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50 Vintage Things That Were Cool Back In The Day, But Now Look Odd
Interview With Author
While it’s true that most of the things we have now are very technologically impressive, there is just something downright cool about how stuff was made in the past. All those design tendencies that never took off, wood and leather. It can be fun to appreciate the sensibilities of designers from back in the day.
The “Little Slice of Vintage Life” Facebook group is dedicated to sharing pictures of cool, old things. We also got in touch with the page's creator and admin to learn more. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, dust off a typewriter and be sure to add your own thoughts to the comments below.
More info: Facebook
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Spirograph Was Something I Could Play With For Hours
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#2
Sometimes The Best Ideas Don't Need To Change
#3
In The Products We Don't Use Much Anymore Category, Gummed Reinforcements To Fix Ripped Holes In Notebook Paper
Sally Moen 5 months ago
I used these for many years working as a file clerk. They had a certain yucky taste. And there are preglued, clear reinforcement circles, they peel off of a sheet, that are tougher and hold up better
Rick Murray 5 months ago
I use plastic pockets. Got sick of all the faff with putting these in place.
Gracie Jay 5 months ago
Yep, still sold at office supply store. We still used them in the last office I worked.
Rachel Reynolds 5 months ago
These were on the supply list for my High Schooler. We bought them and they did not get used.
Gracie Mae 4 months ago (edited)
I still use 'paper buttholes' - and recently! they don't stick as well as they used to
Huddo's sister 5 months ago
I don't know if it's just because they had been in the cupboard too long but I could never get them to stick properly.
Aileen Grist 5 months ago
also very useful for doing the white part of French nails. Just cut in half and stick to nail just below where you want the white to finish - and voila - no over runs
Foxglove🇮🇪 5 months ago
The ones with little strings between the two layers were so much stronger than the plain paper ones
Lady Eowyn 5 months ago
Self-stick these days. Easy to find at Staples, probably Amazon & other places. reinforcem...7bfa9d.jpg 
Bored Trash Panda 5 months ago
You could use them to fix also, like if you ripped a piece of paper out of a notebook but still needed the hole in it for a binder. You just put one on the top and bottom of the ripped hole and it fixed it.
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Bored Panda got in touch with the creator and administrator of “A Little Slice of Vintage Life” and she was kind enough to share some more details with us. Since its creation in 2010, it’s amassed hundreds of thousands of followers, but we were curious to hear why she decided to create a group in the first place.
“I started my page over 13 years ago as a fun pastime because I loved vintage stuff. I grew up in Hollywood and my parents were make up artists but they also owned an antique store and that fostered my love for old stuff.”
#4
The Frigidaire Flair Range By General Motors In Aqua With Matching Fridge
#5
I Suddenly Feel The Need To Practice My Printing
#6
This Was The Jungle Gym We Had At My Elementary School
Sally Moen 5 months ago
That was the little kids' section at my elementary school. The monkey bars were taller and more challenging in the bigger kids section, and produced more palm blisters from hanging onto bare metal surfaces
Given the size of its viewership, we wanted to know more about how she manages to select what content to post. “My main focus for the page is to not post things that can be controversial (I follow enough other pages to see what gets people into a lather) and nothing political, even though I am very passionate about my political views, I don't want it on my page.”
#7
1975 Chrysler Imperial Front Seat. When Cars Came With A Living Room Couch
#8
Pull Down Maps Used To Be In All The Classrooms
Tucker Cahooter 5 months ago
What's that big blue bit at the bottom? I can't quite read it...does it say "Gulf of...Mexico?"
#9
The Pokey Little Puppy Golden Book A Childhood Staple
Karen Mercury 5 months ago
I gave one to my niece about 15 years ago. It looks exactly the same!
We were also curious to hear her thoughts on why the page ended up gathering so many followers. “I just want people to enjoy a walk down memory lane and give them some joy in remembering fun things about the past. I also work very hard on keeping the spammers and trolls (people who want my followers to send them friend requests) off my page by blocking certain words so their comments never get seen.”
