If you like the look of an old telephone but want one that simply works, push-button models are the answer. Touch-Tone phones from the 1960s onward use the same tones that phone lines still understand today, so most can be plugged in and used. The same era produced a wonderful range of novelty phones, from clear neon models to hamburgers.
What to Look For
- Every key produces a tone and dials correctly
- Ringer works, and the handset gives clear sound in both directions
- Cords are intact and end in modular plugs, or you have budgeted for an adapter
- Plastic is free of cracks, burns and heavy yellowing
- Novelty phones still have all their parts, lights and any original box
Popular Models Worth Seeking Out
Bell System phones are the most durable, while the novelty market is all about condition and completeness.
- Western Electric 2500 — the push-button version of the classic desk phone. Almost indestructible.
- Western Electric Trimline — the slim design with the keypad in the handset, made for decades.
- Western Electric Princess (Touch-Tone) — compact, with a light-up keypad, in a wide range of colors.
- 1980s novelty phones — clear neon phones, the hamburger phone, lips and sports car designs, and licensed character phones.
- Ericofon — the one-piece Swedish design. Most are rotary, with rarer push-button versions.
Our Pick: A Working Western Electric Touch-Tone Desk Phone
A Western Electric 2500 or a similar Bell System desk phone is the dependable choice. They were built to be leased for decades, the mechanical bell sounds wonderful, and they work on nearly any line.
THE VERDICT
- Keypad: All keys dialing
- Ringer: Mechanical bell working
- Cords: Modular
- Body: No cracks
Best for: anyone who wants a vintage phone that works on a modern line with no converter and no fuss.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Works on most modern phone lines, including internet phone adapters
- Extremely durable construction
- Wide choice of colors and styles at modest prices
Cons
- No caller ID, memory or other modern features
- Novelty phones were cheaply made and often sound poor
Common Problems to Watch For
- Dead or intermittent keys — worn or dirty contacts under the keypad. Cleaning usually helps on Bell System phones.
- Crackly handset cord — the coiled cord fails inside. Modular cords are cheap to replace.
- Hardwired cords — older phones have no modular plug and need an adapter or a new line cord.
- Yellowed or faded plastic — light colors discolor with sunlight and age.
- Dead lights — Princess phones and neon novelty phones need a working transformer or lamp to light up.
How Much Should You Expect to Pay
- $15–$40: Common desk and wall Touch-Tone phones
- $40–$80: Trimline and Princess phones in good colors
- $60–$150: Novelty phones in working order, more with the box
- $150+: Rare colors, early ten-button models and boxed character phones
Quick Questions, Answered
Will it work on my modern phone line?
Usually, yes. Touch-Tone dialing is still the standard, so these phones work on landlines and on most internet phone adapters.
What if I only have a cell phone?
Bluetooth gateway boxes let a corded phone make and take calls through your cell phone.
Why does my Princess phone not light up?
Early versions needed a separate transformer to power the lamp. Without it, the phone works but stays dark.
Check whether the listing shows a modular plug at the wall end of the cord. A phone that plugs straight in is ready to use the day it arrives.