Vintage Things That Have Disappeared In Your Lifetime?

Marla · Mar 1, 2011

Even though I'm not even 20 years old yet, I grew up with a lot of things that aren't around anymore but at the time had existed faithfully since the Golden Era. Maybe that's why I find it so natural to live a vintage lifestyle...

Things that have disappeared in my lifetime:

Coat check stands in public buildings

Trolley and bus conductors who gave paper stubs in exchange for the fare

Token fare on subways

Mercury thermometers

Real glass Christmas ornaments

Party-line telephone connections

Rotary dial phones

Scrap glass exchange

....

I guess living in Russia was a kind of time-warp in itself.

scottyrocks · Mar 1, 2011

When I was a kid, we had a few different typewriters. There was a portable of some sort, and one of those honkin' desk models that looked like a steampunk item of today, but it was the real thing. I think it was an Underwood, and looked sort of like this:

We had an IBM Selectric because my mom used to type labels at home for a company that also supplied the typewriter. I think she was paid by the label or the sheet, because, for a few years, anytime she wasnt doing something necessary, you could that think banging away.

ibm-correcting-selectric-ii-typewriter_330505802883.jpg

CharlieB · Mar 2, 2011

I learned on a manual monster. The thing could double as a weapon, if you could heave it far enough!

AtomicEraTom · Mar 2, 2011

Those big, clunky light bars that used to be on squad cars. You could see 'em coming a mile away. Also, those big boxy Chevy Caprices, LTD Crown Victorias, and Dodge Diplomats that were under those light bars.

martinsantos · Mar 2, 2011

This model was sold here as IBM 82. My dad's 72 was not so square (and the color was blue!), but the system with spheres was identical. I didn't ever touch the IBM when was a kid. I had to learn typewriting with a portable Remington. For me was quite an "upgrade" when I started with the IBM!

Talking with him after this post he remembered another IBM machine, a dream in late 60s, "almost a computer" - the IBM Composer.

scottyrocks said:
We had an IBM Selectric because my mom used to type labels at home for a company that also supplied the typewriter. I think she was paid by the label or the sheet, because, for a few years, anytime she wasnt doing something necessary, you could that think banging away.

Puzzicato · Mar 2, 2011

martinsantos said:
In MY lifetime... Electric typewriters.

My dad had an IBM 72, with several spheres. Wonderful typewriter - and the most noisy I ever heard! He used to write everyday at moning with it, starting 05 am - and for years I woke up with its "sound". Unhappilly now is impossible to find the ribbon for it, as for its "sucessor" in our home, an electronic Ollivetti.

I remember when the shop I used to get ribbons for the Olivetti "golfball" typewriter started stocking computer supplies!

martinsantos · Mar 2, 2011

We had in home the first computer in 1982 (a fabulous computer: memory with 8Kb, and you could record the home-made programs in a cassete tape!). But for writing tasks the computer was terrible. The printer was so slow that the Olivetti typewriter was very faster (of course the typewriting must to be quick) - and the printing very better.

scottyrocks · Mar 2, 2011

martinsantos said:
This model was sold here as IBM 82. My dad's 72 was not so square (and the color was blue!), but the system with spheres was identical. I didn't ever touch the IBM when was a kid. I had to learn typewriting with a portable Remington. For me was quite an "upgrade" when I started with the IBM!

Talking with him after this post he remembered another IBM machine, a dream in late 60s, "almost a computer" - the IBM Composer.

Quite honestly, I dont remember exactly which Selectric it was . . . it was a long time ago. But the above picture is close enough.

Honey Bee · Mar 2, 2011

Things that have disappeared? My, that could be considered datin' a gal!
The thing I remember is taking my husbands paycheck, which was written out by hand, to the local, independent grocery store that was owned by a longtime citizen here in our town, having them cash it, give ME to money and have a quick chat about the family! He knew us, he knew the welding shop my husband worked at and was old enough to have known the shops' original owner, the father of the owner then! Now, his grandson struggles to hold onto it, town encroaching on the welding shop and people tossing away things more now instead of getting them fixed. The grocery store has changed hands since but the family that owns us made it a point to know us and vice versa and he'll take a check without me pulling out my ID.

Effingham · Mar 4, 2011

Honey Bee said:
Things that have disappeared? My, that could be considered datin' a gal!