#10
Just A Basic Tricycle, But It Brings Back Memories!
Sally Moen 5 months ago
The bench on the rear wheels are for a 2nd person to ride, standing there and holding onto the shoulders of the driver. Really fun as you drifted down a hill
#11
Tupperware 2 Quart Drink Container, I Know My Grandma Always Had One In The Fridge
#12
Teeter Totters Were Great Until Your Friend Jumped Off And You Slammed Your Rear Into The Ground
#13
Chinese Checkers Were A Weekend Favorite
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
"Do you have Chinese Checkers?" "No, but we *do* have a few Russian Inspectors!"
#14
I Had No Idea There Were So Many Different Types Of 45 Record Adapters
#15
We Had The Exact Ice Cube As The One On Top. You Had To Be A Body Builder To Crack It Open If It Was Really Full
#16
Scholl Exercise Sandals. They Always Hurt My Feet But I Know A Lot Of Ladies Loved Them
#17
Easy Bake Oven. One Of The Toys I Wanted So Badly But Never Got As A Kid
#18
The Lunch Counter At Woolworths
#19
Frosted Bar Glasses With Gold Accents
#20
Back When Fast Food Places Had Ashtrays
#21
1930sapartment Size Jadeite Enamel Kitchen Electric Stove And Oven
#22
Until I Found This Picture, I Didn't Realize Other People Had The Same Measuring Spoon Set That I Grew Up With
Boop the Snoot. Pound the Paw. 5 months ago
I have two of these in my kitchen drawer rt now...
#23
Clairol Herbal Essence Shampoo. This Was Some Of The Best Smelling Stuff!
Cindy Brick 5 months ago
LOVED this stuff. Got more compliments about nice-smelling hair when I used it, too. The new version just isn't the same.
#24
These Made Eating Corn On The Cob Even More Fun
#25
If You Had A Crock Pot Back In The 70s, It Was Very Likely This Rival In Avocado Green
Sally Moen 5 months ago
Before Instapot, before Air Fryers, this was the convenient kitchen appliance.
#26
We Had A Dustpan Like This. It Fit On The End Of The Broom
Sally Moen 5 months ago
These are much more efficient for sweeping than the plastic versions sold today. You can find them in thrift stores and vintage stores
#27
Diving Lady Neon Sign For The Starlite Motel Mesa Az. I Imagine This Must Have Looked Cool Lit Up At Night
#28
Trouble I Can Still Feel What It Was Like Pushing Down The Dice Dome
#29
Mousetrap! I Loved Playing This!
primeline31 5 months ago
It was more fun to put the trap together and roll the ball bearing down into the cup than it was to actually play the game.
#30
Play Wigs. I Always Wondered What They Looked Like On, And Then I Found These Little Girls Wearing Them
#31
The Barbie Camper That Used To Take Road Trips In The Backyard
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
Wow! Clearly patterned after the GM Motor Home, which was actually a pretty advanced design for the times!
#32
Did Anyone Ever Live A House With These Antique Light Switches?
Apparently they were first introduced before 1900 but some stayed in use until the 40s. I seem to remember having a set in some house but can't remember where
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
Oh, heck, YES! We had a couple of those in the 'new' section of our farmhouse (added in the 1930s, about 100 years after the main section of the house was built)!
#33
Mastermind
#34
Late 1970s Grocery Store Checkout With The "Scan Master". Nothing But Brown Paper Bags
Duane Ringlein 5 months ago
Back in the day, needed those brown paper bags to cover your school books, a ritual at the begining of the school year.
#35
Green Stamps And The Machine That Spit Them Out
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
Everyone remembers S&H Green Stamps, but *very* few people remember "Plaid Stamps". We collected them both.
