Rotary Phones
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All About Rotary Phones
Whether you are into vintage rotary phones as a collectible, you long for the nostalgic feel of the dial and the distinctive ring, or you simply want the retro look for a home or office, there are antiques and modern counterparts to suit your needs.
On this page you can learn more about the history of rotary phones, how they are used, and find some retro and authentic rotary phones for sale. You can find rotary phones by style or by color lower on this page.
History of the Rotary Telephone
The first telephone line in the US was completed in 1877. Users were able to place calls originally through telephone switchboard operators.In the late 1880's Almon B Strowger invented a switch which allowed users to connect to other lines by tapping a button on their phone.
The rotary dial came along four or five years later around 1896 and gradually took over the industry. Rotary phones phased out in favor of touch tone phones primarily in the 1980's after nearly a hundred years in service.
Rotary phones today are still known for their outstanding reliability and durability.
Learn More About the History of the Rotary Phone
- Privateline.com article
- A history of how the rotary phone came to be and related developments.
- Privateline.com article II
- Further discussion about the inventors work.
- Google Books
- A book preview that covers the history of the rotary system. (For those who are Really Interested)
- Wikipedia
- The history and function of the rotary phone according to Wikipedia.
Books About Telephone History
Rotary Phones as the New Thing
Hear the Ring, the Dial, and the Busy Signal
curated content from YouTube
Dialing a Rotary Telephone
The vast majority of people know how to dial a rotary telephone. However, it's possible for kids, or perhaps, even young adults to have never used a rotary phone.Dialing is simple. For instance, if you're dialing 9-1-1: place your finger in the hole on the dial marked with "9". Pull the dial around to the stop and then release it. After the dial rotates back around and stops, place your finger in the hole on the dial with "1". Pull the dial around to the stop and release it. The dial will rotate back around and stop. You can then dial the final number in the same manner.
The history video posted above demonstrates this type of dialing.
What Do You Say?
Is a Rotary Phone Your Style?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes, I love cool old stuff, it makes a statement
Mehrangiz says:
You know what I love rotary phones and I am doing a research about them for writing in school were doing a compare and contrast writing piece
Posted December 14, 2011
Mehrangiz says:
I love rotary phones they are great
Posted December 14, 2011
COUNTRYLUTHIER says:
We still have an actual working phone in our home, does that count? I like the old school idea of calls coming into the home and the called person being told they have a call, but I wax nostalgic here. Awesome lens!
Posted October 03, 2011
techUsdPhone says:
I have to agree that I love rotary phones as well. Very stylish and cool even if not really used anymore. Sometimes Usedphones carries rotary phones. Is worth checking out and see if it's in inventory at the moment.
http://www.usedphones.com
Posted June 01, 2010
Pam says:
I love rotary phones. They even sound great when you dial.
I'm shopping around for an orange Stromberg Carlson, either desk style or wall mountable, for my kitchen. I keep getting outbid at ebay. LOL
Posted January 21, 2010
No Way, it creeps me out
Collecting Vintage Rotary Phones
Vintage rotary phones are valuable as an important piece of history. They are also durable and quite functional. Vintage rotary phones are like any collectible. The more you know, the more potential value a purchase will have. Choosing a true vintage rotary phone offers far more value of course, and certainly a phone that has all the necessary parts to function is important. Learn more about the colors, models, and years in which certain designs were manufactured before starting on a journey of collecting. See the resources below to get you started.Collectors, or potential collectors, can make a visit to the Antique Telephone Collectors Association website which offers inclusion in an organization with membership covering the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe. Members receive a newsletter and have access to the regional and national Telephone Shows. Membership is around $35 per year. Another organization for collectors to consider is Telephone Collectors International.
For those who hope to use their vintage rotary phone it can be important not only to get the phone in working order but to assure compatibility with their phone line. Interested readers can learn more via this Waybacktimes.com article.
Books About Collecting Vintage Telephones
Finding Rotary Telephones and Retro Style Modern Telephones
If you're merely wanting a modern phone with a retro look or a retro sound, such phones are available. From old style handsets that attach to your cell phone, to new phones that look like old phones, and cell phone ringtones which have that traditional sound, there are many options. We will introduce you to these products below.However, for others, collecting real vintage rotary phones is more of an interest, or in some cases a passion. First, we will show you some retro looks, then a few styles of vintage rotary phones, and then phones arranged by color.
Retro Look for the non-Collectors
Perhaps what you want is just a retro look, not the true collectible. These phones offer a distinctive appearance but the convenience and modern features that most people want in a telephone.123electronics.com is a site that offers a number of retro products including retro style rotary phones.
