Let us know about your wish-list of retro and fun items through the comment section below or on our social media @GulfNewsGuides on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
1. Pager
Everyone born in the 90’s or before might have seen a pager. Originally used by doctors and healthcare professionals, the pager is best used when the message is short, urgent and does not rely on phone-lines and networks. You can send tone-only alerts, numeric messages or your number and text messages. The recipient can, depending on the type of pager, acknowledge receipt, send choice responses or even text messages.
Why we need this today
There is a lot of wasteful noise in the day-to-day hustle of life and smartphones add to this hubbub by giving us the constant pressure to be online and available. And in certain situations, it is not advisable to go off the grid. A pager would be a great alternative to be contacted in case of emergencies or important events while the recipient enjoys a vacation or needs a quiet work day.
Get the alphanumeric one which lets you get more out of the messages or the 1:7 or 1:5 ones which allow you to acknowledge receipt and send choice responses.
2. Polaroid
When first invented, the instant-prints became all the rage but the original Polaroid too had to give way for the more convenient and economic digital cameras that came later. The colour and contrast of these instant prints are still considered artistic and many photographers even use it for test shots. However, the Polaroid is making a comeback with its technology being integrated into digital devices including smartphones.
Why we need this today
The ease of using a phone-camera or even a simple digital camera can mar actual experiences with most people trying to record as much as possible and to what end? Polaroids with their expensive ink and prints, and the momentousness of each shot enable us to shrink our focus on those few candid yet perfect shots, printed and kept safe while we continue to enjoy the experience itself. This limiting factor can rein in our need to record everything with our phones.
Get the new smaller and digitalised versions for ease of use.
3. Sony Walkman/Discman
Walkman was a portable cassette player by Sony and they then used the name for some of their music experience-oriented smartphones as well. With batteries and now obsolete tape cassettes, these devices were as small as music players got at one time. Discman was first introduced by Sony in 1984 and played audio CD’s.
Why we need this today
Well, just because. It is an electronic retro relic and it is part of many people’s childhoods and quite a few adulthoods as well. The cassettes are harder to come by and may only be found in personal collections but the disc player would seem more useful to the modern listener.
4. Typewriter
There are elders who tell us millennials of how typewriters were noisy and clumsy but they miss them all the same. Electric typewriters were first produced in 1902, more than a century ago and the latest ones in 1980’s. The QWERTY keyboard used in these were carried forward to personal desktops and now laptops.
Why we need this today
All of us love our laptops and the ease of spellcheck and backspaces. But as a writer, having a typewriter can be the perfect solution to drown out distractions and focus on your script, your mistakes and the typing. It is a liberating process and while it is no substitute for a good spell-check and an omnipresent internet connection, an old-generation typewriter is a great asset to have – aesthetically or otherwise.
Get the electric ones by IBM such as Selectric as they may be easier to use and maintain.
5. Rotating Dial Phone
The rotating dials mark the earliest telephones of our time. Using electrical pulses to signify each number you dial these gave way for push-button dialing in the 1960’s. The rotary dial phones do not have the redial option.
Why we need this today
The value of a useful telephone with a retro value cannot be played down even a bit and who knows, 10 years hence you can auction it off at 100 times its price. It is a great vintage item to have in your home and can be a great conversation starter. Just get it already, you know you want to.