#36
An Amc Gremlin Was A Prize On The Price Is Right In 1974
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
Neat! I always loved the Gremlin. A lot of fun, if you chose the options carefully. But the picture is the '73. for 1974, the stripes were changed to the 'hockey stick' design. (This cheesed me off when I got my '74. I preferred the '73 stripes.) Gremlin-X-...e48b94.jpg 
#37
1976 Saturday Morning TV Guide
#38
Tupperware Mix-N-Stor
Sally Moen 5 months ago
Not that helpful for measuring water, but a wonder when mixing up a family's amount of pancake batter
#39
Gentlemen. Are You Going Out Tonight? Jcpenney Has Just The Fashions To Attract Those Ladies You Are Wanting To Impress And Don't Forget To Top It Off With A Jaunty, Single Feather Hat
#40
I Still Have A Box Of My Childhood Marbles (I Haven't Lost All Of Them Yet)
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
We used to have a lunch box-sized box of marbles up in our attic. To keep me from getting into them when I was way too young, my parents told me that the box had dynamite in it. Looking back on it, it seems remarkable that they had that much faith in my common sense and ability to be well-behaved.
#41
Mister Merry's Play Lighter. Perfect Of Baby's First Cigarette!
#42
My Mom Was Not A Fan Of Me Stomping Around The House On These
Sally Moen 5 months ago
Stomping around the house? No. I had a great proficiency walking around on stilts. Came in handy years later in hiking in the mountains, rapelling etc
#43
I Had A Little Metal Cash Register Just Like This
#44
There Was A Park That My Dad Used To Take Me To That Had This Slide
Sally Moen 5 months ago
We went to play at a park with similar slide, and the park was given a name to reflect its space theme: Astro Park. Big name for a rocket ship slide and some swings, nothing else
#45
GE Giant Screen TV With Integrated VCR From 1978 These Weighed In At Over 350 Pounds
Rachel Reynolds 5 months ago
Say what you will, but no one ever had their tv stolen back then.
#46
I Had The Can Of Tinkertoys On The Left
Bill Swallow 5 months ago (edited)
Ours was the can on the right. Amazing that they were able to make a lid that screwed on to threads pressed into cardboard work as well as it did.
#47
Everything Back In The 80s Needed A Ruffle Even A Denim Skirt
#48
I Remember Having A Pair Of These And Not Liking How Many Buttons I Had To Fool With Every Time I Used The Bathroom
#49
I Didn't Realize Twiggy Had So Many Different Products
Sally Moen 5 months ago
Something to add onto the list of things children do not play with anymore, but were popular with children then, is Paper Dolls. First you have a cut-out picture (the doll) of a model, or a baby, or a girl, and her clothing is plain, or she's just wearing undergarments. The kit would include precut clothes to hang onto the doll's shoulders with paper flaps that folded over. Some kits you could draw or paint clothes for the doll. Later there was a computer game, same idea. Remember in the movie Clueless, when Cher is deciding what clothes to wear? The concept origins was in these paper dolls.
#50
The 1960 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Motorama Car With An In-Dash TV
#51
The Standard School Water Fountain
#52
Remember These Little Tupperware Mini Bowl Keychains? I Had One And Thought It Was So Adorable
primeline31 5 months ago
This was a prize given out by the Tupperware lady when playing games at the in-home Tupperware parties.
#53
I Loved Bubble Yum Because It Was So Soft
#54
Bench Seats. When Someone Could Tell You Get In And Slide Over
Rebecca O’Donnell 5 months ago (edited)
Sometimes I really miss these. You could have so much on the seat within arm’s reach.
#55
We Had A Pile Of These Towels In The Linen Closet
#56
My Cousins Had At Least 2 Beanbag Ashtrays On The Coffee Table At All Times
#57
Plastic Baby Pants For Covering Up Cloth Diapers
#58
The Sno Cone Machine We All Wanted
primeline31 5 months ago
These looked like more fun than they were. You had to put your own ice cubes in the top and manually turn the handle to shave the ice. It was too much work for too little ice & the circular grater kept getting caught on the square ice cube edges. Then the syrup ran out and there weren't any replacements. Planned obsolescence.
