I keep seeing these vintage Soviet-era TA-68 telephones on eBay and if I’m honest, I am quite fascinated with them.
Why wouldn’t you be? They are so unusual and at first glance, completely useless. But they aren’t useless. At least, not if you can get them wired for your home phone socket. These are potentially wonderful pieces of interior design.
The home phone isn’t exactly popular these days. Many of us have left it behind and gone all-mobile instead. But sales of retro and vintage phones are still strong. That’s because they are all about the look and less about functionality.
After all, if you are going for a retro setting or creating a retro room, then the small details matter. And the small details will always involve something like a dial telephone. There are plenty of those around, with even Aldi selling one recently. But how about something with no dial?
Like the TA-68 telephones, for example. These space-age phones were used in the Soviet Union (and beyond) from the 1970s. Plenty of different retro shades (well, retro today) were available and you could get the phone with a dial, but more often, without one.
And it is the phones without a dial that most appeal. Produced for incoming calls only, if you got them wired for your country they would be amazing retro novelties that (hopefully) functioned for their original purpose. To get in touch with you. If you want to ring out, you can always use your mobile instead.
As I said, plenty available on eBay right now, with most coming from former Easter Bloc countries seemingly unused and still in their original boxes.
They all seem to have hover around the £30 mark (plus postage) if you fancy one and if you do, they should be an interesting talking point whether functioning or not.
