Finding a Replacement Replica of an Antique Telephone

Oddnesses About Internet Search Engines

Renji Shino
This is pretty interesting, the wind threw down a headset to a replica of an antique country style telephone, and the cheap plastic part broke. There was nobody in the room other than myself, thus I had nobody other than myself to blame for the broken plastic handset, which was, admittedly, poorly constructed for an antique telephone. Admittedly, I must have been somewhat brain dead at the time, as I became stumped when customer service via telephone was not available to obtain replacement parts for this telephone. Being unable to find any more information via telephone or computer about the Thomas America Museum Company, I spent a few weeks being puzzled about what to do next, as no replacement part was to be found for this replica of an antique, apparently.

The search continued slowly to find a replacement part for this replica of an antique headset, made of cheap plastic painted gold. I have been having a nightmare since then, trying to find a replacement part for this headset, which expanded to the search for a replacement replica of an antique wall phone replica. I went to a bunch of Radio Shack stores, and none of these shops had the headset in stock, and their version of the country style antique telephone was not pretty, so, I opted to continue looking, thinking that another store would carry something just like it. I showed this replica antique telephone, which was not as elegant as our replica antique telephone to the family. This replacement did not satisfy, just as I had suspected, I was told to not purchase it.

Rumors abounded about the plastic replica headset such as, the phone had been an antique, in the family since the 1880's, was an original version built by Elisha Gray; or that I had hit a famous rock and roll entertainer with the handset. These rumors were all false, the phone was a plastic replica, a reproduction of an antique telephone, a fabulous fake of an antique telephone, not an actual antique. I never heard the full story about the phone, which must have become a shaggy dog tale. Eventually, I received an antique gold ring, which needed to be given to a medium for the dead to appease the angry spirits, involved in the generation of the destruction of the telephone handset. Still, no luck finding a replacement handset, or even a suitable phone replacement.

Craigslist seemed to be an option - I found one similar model to the telephone, which was almost suitable, and showed it to the telephone owner, however, this was not an acceptable substitute. The company that manufactured the limited edition replica had disappeared from the search engine, and I was puzzled as to the complete lack of data about the Thomas America Museum Series telephone.

I visited some other chain stores, ones that sold various models of telephones, as well as various home stores, and failed to find the model of this telephone. I purchased a few cheap temporary telephones to replace the phone, and went about my business, after a few Internet searches turned up no results. I was puzzled by the lack of places that would sell replacement handsets for retro imitation antique telephones. I found a place called Historic Housewares in Rochester, NY - only to find out that the place specialized in replacing antique housewares, not replicas of antiques.

This morning, I finally worded the search terms correctly, or did something in order to retrofit all the new filter terms; and, I received the results I had been looking for, several antique country kitchen style telephones, all priced at under $100, for the entire antique replica telephone, or rendition of an antique phone. I was beginning to worry that my search for this would take longer than the search for Guy de Maupassant's Necklace, which was a piece of costume jewelry.

Although I still cannot find the replacement replica headset for the replica of an antique telephone, the search is now at the point where it is necessary to purchase an entire telephone, due to the lapse in time between the breaking of the headset, and finding a replacement. Now, all I need do is wait for the money to arrive, and the phone is as good as on the kitchen wall. I am tired of searching, and am glad that the wait is over with.

Thanks to Associated Content, my family is going to be able to replace our replica of an antique wall phone, and will be able to use the older model to manufacture our own version of an antique replica telephone, or give it to some dead poet society member as a Christmas gift.

Published by Renji Shino

Independent software designer, graphic artist, stock photographer; affiliated with PBS and IGT.  View profile

  • I broke the headseat to the replica of this antique telephone accidentally.
  • Even if the telephone owner was reimbursed for the handset, I still need to purchase a replacement!
  • Finding the replica antique telephone on-line was a multi-month nightmare.
Reputable vendors will warn customers to be cautious about purchasing telephones that claim to be antique phones.

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