72 Gadgets From The Past That Might Be Weird, Sometimes Uncomfortable – But Still Beautiful

Even if some of the gadgets on this list are not functional anymore and look more like they belong on the set of Doctor Who than in somebody's home, there's something about old electronics that seems sturdy, reliable, and long-lasting. Perhaps it's because we're so used to planned obsolescence in our devices and appliances that anything tougher immediately impresses us.

Statistics show that one in three people replace their smartphone before its time and while it's still fully functional. Sometimes, it’s psychological: people replace electronics too soon because they’re no longer trendy or because of aggressive marketing campaigns by manufacturers. Other times, planned obsolescence is economic: repairing the gadget is more expensive than just getting a new one.

Some old gadgets were simply easier to use. As Sydney Butler writes for How-To Geek, it’s easier to pop a DVD into a player than to navigate several streaming services. Sure, it might seem like you can watch almost anything if you’re paying for a streaming service, but consumers are learning that some movies and TV shows are hard to find on any streamer or might be removed altogether, while owning a DVD means you have that little disc for life.

Similarly, old-timey CRT TVs were small and uncool-looking, but they didn’t bombard us with unnecessary features like installing a VLC app and advertisements as soon as we turned them on. Making phone calls through apps is also putting us through unnecessary steps — once upon a time, punching in a number into a dial was enough.

Butler adds that many modern gadgets look alike, even if they’re made by different manufacturers. Electronics just don’t have a distinct style anymore, and when we look at retro electronics, they had way more personality. 

“Until I got my first smartphone, no two of my dumbphones had looked anything alike,” Butler writes. “I've owned a 34-inch Sony Trinitron CRT for a few months now, and every time I walk into my office in the morning I appreciate just how beautiful the design of this TV is.”

We might be used to things breaking down sooner and every phone looking like each other’s clone, but vintage gadgets provide a certain sense of comfort. Ryan Hamilton, associate professor of marketing at Goizueta Business School, foundin his research that people lean towards vintage shopping because they associate them with a sense of much-needed stability nowadays.

Objects that have survived several decades provide a certain sense of comfort and permanence just by the fact that they still exist and function. Psychologically, we find that grounding and calming. "I don’t want to overstate our findings. But it’s at least possible that the appeal of vintage for teenagers is bolstered by a sense of permanence and endurance that helps them during times of upheaval," Hamilton explained. 

What kind of retro gadgets are your favorites, Pandas? Do you own any old-timey electronics yourself? Even if it's a '90s cassette-tape player, a turntable, or a retro Game Boy, it still counts, so share your vintage gadgets with us in the comments! And if you'd like to see more cool retro objects, check out our previous publications about unbelievably amazing thrift store finds and ads for old-timey products that look quite odd today.