Retro Look Modern Telephones
A Rotary Cell Phone and Old Telephone Ringtones
Go Modern with a Retro Twist
- SparkFun Electronics
- Looks like an old rotary phone but uses your SIM Card. It's portable and can be used as a rotary car phone.
- Retro Handset
- A retro handset to attach to your cell phone.
- Computer Audio Engineering
- Find the dial tone, ring, off hook alert, and other old rotary phone sounds you want.
- Ringtones Direct
- Several options for getting old telephone Ringtones.
- ablecomm.com
- A simple rotary phone, new with an old look.
Rotary Desk Phones
Rotary Wall Phones
Candlestick Rotary Phones
Princess Rotary Phone
French Rotary Phone
Western Electric Rotary Phone
Rotary Pay Phone
Rotary Phone Parts and Rotary Phone Repair
Looking for some parts or have an old rotary phone in need of repair? You can find help here.
- Telephone Tribute
- A resource page to help you find the right parts and the right person to make repairs.
- Telephone Accessories and Parts
- From brackets to dials and cords. A huge collection of pictures and a number of parts for sale.
- Navysalvage.com
- A repair service; one that offers advice over the phone as well.
- Telephone Schematics
- Find the telephone schematics for your vintage rotary phone here.
- Oldphones.us
- A site selling old telephone parts.
- Oldphoneman.com
- One more repair and parts site worth checking out.
- ZDNet.com
- Not a repair per se, but...a blog that describes how to get your rotary phone to work with Vonage, a VOIP provider.
Rotary Phone Repair
Old Time Telephones : Restoration & Repair
Amazon Price: $39.99 (as of 02/15/2012)
If you have a vintage rotary phone and you are a do-it-yourselfer this book can provide the guidance you need in making any necessary repairs. Don't throw it away, it's valuable!
Old Rotary Phone Parts: Dials
Black Rotary Phone
Blue Rotary Phone
Brown Rotary Phone
Green Rotary Phone
Orange Rotary Phone
Pink Rotary Phone
Red Rotary Phone
Tan Rotary Phone
White Rotary Phone
Yellow Rotary Phone
Rotary Phones: Was This Page Helpful? Let Us Know!
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mbrownauthor
Apr 3, 2009 @ 6:36 pm | delete
- We had one of these for years. I even remember having a party line (sharing a line with someone you didn't even know...for you youngsters out there). Rotary phones I like. Party lines I don't. Great lens! Welcome also to the group, "Everything Vintage!" Love the rotary phone instruction video. Had to laugh. Also great eBay items!
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RichLeigh
Sep 14, 2008 @ 6:35 pm | delete
- A very interesting lens you've written there! I have no experience of using a rotary telephone myself... I do however remember my grandparents having a phone of this sort when I was younger. I never used it... it always intrigued me however and I always very much appreciated the look of it. As I say; a very interesting lens and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the read! :) Interesting, informative, and also very well written!
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JaguarJulie
Aug 23, 2008 @ 1:49 pm | delete
- Ah, you can't be old enough to remember the rotary phone, can you? Well -- there's a cool snapshot of a rotary phone in that pic of me and my grandmother Julia Nagy ... so I guess I'm old enough. They were cool. Awesome lens that brings back some cool memories. 5*****
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enslavedbyfaeries
Apr 25, 2008 @ 10:28 am | delete
- Sweet, I love it!
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ElizabethJeanAllen
Apr 15, 2008 @ 4:08 pm | delete
- What a fun lens!
Liz
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rms
Mar 28, 2008 @ 12:13 pm | delete
- Veryy cool lens. I miss these!
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JewelryCollectibles
Mar 11, 2008 @ 2:24 pm | delete
- waaaay cool lens! gave you 5 stars and added you to my group. love your retro phones!
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rockycha
Feb 17, 2008 @ 10:49 pm | delete
- very cool! high fives!
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ShortSaleRealtor
Feb 17, 2008 @ 12:53 pm | delete
- great lens 5 stars 4 u
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Feb 16, 2008 @ 11:19 am | delete
- Fun lens!! 5*****
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Photo Credits- photos are copyrighted as indicated. No derivative works allowed.
Introduction: spierzchala.
History of Rotary Phones: thenandagain.
Dialing a Rotary Telephone: karl151k.
Retro Look: psd.
Collecting Vintage Rotary Telephones: tylerdurden1.
Finding Rotary Telephones: proudmurphy.
Introduction: spierzchala.
History of Rotary Phones: thenandagain.
Dialing a Rotary Telephone: karl151k.
Retro Look: psd.
Collecting Vintage Rotary Telephones: tylerdurden1.
Finding Rotary Telephones: proudmurphy.
by mulberry
mulberry
Whether you like vintage or just the retro look, you'll find the rotary phone you want here.
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