#59
If I Didn't Ride The Horse, Then I Wanted To Ride The Rocket When We Went To The Market
Sally Moen 5 months ago
25 cents. And they played a sound, either a song or sound-effects. Funny how saturated the market was with these, they were as ubitiquitous as public phone booths. Now it's rare to see a horsey ride
#60
Massaging Bed Machine Available In Select Hotels 25¢ For Fifteen Minutes
#61
An Old Apartment Sized Stove, Sink And Fridge All In One
Debby Keir 5 months ago
OMG - how much energy it must have used - heating rings on top of something trying to keep stuff cold - probably an asbestos layer between....
#62
Standard 1970s Wicker Baby Bassinet
#63
Bamboo Flip Flops With These Big Fluffy Tops Were Quite Popular Back In The 70s
Sally Moen 5 months ago
No, they weren't well-made. The straw came undone from the edging, and would poke your feet.
#64
Ker Plunk. So Much Fun, But So Much Work To Get It Ready To Play
#65
The Datsun B210. We Had A Neighbor Who Had The Hatchback Datsun Turned Into Nissan Sometime In The Early 80s
Secret Squirrel 5 months ago
I had a hand-me-down white hatchback 210 in the 90's. That was a tough little car.
#66
And For Our Happy Disney Sunday We've Got Avons Small World Collection
#67
Liquid Paper. I Used To Go Through A Bottle Of This Every School Year
primeline31 5 months ago
Michael Nesmith of the group "The Monkees" invented this! She was not a great typist but being a single mom, couldn't afford to lose her job as a typist, so she put white paint in an empty nail polish bottle.
#68
I Had These Barrettes And Kept Them For So Long That The Gold Tone Finish Wore Off
#69
When Ashtrays On The Back Of Seats Were A Thing Don't Get That Burning Tip Too Close To The Upholstery
Sally Moen 5 months ago
"Get out there and empty all the ashtrays in the car, and don't forget the ones behind the seats!"
#70
I Seem To Remember That The Cool Kids Had These On Their Bikes
#71
An Alarm Clock With A Little Dancing Ballerina
#72
Funny Face Drink Mixes
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
Ad is from after they rebranded 'Injun Orange' and 'Chinese Cherry'.
#73
I Still Have My Little Red Hen Golden Book
#74
Heaven Scent Perfume By Helena Rubinstein I Think My Mom Had Some Of This
#75
Sculptured Carpet, With Toilet Seats Covers To Match
#76
1973 Fashion For Brides
#77
Hard Bonnet Hair Dryer From The 60s. My Mom Had One But Rarely Used It
Lupita Nyong'heaux 5 months ago
i had one of these as recently as 2008. i only got rid of it because i locked my hair. my sister might still have hers.
#78
Old Fashioned Car Radios
Sally Moen 5 months ago
You pulled out the station button, turned the know to the radio station you wanted, then pushed the button in. That was your quick station selector now
#79
1957 Ad For Schiaparelli Glasses
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
... So THAT's where Gary Larson's "Far Side" ladies get their glasses!
#80
I Could Have Used This As A Body Wash Since I Was Both Short And Sassy
#81
The Last Straw
So many games from my childhood that required breathless anticipation of whether or not the whole thing was going to explode
#82
Old Gerber Baby Dessert Called Blueberry Buckle Discontinued Because They Deemed It Too High In Sugar I Bet It Tasted Pretty Good!
Emma London 5 months ago
For those who wonder, blueberry buckle is a moist cake with a streusel topping, supposedly made with fresh blueberries. It's often described as a cross between a coffee cake and a fruit cobbler.
#83
Lucille Ball In An Ad For Royal Crown Cola In 1946
#84
Always Wanted A Canopy Bed!
#85
I Have Questions
#86
Not Sure Refreshing Is The Word I Would Use, But Ok
Gonna be HOT this weekend!
Cool off w a BEEF FIZZ!
SO REFRESHING...
#87
The Days Of Pink Rotary Dial Phones Are Sadly Gone
primeline31 5 months ago
They were easy to hold between your head and shoulder, had heft to them and you got satisfaction from slamming them down when angry.
