Offices today run on laptops, emails, and cloud storage, but it wasn’t always that way. We asked a few people who’ve been around office life for decades, and they laughed while remembering the supplies they once used every single day. From typewriter ribbons to pink message pads, these everyday essentials have pretty much vanished, leaving younger workers with no idea they ever existed.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Typewriter ribbons
Offices used to have typewriters before computers took over. If the ink dried up or ran out, work would grind to a halt until a new ribbon was installed. Now they’re gone for good with the rise of word processors.
Rolodex
Every desk used to have a Rolodex stuffed with business cards and phone numbers. Rolodexes were the ultimate address book before computer and smartphone storage. Most younger workers have never seen one in real life.
Carbon paper
Making a copy meant sliding a sheet of carbon paper between two pages of paper. The process was messy, smudgy, and never came out clean. But it was the only way to duplicate something quickly. Photocopiers and scanners eliminated this supply entirely.
Dictation machines
Bosses would record memos on handheld dictation machines. Secretaries would later transcribe the recorded tapes. The tapes could jam or wear out, and rewinding was a pain. Smartphones and voice-to-text overtook them.
White-out (liquid paper)
Every office had bottles of white correction fluid to cover up typos and mistakes. The smell was potent, it left clumpy patches, and it was annoying to wait for it to dry. With the computer and “backspace,” it’s nearly extinct.
Fax cover sheets
Faxing used to mean writing or printing a cover sheet along with the documents. Employees kept entire pads of these ready to use by the fax machine. Now email has taken over and they’re completely irrelevant.
Filing cabinets stuffed with manila folders
Rows of filing cabinets used to be the backbone of office storage. Employees had to hunt through the folders to find one document. Cloud storage is making those big metal cabinets nearly obsolete.
Hole punch reinforcement stickers
Paper documents for binders often tore around the holes, so offices kept little circular stickers to reinforce them. Workers would sit at their desks, patching pages one by one. Now, with less paper filing, these stickers are almost extinct.
Overhead projector transparencies
Meetings and presentations were done with overhead projectors and clear plastic sheets. Folks would scribble on them with markers or stack multiple layers for effects. PowerPoint and digital projectors ended that era.
Message pads (pink “while you were out” notes)
Receptionists used to write phone messages on pink pads and place them on people’s desks. Entire office communication systems were built on these slips of paper. Now we have IM, texting, and email.
Rubber stamp date markers
Every office had a chunky rubber date stamp to mark incoming mail or documents. Workers would slap papers with the day’s date as part of routine filing. Scanned digital records have made them practically disappear.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us.
