Why are printed phone books still made? I passed by my mailbox yesterday and saw stacks and stacks of unclaimed printed phone books lying next to where the mailboxes are for my townhome complex.

It just seems like a massive waste of resources and time to me when you consider that the vast majority of people now just use the internet to find an address or phone number.

Yepe. Some places have an opt-in policy to them, you don't get it if you don't ask for it.

Still, I feel like the Yellow Pages is the last part of the phone book that still remains somewhat relevant.

They should at least do a mail out to business/private and ask if people really want one. No reply, no yellow pages. Save some dosh. I haven't looked in or seen one for a long time. Everyone has a phone these days so what's the need really? Seems a massive waste of money.

I keep the yellow pages around and use them Guess I'm a dinosaur

they also make fantastic door stops

LOL!! Yes they do.

It's what you use to adjust the height of monitors, of course.



The Jedi Master

Many of the businesses listed in the yellow pages do not have websites and this
about the only way they advertise yet. Yep, lots of dinosaurs out there yet.
I am just glad we don`t live in a big city where they drop off phone books that
are 600 pages. Used them for booster chairs for my son when he was little when
visiting family.

The internet doesn't show everything. Also, internet searches let you find "known unknowns" (e.g. you need to know what you're looking for in the first place). When you don't know what shops are in the vicinity at all, a catalog - and that's what yellow pages are - still has its place.

They are essential to show your prowess and strength by splitting them with your bare hands.


I don't even own a landline, and I get one every year on my mailbox, which diligently goes directly to the recycle bin.


I have not used a phone book of any kind in probably 20 years.

Owning a small business, one had to advertise in YP to compete. The rates were ridiculous, especially if one needed to cover more than one's local area. Glad to see the back of them personally. Here in U.K. they are now a tiny tome compared to what they were before t'interwebs.

Listening to you guys I guess I really am behind the times. I still use phone books almost daily. I hate trying to find area businesses on the internet. At least in my area that usually just leaves me frustrated. Now looking for a big company, like Lowe's or something in another town, those aren't too bad. It's just that small mom and pop type businesses don't do much advertising by internet as a rule. I know I don't with my side-business.

I actually used to make extra cash in high school delivering them. I remember loading up my parents station wagon (1972 Grand Torino, olive drab, vinyl seats) and going house to house. I don't think that's done anywhere now. It sure was a good workout.

Well, the Yellow Pages publisher in your area would have a website where you can search the same content as the printed version, so that's where I get my local small business contact info (on the rare cases they don't have a website).

I can see them still of use if you live in an isolated region with only landline availability, or very bad cellular signal.

I remember as a boy the Dallas phone books had great lineart cover illustrations. I used to enjoy looking at those covers, hunting odd little details the artist had drawn in there.

A page about the artist:
http://russellcushmanart.blogspot.com/2016/04/texas-most-loved-artist-ever.html