdams76 (6,390,901 Truth | 86,874,940 Twitter)
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To: DallasBiff

1963... and I just impressed myself with a total instant recall of that phone number!! I guess I aint losin it yet!!


137 posted on 09/03/2023 5:20:36 PM PDT by sit-rep
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To: Disambiguator

lol... just heard the bang and the slight ring from the bell as it hit!!


138 posted on 09/03/2023 5:23:34 PM PDT by sit-rep
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To: Blurb2350

Same here. It can be frustrating at times but what can we do but agree as gracefully as possible.


139 posted on 09/03/2023 5:56:29 PM PDT by ViLaLuz (2 Chronicles 7:14)
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To: DallasBiff







140 posted on 09/03/2023 6:18:52 PM PDT by Bikkuri (I am proud to be a PureBlood.)
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