Answering Machines

Telephones may be over 100 years old, but the really cool toys--like answering machines--are constantly new again. The electronics revolution has brought the price down and added new features that make answering machines so useful, they're almost a necessity. Tapes are gone, replaced by digital recordings. Caller ID now lets you decide to pick up or let the answering machine take it. New style answering machines are also much smaller, and some aren't even separate machines but part of the phone system.

Is a phone answering machine a necessity? For some, it is. Parents need phone messages from kids and vice versa. If a business has a telephone answering machine, it's almost like being open 24/7. Whether you have corded phones or cordless phones, one-line phones or multi-line phones, adding an answering machine is a smart business or personal investment. Power outages happen, phone lines get tied up, cell batteries need recharging; there are a hundred reasons why your friends and partners can't get to you right now. Those are the moments you need a phone answering machine. Think of it as insurance--you may never need it, but when you do, you are glad it's there. It's like Overstock.com--you can pay retail any time you want, but you'll happily pay up to 70 percent less.

While you're at it, don't just stop at an answering machine. Overstock.com's great discounts extend beyond home phones to cell phones, telephone accessories and telephone headsets. A phone shoulder rest makes a long chat that much more comfortable. If you expect a really long discussion, maybe a telephone head set is a better choice. If your hearing is not what it used to be, a telephone amplifier will make life a little more fun. Whatever your telephone needs, remember: Talk is cheap. So is buying at Overstock.com.