A friend recently asked if I knew where he could get a “vintage” Sony Walkman for his 14-year-old daughter’s Birthday. That’s all she wants, he said. Not an iPhone. Not a PlayStation. Not even a pony. She wants the same gadget I carried around when I was 14 — nearly 40 years ago.
Retro-tech is having a major moment. Transparent, see-through gadgets are coming back. Cassette tape sales have increased nearly 490% since 2015. Analog alarm clock sales are surging.
Everyone from Gen X to Gen Z can’t seem to get enough of the knob-twisting, boombox-carrying, cassette-tape-whirring reminiscences of those neon days gone by. Smartphone burnout and nostalgia are driving people back in time when it comes to their favorite gadgets for both comfort and curiosity.
“In an increasingly digital world, the magic of analog is really enchanting,” Adam Fuerst says over the phone.
Fuerst, along with his wife Kori, founded and now run a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based company called Retrospekt, where a team of technicians refurbish an array of old tech gadgets. This includes cassette players, gaming consoles, alarm clocks and various other fun blasts from the past. Their mission, Fuerst says, is to “give you a product with years of history that works like it was made yesterday.”
“We call ourselves ‘protectors of the obsolete,’” Fuerst adds with a smile in his voice. “I’m on my phone all day, and [using old-fashioned technology] is a way to step back and engage in a more tactile and deliberate experience. It’s comforting to uncouple from our smartphones and return to our human nature, using all our senses and being truly present with whatever we’re interacting with. That’s special, and I think it’s a healthy thing too.”
Apparently, a whole lot of people agree. What started as a side hustle when the Fuersts were finishing up grad school in 2010 has grown into a thriving business with 45 employees on a trajectory to “do just shy of hitting the 10 million mark,” Fuerst adds.
Rad retro tech I’m obsessed with right now
As a Gen X-er who was a teenager in the 1980s, I’m obsessed with anything that looks, sounds, tastes, smells or feels like a throwback to that time. Okay, maybe not the big hair or jelly shoes, but all things electronic whirligigs and thingamabobs take me right back to some of the raddest days gone by.
Here are some of my retro gadgets and trends I’m so obsessed with that I showed them off on the on the ‘Today Show‘.
Flip it, flip it good
Flip phones are all the rage these days, partly due to smartphone burnout. I’ve written quite a bit about the one quite a bit about the one I use on nights and weekends to reclaim my life from constant connection, but there are a few new collaborations worth seeing here, too.
HMD, the company that dropped the $130 Barbie Flip Phone earlier this year, recently unveiled The Boring Phone. They teamed up with Heineken and Boston creative firm Bodega to tap into the nostalgia with the catchy hook, “There’s more to social life when there’s less on your phone.”
Features include “no maps, no high-quality camera, no social media,” just good old blast-from-the-past retro vibes to help you connect with your friends over a cold one.
The Boring Phone website says they are only available through giveaways and for a limited time. If you’re lucky enough to get one, you can talk and text through 2G, 3G and 4G networks in the United States. Oh, and play Snake.
90s clear gear
Translucent tech is back in demand, too. See-through gadgets are more of a 90s throwback to a time when transparency, openness and letting people get a “peek under the hood” were important to gadget shoppers.
London-based tech company Nothing has a line of transparent phones and earbuds aimed at “removing barriers between people and technology,” according to the CEO.
Retrospekt makes the CP-81 Portable Cassette Player ($100), a Walkman-like cassette player with a see-through housing.
Gaming gadgets are going translucent, too. Xbox has a special edition Sky Cipher Wireless Controller ($70). Players can look through the transparent blue design into a silver interior with fancy metallic parts. You can also pick up a refurbished DualShock 4 Wireless controller for PS4 for around $50 from Amazon.
You can’t talk about retro tech without a mention of the Nintendo Game Boy ($150). There’s a clear version of that selling out faster than you can remember hiding under the covers for “just five more minutes of Tetris, Mom, GOSH!”
Let the music play
I got rid of the leg warmers long ago, but still have my old yellow Sports Sony Walkman from the 80s. I’m a little scared to use it, though, for fear it will eat my last remaining Flashdance cassette like a grumpy gremlin at an all-you-can-eat buffet after midnight.
Good thing this product just happens to be one of Retrospekt’s hottest gear rewinds. The site has an array of original and refurbished cassette players in just about every shape and color, including the Sony Walkman, with prices ranging from $150 to $1,200. All their cassette players come with batteries included and a pair of bright-orange on-ear headphones to complete the vibe. You can also buy cassette tapes at the site.
Boomboxes are making a comeback, too. Several companies, including JBL, Anker, Sony and Bumpboxx, make new Bluetooth versions of the old classics filling-rattling classics.
But those feel new. For a real blast from the past, check out something like the Riptunes Boombox ($80) on Amazon. It’s new too, but features the best from 1982, like an AM/FM radio, a built-in cassette player and a recorder. It also has a few modern touches, like Bluetooth connectivity, and it lets you record right onto your Micro SD/USB. The sound is “classic” stereo, and you’ll need to plug it in or add four D-size batteries too.
Oh, snap, the instant camera is back!
Like classic vinyl record players, instant cameras that print photos from your smartphone have been around for a while now. However, actual vintage instant cameras are getting hotter by the day.
The Polaroid 600 Supercolor 635 CL ($160) instant camera with a rainbow stripe is one of the most popular refurbished gadgets on Retrospekt, where techs spiff it up so it’s ready for another generation of selfies. All you need is a pack of Polaroid 600 film (sold separately) to experience instant photography at its grainy, soft-focus best.
I also found another “new” old camera on Amazon. The Kodak Reusable 35mm Film Camera ($50) looks like the iconic Instamatic from the 60s and 70s, but this one is made new to feel old with features like a pop-up flash that you have to put batteries in to use. You also have to load 35mm film into it. You can still get that old film developed at Walgreens, CVS and other common drugstores, just like in the “olden days.”
Ring the alarm!
There’s a run on retro alarm clocks as more people banish smartphones from the bedroom for better sleep. One of my favorites is the Twemco Analog Flip Alarm Clock ($95), straight out of 1968. I love the “click” sound it makes when the card numbers flip over. They are physical cards, not digital depictions. It’s battery-operated and tells you the date, too.
The alarm is quieter than I remember, and the sweet little “beep beeps” take me back to high school, playing snooze roulette until the very last minute.
Back to the future
What older gadget would you bring back if you could “McFly” back to the future?
Retrospekt’s Fuerst says we could see VHS, DVD and Blu-ray returning next. “There’s no interruptions, commercials, ads or endless streaming. Those [old media formats] have a clear beginning, middle and end. It’s nice to have a contained moment in time that you can control.”
For all the modern conveniences new technology offers, Fuerst says going back in time with more “deliberate” singular experiences helps many of us “feel a little more human again.”
JenniferJolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air contributor for “The Today Show.” The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected].
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