As the years go by, more and more of our favorite gadgets and gear are rendered obsolete. For a quick blast to the past, check out this list of 14 things your parents used to have in their house — but you’d almost never see now.
Rotary Dial Telephones
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Rotary dial telephones used a circular dial for entering numbers. Now, in a world of touchscreens, they’re considered a rarity so the phones’ distinctive ringing — and the time it took to dial each number — feel like part of a bygone era.
Encyclopedias
Before the internet became a ubiquitous source of information, many households had a set of encyclopedias. These hefty volumes were the go-to resource for homework assignments and general knowledge queries.
Console Televisions
The large, furniture-like console televisions that occupied a significant portion of every living room have been replaced by sleek, wall-mounted flat screens. These relics had dials for changing channels and often included a built-in radio.
Record Players
While record players have experienced a nostalgic resurgence recently, they’re still uncommon compared to their omnipresence in homes a few decades ago. Vinyl records and the unique sound quality they offer were once the mainstay of music listening.
Slide Projectors
Slide projectors were once a popular method for sharing holiday snaps and family photos. Today, with digital photography and social media, these bulky devices (and their carousels of slides) have become nostalgic items.
Landline Phones
While some homes still have them, landline phones are becoming increasingly uncommon. Mobile phones, with their convenience and array of functions, have rendered the stationary landline obsolete for many.
Phone Books
Before smartphones and internet search engines, phone books were essential for finding contact details. These thick directories, filled with numbers and addresses, have been largely replaced by online searches and digital contact lists.
Clotheslines
Backyard clotheslines have been replaced by the convenience of tumble dryers. The sight of clothes fluttering in the wind is less common today, even though it’s a more energy-efficient way of drying laundry.
Floppy Disks
Before cloud storage and USB drives, floppy disks were used to store and transfer digital data. These square plastic disks are rarely seen today, and were rendered obsolete by other advancements in digital storage technology.
VCRs and VHS Tapes
The advent of streaming services, DVDs, and Blu-ray players has made VCRs and VHS tapes obsolete. The ritual of rewinding a tape or adjusting the tracking on a VHS is a shared memory for many from a certain era.
Film Cameras
While some photographers still use film for its unique qualities, digital cameras and smartphones have largely replaced film cameras in most homes. Today, the wait for film to be developed and printed is a foreign concept to many younger people.
Fax Machines
Fax machines, once a staple in homes with an office, have been replaced by email and other digital communication tools. Now, the noise of a fax machine transmitting data has gone almost completely extinct.
Cassette Tapes
With the rise of digital music platforms, cassette tapes have become a nostalgic item rather than a common way to listen to music. The hiss of a cassette tape and the need to rewind or fast-forward to a favorite song are now just memories of the past.
Typewriters
In an age of laptops and tablets, typewriters are a rare sight. The clatter of keys and the ding of the carriage return are now sounds more often associated with movies set in the past than those heard in a modern home.
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