Retro Communicators Mugs

'You actually took a pen and wrote a letter? Doesn't that, like, screw up your hand or something?'

"Before texting we had to write letters by hand, and before emojis we honestly just bottled up our emotions."

'This is a letter opener, from the days before faxes and email. I just sold it online after I listed it as a vintage communication device.'

"My Gmail account is full. I can't get any more email." "So?" "I'll miss email. It was so old-timey. You could write hundreds or even thousands of words, with actual paragraphs." "People didn't see any little animations to show them you were typing. They had to actually wonder if you were going to reply." "And the spam was fun. You never got to hear from Nigerian princes while you're checking your texts." "Just delete stuff." "If you delete a few gigs of old emails, you'll be able to get n

Boombox

Before social media there was sticky notes.

"But if I don't learn handwriting, how will I be able to read Grandma's letters?"

1876 - Alexander Graham Bell made the world's first telephone call.

Beachcomber sees that smartphone displays 'message in a bottle.'

'With government cyber snooping, we must communicate through channels no one would ever suspect...the postal service.'

'That's funny - the computer said we had mail..'

"Operator, I'd like to make a person-to-person call, and I'd like to reverse the roles."

Next Year's Postal Service Marketing Campaign.

"I'm well aware that your e-mail isn't working. I got your first message."

"When I was a boy, I had to walk five miles through the snow to change the channel."

'It's just like e-mail, only you hear people talking.'

'Don't you dare to burn the food because you're texting with your buddies!'

"That's not an email, so you don't have to worry about it containing a virus. It's a birthday card from Nana."

A.T.&T.'s New Competitors

1804: Early Social Networking

"You know I hate when you check your messages at the table."

'How come no one ever sends me a fax?'

John's Early Attempts at Direct Messaging Proved Futile.

"We're actually gossiping at a water cooler instead of on social media. Does this make us hipsters?"

'Smoke signals, sign language, bird calls. . . enough of the social networking!!!'

"This is what I did on my summer vacation....please hold your questions till the end."

"Don't bother talking to your grandfather. He's unplugged himself."

"Think I'll take pen and paper and write a letter...just to see if I remember how."

Text Smoke Signal.

'Letters, letters, letters - why can't you learn to text?'