Retro Telephones – Information and Reviews

The Candlestick

Black Steepletone Nostalgia Candlestick Telephone          Nostalgia Candlestick Phone Dark Wood veneer          GPO Ornate Candlestick Design Old Fashioned Telephone

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Telephones of the 1930s

!930s Duke Telephone           Wild & Wolf Series 302 Desk Phone - Red               Vintage Ornate Design Old Fashioned Telephone - The Duchess

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Scandiphones of the 1950s

Classic Telephone - Scandiphone Red          Retro White ScandiPhone          Retro Black ScandiPhone

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1950s Style American Diner Telephones

1950'S Style American Wall Pay Phone - Black Retro Telephone          Wild & Wolf Classic Telephone 1950s Retro Chrome Diner Phone Payphone          1950's Diner Phone by Steepletone - Black

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1960s Rotary Dial Telephones

1960S Retro Style Desk Telephone with Rotary Dialler RED          Geemarc Retro Mayfair Telephone - Cream          Steepletone Retro BT Corded Telephone - Black

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Trimphones of the 1960s/70s

Wild and Wolf Trim Phone - Turquoise            Steepletone Push Button Retro Trim Phone - Black Base / White Handset          Wild & Wolf Trim Phone - Red

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What is the main difference between a retro telephone and a vintage telephone? Primarily, it is mechanical. Retro telephones retain all the stylistic features of their vintage predecessors while upgrading their electronics. Thus, it is entirely possible to enjoy the vintage glow of a TrimPhone’s rotary dial without being exposed to the original radioactive element.

In some contexts, this distinction can get a bit blurry. Some retro telephones are in fact vintage telephones, which is to say they have not replaced the older technology with newer electronic components or features. The 2500 phone, for example, is frequently sold as is. Its relatively solid casing and no-nonsense wiring have allowed it to survive the passing decades of technological upgrades relatively intact. Newer features, such as call waiting, can be seamlessly integrated using the 2500’s vintage technology.

Some retro telephones choose to alter the stylistic features with fairly radical new updates, such as digital display panels for caller ID, or built-in address books that allow users to quickly access their favored numbers. Vintage phones from the 1950’s through the 1970’s did not store numbers or other information. Any phone that looks to be from that period but displays user information is a modern version.

Much as an older car can have its original engine completely modified in order to suit newer environmental standards without changing its beautiful exterior, a retro telephone frequently has the best of both worlds. Modern phones, while highly efficient, tend to lack warmth. How often has a modern phone user had a long conversation, only to lament that their ear is tired from being pressed up against an unyielding flat panel? Modern phones offer users the choice of an ear bud, saving them from the merciless heat and flatness of the LCD display. However, ear buds are hardly a world class example of “comfort.” Often, the exterior casing wears away, or dirt collects on the small speaker. Their inflexibility wears on the soft cartilage of the ear. Quite frankly, those who enjoy their telephone conversations prefer receivers that were designed with humans, not profit margins, in mind.

Unlike the anonymous black void of a flat screen phone, a vintage telephone is an indicator of taste and personality. It shows that the owner is unafraid to stand apart in a world where so many cling to convention. Displaying a 1950’s diner telephone in one’s home adds intrigue and often serves as a conversational topic. These phones are particularly enjoyable not only because of how they look, but because of how conversations begin and end. Traditional diner phones operated only after money had been inserted into the coin slot on top. When the conversation finished, the speaker would hang up the receiver onto the cradle. Sometimes, if the conversation was particularly emotional, the receiver could be hung up with great force without damaging the steely casing of the phone. This durability is often a telling characteristic of a vintage telephone.

Those who use a vintage phone for the first time will be pleased to discover how all the components work together. Making a phone call becomes an experience in of itself, and not just a quick tap on a touch screen. For those who have never used a rotary dial, it is definitely a process that will never be forgotten. Being able to hold the receiver between one’s shoulder and ear is often quite freeing. Of course, many retro phones cleverly integrate faster methods of dialing by modifying the original buttons or dial. Ultimately, there is no end to the number of possible technological variations for older phones; the only limiting factor is one’s aesthetic sensibility.

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