Retro Gadget Gifts
By David Pescovitz (from Boing Boing) on November 30, 2011
In my last post about the allure of retro audio gear, I quoted yard sale craphound Mister Jalopy who once said that he doesn't like a vintage item just because it's old, he likes it because it's better. Personally, I love receiving old things as gifts. Used books. Thriftstore records. Vintage clothes. They're almost always more unique and have a patina of history about them that shrink-wrapped gewgaws don't. And they also show that the gifter knows me well enough to be certain I wouldn't be the slightest bit offended (rather the opposite) about receiving something that's "used." Old things have a patina of history -- a story to them. And there's no better gift than a good story, especially when it's disguised as a piece of obsolete technology. So with that in mind, here are five suggestions for retro gadget gifts:
• Rotary TelephoneThe majority of my friends set their iPhone with the "Old Phone" ring. Nothing beats a real mechanical bell though. Score a classic 1950s-1970s Model #500 Rotary Desk Telephone from the Bold Old Phone Company. I prefer black, but fancier folks may covet the moss green, ivory, or light pink.
• Handheld Electronic Game
The only sport I've ever excelled at is Coleco's Electronic Quarterback, a 1978 handheld electronic game where the aim was to tackle a flashing red LED. Of course, Electronic Quarterback was only one of many similar games that siblings fought over in that era. Other classics included Mattel's Ski Slalom and Baseball, Microvision (the first handheld console with cartridges) and, of course, Simon, which was launched in 1978 at the famous Studio 54 disco in New York City. Before hitting eBay, study your history at the Electronic Handheld Game Museum.
The only sport I've ever excelled at is Coleco's Electronic Quarterback, a 1978 handheld electronic game where the aim was to tackle a flashing red LED. Of course, Electronic Quarterback was only one of many similar games that siblings fought over in that era. Other classics included Mattel's Ski Slalom and Baseball, Microvision (the first handheld console with cartridges) and, of course, Simon, which was launched in 1978 at the famous Studio 54 disco in New York City. Before hitting eBay, study your history at the Electronic Handheld Game Museum.
• 1970s Stereo System
Before the black boxification of stereo equipment and brands like McIntosh, Empire, Dual, Marantz, and Thorens reigned supreme. For a guide to the online rabbit holes of vintage audio, check my previous My Life Scoop post, Retro Audio.
• Instamatic Camera
Think of it as an, er, analog version of the iPhone Hipstamatic app. First introduced in 1963, these Kodak cameras took easy-to-load 126 or 110 format film cartridges. The film is still in (limited) production and can easily be developed using the standard C-41 process chemistry. Check your parents' desk drawers or hit eBay. Plenty of details on every model available at Camerapedia.
Think of it as an, er, analog version of the iPhone Hipstamatic app. First introduced in 1963, these Kodak cameras took easy-to-load 126 or 110 format film cartridges. The film is still in (limited) production and can easily be developed using the standard C-41 process chemistry. Check your parents' desk drawers or hit eBay. Plenty of details on every model available at Camerapedia.
• Vintage Synthesizers
From portable Casio mini-keyboards to classics pro instruments like the Yamaha DX-7s, solid and fun vintage synthesizers from the 1980s can be picked up for tens or a few hundreds of dollars. Check garage sales, thrift stores, and even pawn shops before hitting eBay where sellers may have an inflated sense of the item's value. Visit the Synthmuseum and make your wish list. And if you are an aging New Waver who happens to have a Moog Liberation keytar collecting dust in your attic, now is the time to plug back in.
See more stories from Boing Boing:
Questioning Art: New Installation About InquiryCitizen Science: Feed Your Curiosity
Essential Tools To Make Movies With Your DSLR
Boing Boing is a pioneering blog that offers an eclectic blend of of tech culture, gadgets, entertainment, business, and more -- a "geek's eye view" on the world. Original feature reporting from some of the most-respected technology writers today and original Boing Boing Video episodes have made Boing Boing an Internet mainstay. As co-editor of Boing Boing, David Pescovitz is a collector of online anomalies, esoterica, and curiosities. He is also a research director at Institute for the Future.
Comments