Retro Gifts for the Holiday Season
Here’s some modernized tech from the past that would make awesome gifts.
(Getty Images)
With the holiday season right around the corner, you’re probably wondering what gifts to buy. If you know someone who loves retro-style gadgets, here are some cool pieces of tech that are sure to bring a blast from the past.
Sony Walkman – The Sony Walkman is a portable audio cassette player that revolutionized the way people listen to music. The concept of the Walkman was developed by Sony’s co-founder, Masaru Ibuka, who wanted a portable audio device for his personal use. The original Walkman, the TPS-L2, was introduced in Japan in 1979 and quickly became a global phenomenon. Over 4 decades later, the media player still exists as part of the electronic company’s vast device catalog. The A-Series iteration of the Walkman is available to buy at a price point of $349.
The new Sony Walkman is a thing of beauty.
A retro dream come true. pic.twitter.com/RWJ809IFXe
— mymind (@mymind) January 16, 2023
Vinyl Record Player – Perhaps one of the most popular media formats still widely available from the last 70 years, vinyl records are commonly purchased as decoration pieces these days. For those who would actually like to make use of their favorite vinyls, a record player is the perfect gift. While many record players exist at different price points, Angels Horn produces the best all-in-one vinyl record player according to the New York Times.
Micro Arcade Cabinets – For those who love going to the arcade to play video games, there is a unique way to relive the good old days in the form of Micro Players from My Arcade. Various games fit in these tiny arcade cabinets and they range from $39 to $59 depending on the hardware.
Instant Film Camera – Taking pictures is a great way to immortalize a memory. Before digital cameras, there were instant film cameras that would print whatever photograph was last taken as opposed to saving images to a memory card like its digital counterpart. Today, one can still find the classic instant film cameras that work exactly as they used to. It has become particularly popular amongst younger generations that did not experience things like the Polaroid camera back when it was new. PCMag has the definitive list of instant cameras that will guide you toward finding the right camera for whoever it is that would appreciate the gift.
Noumaan Faiz, (he/him) is a journalist and entertainer from Hayward, CA who covers culture and entertainment.
Edited by Nykeya Woods