# Traditional push-button telephones **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227 "2012-12-06T20:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/21 "2012-12-07T03:32:52Z")
I just googled for the words “traditional desk telephone” (without the quotation marks) and got a fair number of hits and images. Somebody must still be selling them. Try that. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/22 "2012-12-07T03:49:22Z")
some early full sized desk nonphone company push button desksets didn’t have touch tone, square push buttons that generated dial pulses. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/23 "2012-12-07T04:35:27Z")
If you don’t mind the convenience of a cell phone and just want a big goofy old fashioned receiver, [this thing](http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/8928/) is pretty cool. I mean, you’ll look like a loon, but I gather that’s sort of your intent. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/24 "2012-12-07T04:43:07Z")
What you’re looking for is called a 2500 set, and they’re pretty easy to find [on eBay.](http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l2632&_nkw=2500+telephone&_sacat=3286&_from=R40) I have a bright yellow one in the closet that I’ll send you for postage reimbursement. Not all of them were manufactured by Western Electric. IT&T, Northern Telecom, and Stromberg-Carlson also made them for the PBX and motel market. One thing to watch for: in the late 80s Western Electric switched to a new membrane-style touchpad, whose buttons don’t depress with the same 2mm spring action. Those late versions are problematic. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/25 "2012-12-07T05:49:36Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > What you’re looking for is called a 2500 set, and they’re pretty easy to find [on eBay.](http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l2632&_nkw=2500+telephone&_sacat=3286&_from=R40) I have a bright yellow one in the closet that I’ll send you for postage reimbursement. Note that those Cortelco models are modern superficial copies and are not as good as the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/26 "2012-12-07T05:56:12Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > That’s what I was thinking. [This](http://www.odinartcollectables.com/images/full_phone.jpg) is traditional. That’s an early Hello Sarah. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/27 "2012-12-07T06:13:01Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Cell phones are really good for everything except actually talking on them. A friend of mine says: “The great thing about cellphones is that they almost work.” ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/28 "2012-12-08T02:56:53Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Push button phones are the “traditional,” old-fashioned sort now? ☹ > > > [@Doug\_K](#): > > > > That’s what I was thinking. [This](http://www.odinartcollectables.com/images/full_phone.jpg) is traditional. I was thinking the same thing. But apparently I’m not quite as old as **Doug** , because I was thinking more along the lines of [this](http://dchoos.org/wp-content/resources/telephone.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/29 "2012-12-08T03:01:42Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > I was thinking the same thing. But apparently I’m not quite as old as **Doug** , because I was thinking more along the lines of [this](http://dchoos.org/wp-content/resources/telephone.jpg). That’s new-fangled, youngun. It’s like [this](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/askville/1074208_7488421_mywrite/cr64_black.jpg), [this](http://www.superior-dollhouse-miniatures.com/484-537-large/old-fashioned-wall-telephone.jpg), or [this.](http://www.dsokids.com/images/tin-can-telephone.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/30 "2012-12-08T03:37:51Z")
It’s funny, we were watching Dick Van Dyke on Netflix yesterday, the telephone prank episode, and I commented to my wife that he was using the exact same phone I had in the late 80’s, and that it the technology went at least 30 years with no change. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/31 "2012-12-08T03:56:44Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > I was thinking the same thing. But apparently I’m not quite as old as **Doug** , because I was thinking more along the lines of [this](http://dchoos.org/wp-content/resources/telephone.jpg). I have one like that, and it still works. We don’t use it much, but it comes in handy if the power goes out. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227/32 "2012-12-08T05:00:08Z")
> [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](#): > > It’s funny, we were watching Dick Van Dyke on Netflix yesterday, the telephone prank episode, and I commented to my wife that he was using the exact same phone I had in the late 80’s, and that it the technology went at least 30 years with no change. There were lots of changes in the technology during that period; it’s just that they were within the network, not on your end of the system. (Intentionally – the phone company certainly didn’t want to make any changes that would require updating all the telephones connected to the system!) Some changes were: [ul][li]adding Area codes.[/li][li]allowing direct-dial of long distance calls.[/li][li]adding toll-free (1-800) calls.[/li][li]exchanges moved from Strowger stepper switching to crossbar to electronic to digital.[/li][li]automatic number identification was installed, allowing automated long distance billing, call tracing, etc.[/li][li]PBX/Centrex system allowing companies to use the same exchange for separate locations.[/li][li]mobile telephone service (car phones) was offered.[/li][li]…and probably a lot more I didn’t remember.[/li][/ul] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traditional-push-button-telephones/643227.md?page=1)