Results tagged “retro” from The official blog of Vat19.com

Who doesn't love finding little surprises every once in a while? You reach into your coat pocket to put away your keys and - what is this? - a $20 bill you totally forgot about. Sweet!

The Wonderball from Channel Craft has a whole lot of these little surprises wrapped up in an unassuming ball of yarn. As you unwind it, little "trinkets of the past" like charms, jacks, and jewels are revealed. You never know what you're gonna get - how fun is that? Once you're done unwinding, you can play Cat's Cradle games or make friendship bracelets based on the instructions included with the toy. Nothing like All-American, wholesome goodtimes.

This 1950s Candy Gift Box would be an awesome gift for any baby boomer you know with a sweet tooth. It features tons of different candies from the 50s. Some of them I've heard of and are still around today - Chuckles, Mike & Ike's, Sugar Daddy Pops. Others...sound a little interesting. Violet or teaberry gum, anyone?

Tons of other candy boxes are available, including decade-themed ones from the 40s to the 90s. There's even a "vintage" one with candies from the 1800s (ever had a Squirrel Nut Zipper?). It's a delicious way to relive your childhood and maybe even experience the childhoods of your parents or grandparents!

For more sweet stuff, be sure to check out Vat19.com!

This is the Cap-sac, a fanny pack for your head. That's right. And yet again, I have had trouble deciding if is Trash or Treasure. So, I decided to write down the pros and cons to see which won out.

Pros:
- The colors are bright, fun, retro, and therefore awesome.
- It turns in on itself and zips up into a little pouch. So, good for travel.
- It's so incredibly dorky that it borders on cool.

Cons:
- It's a fanny pack that you wear on your head.
- If you actually put anything in the pack, your forehead will look misshapen.
- Probably only 1% of the population has the style, attitude, and confidence to pull off the look without looking like a total moron.

Hm, tied. But I think the cons outweigh the pros, don't you? I'm going to have to go with Trash. Sorry, Cap-sac.

Behold the cuteness that is Teddy Ruxpin. An 80s classic, he was one of the toys that I longed for as a child and never received, which is something I'm still a bit bitter about. I mean, look at him with his sweet little face. I had no idea he was still around, but apparently, good ol' Teddy has been updated for the 21st century.

He still has the same cuddly looks and soft, calming voice as the original, but now uses MP3 cartridges instead of analog tapes. How tech-savvy of him. He is also a bit smaller and not as heavy as the original. If I had kids, I'd totally buy one so that I could vicariously relive my childhood.

Be sure to check out Vat19.com for more huggable plush toys.

OK, so I totally had no idea that the Radio Flyer people made anything besides the classic red wagon. But they do. Check out their Retro Rocket:

My original impression of this was that it was big enough for the child to sit inside the rocket, which I thought was super cool. But then I saw a different picture and realized it was just a seat that you sit on top of, which disappointed me a little. However, the Retro Rocket has a whole slew of special effects that still make it a really awesome gift for the little boy, or little tomboy, in your life. It has a 3-2-1 blast-off count and a vibrating motor action to simulate take-off, plus "astronaut and space" sounds, working lights, and a clicking cone. There is also a storage compartment under the seat, which I think kids love. It's like their own secret hiding place. Plus, it's just a cool-looking toy - all shiny and red and retro-like.

Radio Flyer also offers the Little Red Roadster, which doesn't have as many features as the rocket, but it still has that awesome retro vibe. And for the kids who love cars, there's the Sport Coupe. What's great about this one is that a child can actually open the car door and sit inside. And, when they get tired of pushing themselves all around, they can put up their feet in the "stow away" footrest and get pushed around by mom or dad using the telescoping handle.

I know there are a lot of other "cooler" cars for kids out there, like $350 Jeeps and Mustangs that have actual working foot pedals and AM/FM radios. But those just seem so blingy. I love the simple, classic look and feel of the Radio Flyer vehicles. It's refreshing.

You'd think the energy drink trend would be played out by now, but it's not.

For just $2.99 you can score yourself a can of Pac-Man Power Up Energy Drink. I get that people love retro stuff and like to try weird drinks, but Pac-Man doesn't seem like the type of video game that should be associated with an energy drink. For World of Warcraft, sure. But not for Pac-Man.

You can also get a can of Donkey Kong Jungle Juice Energy Drink for $2.49. Apparently Donkey Kong can't command the $2.99 price like Pac-Man can.

If you're looking for a useful and unique Pac-Man gift that doesn't have the douchebag factor associated with energy drinks, check out the Pac-Man Pot Holder.

Who hasn't stuck photos of friends or family into the edges of their bedroom mirror? I guess the idea is that it's quick, easy, and you're bound to see the photos at least once a day (more if you're narcissistic). The View Mirror by Jellio takes this idea a step further by building the photo frames into the mirror. Behold:

Design look a little familiar? That's right, the View Mirror is modeled after a ViewMaster reel, which I, as a child of the 80s, find completely awesome. The mirror is 24" in diameter and has 14 slots for images, just like the original ViewMaster reels. Retailing for $150.00, it's a tad steep, but I think it would make a great mirror for a child or teenager's room, or even a cool accent piece in a modern home ... or a home dedicated to 80s classics.