There’s plenty of new features to enjoy in the latest Stardew Valley 1.5 update. Not only was an entirely new island added for late-game players, but all-new quests and rewards were added to improve quality of life dramatically. One such helpful item is the Telephone, which is primarily used to check store hours and inventory without having to go to the store itself.
A home telephone seems almost outdated compared to the technology players have in real life, but the Telephone really fits right in with the old, picturesque farming life that Stardew Valley offers. There are more interesting aspects of the Telephone besides store inventory, so let’s check it out in detail.
How to Obtain The Phone
Getting a Telephone in your farmhouse is actually quite easy compared to some other items introduced in update 1.5, particularly the Special Board rewards. The Telephone is available to purchase from Robin’s Carpentry Shop for 2,000 gold and does not need to be unlocked, making it crucially useful during the early game.
Calls The Player Can Make
The Player can make calls at any time to the merchants of Pelican Town: Robin, Clint, Pierre, Marnie, Gus, and Marlon. Calling all the town merchants will provide you with their hours. If their shop is closed, you will hear a prerecorded message on their answering machine stating their hours of operation. If you do manage to get them on the line, they can offer a few other helpful nuggets of wisdom.
Robin will show you store inventory and tell you the available building upgrades and their costs. Pierre and Clint will also provide their hours, but Pierre shows store inventory while Clint details the cost of tool repairs. Marnie gives hours and livestock prices, and Gus will tell you his hours and the dish of the day at the Saloon.
Finally, calling Marlon provides perhaps the most useful service of them all: you can request the Item Recovery Service over the phone and pick up the items later. You’ll only get his number after completing the Monster Eradication Goal of Magma Sprites and Magma Sparkers, though.
Calls The Player Can Receive
If you’re lucky, you can receive a random call when entering your farmhouse. Some of them are from friends in the valley, while others are robo-calls or unknown numbers. Sometimes Mayor Lewis will fall to check up on the player, while other times they receive a cute call from Vincent. Other players have received a phone call from Hat Mouse prompting his wares, while others may get a foreign call in a language they can’t comprehend.
Most interesting is the call players can receive after forsaking their children and turning them into Doves. It is extremely creepy and unsettling, but barely a consequence for turning children into Doves. Just enough to make you feel bad.
Overall, the phone is worth having if you find yourself forgetting store hours or not wanting to check inventory in person. For 2,000 gold it’s a great addition to your farmhouse.