#88
Houses And Apartments Used To Have Built In Telephone Shelves With Shelf For A Phone Book Underneath
#89
If Grandpa Suddenly Got Trapped In A Little Kid Body, He Would Show Up To Kindergarten Wearing One Of These
#90
Solo Cozy Cups. My Dad Always Had These In His Make-Up Room At The Studio. I Used To Get Water In Them
#91
1970s Baby Walker
#92
Vintage Aluminum Measuring Cups
#93
Getting Your Picture Taken On A Pony Was A Big Thing
Duane Ringlein 5 months ago
Growing up in the 50s every summer a guy would come around the neighborhood with his pony too see if anyone wanted a picture on one.
#94
Hands Down Was A Great Weekend Game At My Best Friends House
#95
I Had A Wicker Purse Similar To This One Back In The 70s
Smeghead Tribble Down Under 5 months ago
The Sophia Petrillo handbag, security blanket, and black hole all rolled into one.
#96
Lunch Time At McDonald's In 1959! And At These Prices I Can Buy Something For Everybody!
#97
1970s Sears Ad Time For Summer Yard Work!
#98
Nutone Built In House Intercom
I thought these were unbelievably cool since you could talk to someone upstairs when you were downstairs
#99
Be Kind, Please Rewind. Back When You Bought A Tape Rewinder So You Wouldn't Put Extra Wear On Your VCR
#102
Electric Football. I Never Played This, Never Even Knew How It Worked, But For Some Reason I Was Fascinated With It
#103
Original Pair Of Beatles Wing Ding Sneakers From 1964
#104
Sears Fashions Early 80s. I Remember Those Corduroy Bottoms And Even Had One In This Color
Sally Moen 5 months ago
Added benefit: they could hear you coming from a distance when you wore your corduroy pants. Swish-swish
#105
Who Doesn't Want Good Smelling Hair?
Sally Moen 5 months ago
Ah, the good old days, when it was ok to go around smelling your classmates' hair
#106
A 1970 Ford Aurora II Country Squire Woody Station Wagon With Center Opening S**cide Doors And No B Pillar On The Passenger's Side. With A Swiveling Front Passenger's Seat
#107
Old School Wash Basin With The Foot Pedal To Turn The Water On
Sally Moen 5 months ago
With the powdered soap. Wet your hands first, then get the soap, rub your hands together to get lather, then rinse.
#108
Lucky Locket Kiddles
#109
If You Didn't Have A Washing Machine At Home You Could Go To This Laundromat In Fort Worth, Texas
#110
Baby Doll Pajamas
#111
My Mom Used Tussy
#112
I Had This Raggedy Ann Colorforms Play Set
#113
Glass Wax
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
Oh Dear LORD - GLASS WAX! We had several sets of stencils cut into very heavy waxed paper, showing Christmas scenes and decorations. Every Christmas, we'd set up a series of small glass dessert bowls, each with a small amount of Glass Wax, with a different color of food coloring mixed in, and we'd all get to work. Using small chunks of dampened sponges, every window and mirror in the house had snowmen, snowflakes, Christmas trees, Santa's sleighs, nativity scenes, you name it, daubed onto them in pastel-colored Glass Wax. And after the holidays, cleanup was just a damp rag or paper towel. A memory of fun and wonder from my childhood, now so long ago that looking back is almost painful.
#114
Early 70s Voice Of The Mummy
#115
"Someday, Maybe Sooner Than You Think, You Will Be Busy Fitting Out Your Rocket For Week-End Trips Into Space". Paint Ad From 1962
#117
Another Offering From The "Mantique" Collection I'm Going To Give These Nipple Ring Shirts A Hard Pass
#118
Gimbels Ad For Dogpatch Denims In 1952
Bill Swallow 5 months ago
Ad is complete with a couple of 'Shmoos' - the original All-Purpose Animal!
