You Know You Are Living In 2006

[Iolaus]

Back when nothing had buttons, it all had knobs and the phone was rototary (did I spell that right). When I was a kid we were the remote.

When I finally set up my own personal study, I want to get an old candlestick phone with a rotary dial. I know they're available; you just have to hook up an in line keypad.

I'm just sort of retro like that.

[Southern Breeze]

The rotary candlestick phones are still being made. Our local phone companies retail center has them.

Anyone remember party lines?

[jfellrath]

Anyone remember party lines?

Only from the Cold War and reports about the Soviet Union's politics.

[GlassMan]

I am definitely into nostalgia. I learned to type on an old manual typewriter. When I missed a key and my finger slide between them, the metal rims would rip the skin off my fingers. I'm certain the nun's sharpened the rims of the keys.

I actually collect old manual typewriters. I've got 9 that I display from the early 1900's up to about 1940. Then I've got about 6 more portables from the 50s and 60s. I restore them to functioning but it's getting harder and harder to find ribbons.

As for 78s, I love them! I've got an old 1929 cabinet victrola and a large stack of old 78s. Once, when the power went out, our entertainment by candlelight was to listen to the Victrola!

[davedove]

Anyone remember party lines?

Yeah, we had that for a few years when I was a kid in rural southern Illinois in the 60's.

[bubba]

The only party lines I recall (very vaguely) were the lines to get to the keg at parties.

[Livingston]

Party lines.... My wife worked one of those old cord boards in rural IA when she first started with AT&T and it was the Bell Companies were the ONLY phone companys.