I miss answering machines. In the 90's, when I'd go thrifting with my buddies, I'd go to the used answering machine section and lift out all the tapes. Then I'd go to the used stereo section and grab a pair of used headphones and listen to them. It was an amazing experience every time -- you could learn a lot about who last owned an answering machine by the messages that were on their final tape. The best tapes I bought and turned into techno samples.

Then the flow of tape-based answering machines began to slow down to a trickle in the mid 90s, and the thrift stores wised up and began taking the tapes out of the answering machines before they put them on the shelves. Now I hardly ever see tape-based answering machines anymore, and thrifting has lost some of its lustre for me.

Hooray answering machines! Boo voicemail!