#119
Radio Shack Caller ID
Mary Hiers 5 months ago
Caller ID was an absolute game-changer! I gladly added it to my phone service as soon as it became available.
#120
Looking Something Nice And Cool For Your Summer Sunday Dinner? I Think Ring Around The Tuna (Complete With Radish Roses) Will Just Fit The Bill
Secret Squirrel 5 months ago
Go to Facebook or Instagram and watch the lady that makes "Minnesota Salads that aren't really salads." She is at her most-hilarious when she makes truly heinous stuff with jello, cottage cheese, celery, etc.
#121
I Think I Still Have My Drowsy Doll Her Voice Box Lasted A Long Time If I Remember Correctly
#122
Orange Juice Concentrate From The 50s That Wasn't Frozen
#123
Celery And Mixed Vegetable Jell-O
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Rebecca O’Donnell 5 months ago
Loved, loved, loved this post. Brought back so many memories and it was really neat seeing the Bored Pandas that remembered all this as well.
Princess Possum 5 months ago
A lot of these games are still around. I bought them for my kids. Same thing with the Little Golden Books.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
Very American. Other side of the ocean we had different things. My neighbour was very proud of her Sindy (Cindy?) doll, which was for a while more popular than Barbie because it was aimed to look more like a real girl rather than the...uh... idealised anatomy of a Barbie. Oh, and for a time in the mid 80s pixie boots were *everywhere*. No idea why. And let's not forget the delights of Hornby. Out of the price range my parents would be happy with, but a different neighbour (a retired gent) lived alone so he converted his dining room into this epic landscape. And being Brits, ZX Spectrum vs BBC Micro. I was firmly on the side of the tree nut - procedural BASIC *and* built-in assembler? 🥰
Andrew Burke 5 months ago (edited)
Every time I see one of these nostalgia posts, I go through it checking them off: "Yup, had that exact one!", "Yup, had that exact one!", "Yup, had that exact one!" ... . It's not that we had a lot of stuff when I was a kid, but I guess there was just a lot fewer products. Or variety of products. Everyone had the same things. With all the 'stuff' that's available nowadays, I can't imagine my kids going through a nostalgia list like this in 30 years.
Pink kitty 5 months ago
I'm late to the party 😔 wish I'd seen the 123 posts not just the remaining 50
Beth Wheeler 5 months ago
They missed the big Barbie head that you could style the hair and do makeup. They still sold them a few years ago, not sure about now.
Rebecca O’Donnell 5 months ago
Loved, loved, loved this post. Brought back so many memories and it was really neat seeing the Bored Pandas that remembered all this as well.
Princess Possum 5 months ago
A lot of these games are still around. I bought them for my kids. Same thing with the Little Golden Books.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
Very American. Other side of the ocean we had different things. My neighbour was very proud of her Sindy (Cindy?) doll, which was for a while more popular than Barbie because it was aimed to look more like a real girl rather than the...uh... idealised anatomy of a Barbie. Oh, and for a time in the mid 80s pixie boots were *everywhere*. No idea why. And let's not forget the delights of Hornby. Out of the price range my parents would be happy with, but a different neighbour (a retired gent) lived alone so he converted his dining room into this epic landscape. And being Brits, ZX Spectrum vs BBC Micro. I was firmly on the side of the tree nut - procedural BASIC *and* built-in assembler? 🥰
Andrew Burke 5 months ago (edited)
Every time I see one of these nostalgia posts, I go through it checking them off: "Yup, had that exact one!", "Yup, had that exact one!", "Yup, had that exact one!" ... . It's not that we had a lot of stuff when I was a kid, but I guess there was just a lot fewer products. Or variety of products. Everyone had the same things. With all the 'stuff' that's available nowadays, I can't imagine my kids going through a nostalgia list like this in 30 years.
Pink kitty 5 months ago
I'm late to the party 😔 wish I'd seen the 123 posts not just the remaining 50
Beth Wheeler 5 months ago
They missed the big Barbie head that you could style the hair and do makeup. They still sold them a few years ago, not sure about now.
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