Vintage Things That Have Disappeared In Your Lifetime?

[1961MJS]

I remember my alpha-numeric telephone number when I was a kid. It rolled out sort of liek a song. By the time of the '60s, though, many of the alpha parts were just letters and not part of, or an abreviation for, a word or words. My prefix was RN3- . . . 'Hello, operator, get me Registered Nurse 3 - . . . '

Hi

I was going through our garage and found an old carpenter's apron from Bluffs (Illinois) hardware store. The phone number was "Phone Number 1". Not BE-0001, just "1". Dad remembered his base exchange phone number at Chanute Field and Mitchell field from 1941, and one was Terrance something. How old would that apron have to be? I gave it to the Bluffs National Bank since the owners of Bluffs Hardware had moved to Florida back in the 1980's.

Later

 

[Bob Beecher]

Banking the house. ....

Can't relate. Born in Hollywood, California. So was my dad, so even he has no stories of such things.

 

[LizzieMaine]

That number would have been on a manual exchange -- so it'd have to pre-date the introduction of dial service to your area. That might have been later than you think -- most small towns/small cities in the US didn't get dial service until the late fifties/early sixties.

The number for our gas station was "9" until we got dial service -- in 1957.

 

[Bob Beecher]

I don't remember THIS...

We could use this in our employee break room!

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I've got some items from a building we used to own, listing the number as '19' until somewhere in the 50's or 60's.

 

[TidiousTed]

We no longer have tire chains here, they popped in my mind when I saw all the snow this morning! lol

We even have several types of special winter tires

 

[C-dot]

I wasn't sorry, however, when party lines (at least in my neighborhood) disappeared.

My father wasn't sorry, either! He told me it would be very annoying when you would want to use the telephone, only to pick it up and hear someone else's conversation.

(When I asked what he would do, he said that placing the phone down would make an audible click on the line, and the other person would usually wrap up their conversation when they heard it. If they were still there when you checked in a few minutes, though, you would have to slam the phone down so they couldn't misunderstand!)

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Snow tires are a blessing.

We even have several types of special winter tires

 

[Pilotguy299]

gas station attendants that will check your oil and wash your windshields while you car is being gassed up.

 

[C-dot]

gas station attendants that will check your oil and wash your windshields while you car is being gassed up.

Or gas station attendants period! lol I would adore having them back, then I wouldn't have to fight with the cashier about the price on the gas pump vs. the computer.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Or gas station attendants period! lol I would adore having them back, then I wouldn't have to fight with the cashier about the price on the gas pump vs. the computer.

I thought know it all cashiers were an American product. I guess not.
There are stations that still have full service, but they are locally owned.
Dern C-Dot, it's too cold for them to come out and help you with your car.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

In these parts, the huge German influence that used to be a part of daily life, has dwindled down to practically nothing. In Milwaukee, most of the people in the old neighborhood were bilingual, speaking both German and English. A wedding didn't go by that didn't have a Polka band, either. Now, nobody seems to give a darn about their heritage.

 

[sheeplady]

In these parts, the huge German influence that used to be a part of daily life, has dwindled down to practically nothing. In Milwaukee, most of the people in the old neighborhood were bilingual, speaking both German and English. A wedding didn't go by that didn't have a Polka band, either. Now, nobody seems to give a darn about their heritage.

That is the one thing about the city I live in- there are festivals for almost every major culture that has settled here once a year. They draw traditional bands, dancers, and crafters and serve the most common "ethnic food" of that culture. And they don't charge admission, although they do fundraise for scholarships and charities. For example, there is a Greekfest, Latino Americanofest, Polishfest, Germanfest, Irishfest, Juneteenth (African American and Black), etc.

It's very common here to see a smaller flag of someone's nationality flying below the US flag, or displayed in a window.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Milwaukee still does German Fest and Polish Fest, I know. Those were always the big ones, as once-upon-a-time, the north side was German and the south side Polish.

 

[vitanola]

The Fairness Doctrine, which was once the keystone of our informed electorate, but which was found to be an inconvenience by some.

 

[C-dot]

Dern C-Dot, it's too cold for them to come out and help you with your car.

Careful, or I will regale you with stories of washer fluid freezing to my windshield

 

[Gregg Axley]

I've had that happen with regular fluid. I use Rain X washer fluid, but the best we can get is -35 rating.
Up there you get that by fall don't you?

 

[Stanley Doble]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned it but I remember when you could go into the hardware store and buy products in liquor bottles. The merchant would buy paint thinner, turpentine, linseed oil and the like in bulk . Then package it in recycled liquor bottles and paste a paper label on.

They must have put a stop to this in the sixties. I expect a lot of drunks were being poisoned when they mistook the wood alcohol or turps for Four Roses.

 

[Wally_Hood]

Now that Christmas is almost over, may I add one thing to the disappearing vintage things list? Wrapped Christmas presents. The trend these recent years to giving your presents in gift bags is a triumph of convenience over, well, tradition, I guess.

 

[jamespowers]

Now that Christmas is almost over, may I add one thing to the disappearing vintage things list? Wrapped Christmas presents. The trend these recent years to giving your presents in gift bags is a triumph of convenience over, well, tradition, I guess.

Just plain laziness as I see it. It takes ten minutes to wrap a present. However, in today's world, you are lucky to get a present in the first place---much less a wrapped one. I get roped into wrapping presents for my boss at work. I guess I do a better job so what the heck--I get paid by the hour.