words Al Woods
As time moves on it can be hard for some of us to let go of the past. Those rose tinted goggles are just too strong and we find ourselves yearning for a blast from our past.
While these things help us to remember the good old days, it is often hard to get hold of the objects you once cherished. Still, don’t despair; there are plenty of retro gift options out there that you can buy for yourself, or the loved one who longs for some vintage paraphernalia.
Arcade Cabinets
The great grandad of all video games is the arcade machine, and there are very few avid gamers that remember the origins of their high-tech home console. Once upon a time, visiting your local arcade with a handful of coins was the only way to play video-games. You could spend hours here trying to best the classic games of the era.
Unfortunately, most arcades went the way of the dodo with the introduction of the home console, and it only got worse for this business as the generations passed. However, you’ll find that time has created a want for these types of machines and you can now buy them for your own home. These cabinets are very expensive and take up a lot of space, but they are worth looking at if you have a retro gamer in your life.
Sweet Favourites
The way in which people remember the past can be largely based on their senses. Some smells and sounds can transport us back to specific memories, and that is also true of our taste buds.
You will probably have memories of your favourite treats. Some things are easy to replicate, like a family recipe, but others disappear from the market never to be tasted again.
All is not lost, however. You can still find vendors of classic treats in certain sections of the internet. It seems that other people want to capture the taste of the good old days by providing retro sweet collections. These sweet collections can be found as part of a gift hamper, and are therefore perfect for the vintage lover in your life! To find a quality set of vintage sweets to suit a variety of taste buds, head to https://www.sweethampercompany.co.uk/.
Media
A common theme appears when looking back to the past. Everything was very one and done. Your video-games disappeared and so too did your sweet treats. But nowhere is this phenomenon clearer than in the media you consume.
Before the invention of catch-up T.V, the only way to watch a T.V programme was to catch it at the time it was on. There was no rewinding if you missed the first five minutes either. Your window for watching your favourite T.V shows was finite; and once played, that episode was often lost forever.
That is no longer the case for newer shows, but there has also been a revolution in digging up retro media. Some networks will feature a retro channel that airs all of the classic shows from times gone by, but these are often reserved for the monumental T.V shows of the time. Once again, you are going to need to turn to the internet for the solution to this problem.
Physical media is dying out slowly, but some companies still think that there is a market for it, especially with the older crowds. As such, you will find that many of the classic T.V series have made the jump to DVD or streaming. If you have a loved one that longs for the ability to watch their favourite show from times gone by, you are more likely to find it now more than ever.
Gadgets And Toys
Other than T.V and radio, there wasn’t much in the way of electronic entertainment back in the day. Most of you would have found your own way to stay busy, and thus the toy market thrived.
Some toys from the past have stood the test of time; you can still pick up a Rubix cube from a retail store. However, not every toy and gadget is so readily available. A great way to surprise someone you love is by reaching into the past and pulling out something they once loved as a child. Of course, that is impossible. But retro toy retailers specialise in finding and distributing famous toys from the past. These figures may even tie in to their beloved T.V show.
Fashion
Oh yes. Some items of clothing go out of style for good reason, and you may be relieved by that fact. But there is no denying that there are those that still think that these retro items are forgotten gold.
You might think you look a bit ridiculous wearing shoulder pads and flares out in public today, but there is no harm in having these threads in your closet. If these fashion choices made someone happy, why not buy them as a gift.
It would be foolish to try and recreate a classic hairstyle now, but bangles, vintage tennis shoes and combat trousers are always fun to wear around the house.
Music
It is not surprising that the most universal language has stood the test of time better than any other form of media. Music never dies, and we have seen a resurgence of classic records thanks to the re-introduction of vinyl players.
This trend does not seem like it is going to disappear anytime soon so, if all else fails, you can always go for a retro musical gift. Throw away those old tape recordings and crack out a perfect sounding vinyl record to really recapture the essence of your favourite decade.
Conclusion
The past may be gone, but there is no shame in trying to bring it back in any small way that you can. Luckily for us, there is a surplus of people from the same generation that feel that there is a market for this stuff.
As such, it is now easier than ever to get a hold of those lost retro relics. If you have a loved one with a flair for the vintage, try out some of our gift ideas.