Well, I'd never consider datin' a guy.

Fly Boy · Mar 9, 2011

Traditional Rugby clothing, and Cricket isn't far off. The cricket jumper is all but dead alas.

Also, smoking in bars. Not certain I miss that though...

Shangas · Mar 9, 2011

Marla said:
Even though I'm not even 20 years old yet, I grew up with a lot of things that aren't around anymore but at the time had existed faithfully since the Golden Era. Maybe that's why I find it so natural to live a vintage lifestyle...

Things that have disappeared in my lifetime:

Mercury thermometers

Real glass Christmas ornaments

Rotary dial phones

I remember all those things!...Especially the glass christmas ornaments that mother used to hate me for when I dropped them!! The stupid things would never stay on the tree...

John in Covina · Mar 9, 2011

Fly Boy said:
Also, smoking in bars. Not certain I miss that though...

While not a fan of it, I think that the owner is the one that should set the rules for his or her establishment.

Here in California you can't smoke inside at any type of business which forces people outside.
Then they made rules as to how far from the door you must be to smoke.
You can't smoke outside in a public park like the beach.
And in one local city you can't smoke in your own backyard!

Welcome to the Land of the Free and the home of the brave.

Chas · Mar 9, 2011

Soon the disappear into condos. The house that inspired The Great Gatsby.

AtomicEraTom · Mar 9, 2011

I think it should be to the owner's discretion on the smoking or not smoking. I live next to a bar and the smoking ban has made my life a living hell. Drunks staggering in my yard, cigarette butts and beer bottles and drink glasses in my yard, driveway, and in the bed of my truck. I even came home one night to find them all leaning on my ex-girlfriend's car, she was sitting in the car, terrified. Also had one attempt to urinate in the gas tank of my squad car because he had a beef with the local police force. There's always the option of smoking and non-smoking sections.

John in Covina said:
While not a fan of it, I think that the owner is the one that should set the rules for his or her establishment. Here in California you can't smoke inside at any type of business which force people outside.
Then they made rules as to how far from the door you must be to smoke.
You can't smoke outside in a public park like the beach.
And in one local city you can't smoke in your own backyard!

Welcome to the Land of the Free and the home of the brave.

Yeps · Mar 9, 2011

Shangas said:
I remember all those things!...Especially the glass christmas ornaments that mother used to hate me for when I dropped them!! The stupid things would never stay on the tree...

Do they not do glass ornaments anymore?

Pompidou · Mar 9, 2011

AtomicEraTom said:
I think it should be to the owner's discretion on the smoking or not smoking. I live next to a bar and the smoking ban has made my life a living hell. Drunks staggering in my yard, cigarette butts and beer bottles and drink glasses in my yard, driveway, and in the bed of my truck. I even came home one night to find them all leaning on my ex-girlfriend's car, she was sitting in the car, terrified. Also had one attempt to urinate in the gas tank of my squad car because he had a beef with the local police force. There's always the option of smoking and non-smoking sections.

I agree with you and John. In any privately owned establishment where being there is voluntary and there are reasonable alternatives, smoking or non should be up to the owner. I especially agree in the case of bars. The folks (myself included) that go there and destroy their liver shouldn't complain when others are destroying their lungs. If anything, forcing businesses to choose smoking or non would help the economy, because there'd be supply and demand for both. There are situations where I don't want to leave smelling like an ashtray. There are others where I don't care. I'm a nonsmoker with smoker friends. The smokers were always the more interesting conversation at lunch time, so I always froze for no good reason outside rather than watch tv in the lounge.

R.G. White · Mar 10, 2011

I think they do, don't they? I honestly am unsure, but I remember always breaking them when I was little. And we had carpet, so I do not even know how I managed that!

Marla · Mar 10, 2011

Glass ornaments still exist, but they aren't as ubiquitous as they used to be. Most of the ones sold in stores now are plastic. The vintage ones I have are real glass and heavier than modern ones. And they break easier!

John in Covina · Mar 10, 2011

Shangas said:
I remember all those things!...Especially the glass Christmas ornaments that mother used to hate me for when I dropped them!! The stupid things would never stay on the tree...

Christmas ornaments! We forgot and left a box of my dad's mom's glass Christmas ornaments in the attic when moving my mom out to California! They were fragile.

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