Years ago, I was reading the International Herald Tribune in Italy (Verona, to be precise.)
I saw an article in which someone had taken old rotary dial phones and replaced the inner working with electronics. The resulting device sold for $300. I told my wife that if they sold for half the price I’d buy one.
I can’t remember if the numbers generated electronic signals or if the user had to really use the dial. (I hope it was the latter.)
Can you imagine how great it’d be to whip out an enormous, clunky, black metal phone at a restaurant and start dialing with it loudly clicking away?
To this day I regret not buying it.
P.S. Speaking of vinyl, I have maybe 3000 LPs, heavily classical and opera, not one of which I’ve played on my turntable in years. Want to make an offer?
“I can’t remember if the numbers generated electronic signals or if the user had to really use the dial.”
They can but you need to install a POTS line (Plain Old Telephone Service still offer by phone companies). We had one just for laughs, an old French style rotary but we yard sales the phone a couple years ago.
Of course if at a restaurant, they likely would not have such a line LOL.