Retro Thing

Disneyland In The Fifties

We took our 9 year-old son to Disneyland for his first visit in January, so it's especially fascinating to see how the park looked in 1957 -- less than two years after it opened.

While the castle and main street remain its heart and soul, the early park looks like a brightly colored carnival in comparison to its more polished modern look. The footage appears to be 16mm Kodachrome, professionally transferred using a Spirit DataCine. You can read more at the Disney History Institute.

Disneyland Canon 1957 - YouTube [Thanks to everyone who sent us the link!]

Last Minute Retro Gift Ideas

It's getting down to the wire, so here are a few "Argh! I left it until the last second" Christmas gift ideas with a Retro flavour. 

Seiko 5 Wristwatch - Forget batteries and back-lit displays and get a mechanical watch with 21 jewel automatic mechanism and clear back. They're beautiful, practical and affordable. Priced from $60

Korg Monotron - A handheld analog synthesizer for under $60. The Monotron features the same resonant filter circuit as the classic Korg MS-10, along with a tiny membrane keyboard and built-in speaker.

A Decent Budget Turntable - The Audio Technica AT-LP120 isn't the cheapest turntable on the market, but it's one of the best you're going to get for under $250. Includes a digital USB port along with standard stereo RCA jacks, 33-1/3, 45, and 78 rpm playback speeds with quartz-controlled variable playback. The Spin-Clean record washer is a great way to clean your vintage vinyl, too.

A $20 Silver Coin For $20

My grandparents used to give me commemorative coins when I was a kid. It was a hobby that never really grabbed me -- I preferred things that flash and whirr. The Royal Canadian Mint suspects there may be hundreds of thousands of potential collectors like me who just need a little encouragement.

For $20, they'll sell you a silver coin with a face value of $20. The 99.99% pure silver coin measures 27 mm in diameter and weighs 7.96 g. They'll even ship it to your door for free. What you do with it from that point on is up to you -- it can be redeemed at any Royal Bank of Canada branch for $20 cash, or you can hide it in the back of a drawer for emergency use in a post-apocalyptic economy.

Available in Canada only, limit of three per customer.

$20 Fine Silver Commemorative Coin (2011)

Walking In Circles

NPR's Robert Krulwich goes for an artful stroll to contemplate our inability to walk in a straight line without a visual reference.

A Mystery: Why Can't We Walk Straight? [via BoingBoing]

Radio Shack Catalog, Soviet Style

We've written about the alternate universe of Soviet electronics before, but Paul Colella recently sent in a link to a catalog of electronic goodies from the USSR that makes my teeth tingle. The Katalog Tovarov Narodnogo Potrebleniya 1981 paraded the latest and greatest technology. Being able to afford it was another matter.

He says, "Our friends over at English-Russia have posted some 1980's Soviet goods p0rn. Most of the stuff looks like American goods from the 1970s but of particular coolness are the electronics. I'd love to get my hands on the portable organ/synth and what I think is some type of mixer."

1981 Soviet Goods Catalog [via NNM]

Some Old Brand Names Worth Only $1,000

Just a quick update on the auctions I wrote about recently. The Apple 1 was sold for more than $212,000, a sum that could have purchased every old brand name auctioned a few days later. Victrola, highly prized by RetroThing editors, went for $1,000, as did General Cinema. Collier's went for $2,000. The highest bid was $45,000 (for investment bank Shearson). Meister Brau went for $32,500. Infoseek was put together in a single package with Big Yank and the Linen Closet. All three were sold together for $2,000.

Apple 1? Pssh. How About An Old Brand Name?

You may have seen that Christie's is about to sell an Apple 1, which the famed auction house estimates will go for a whopping $160,300 to $240,450. It's certainly a fascinating bit of history, especially considering it comes with its original packaging, invoice, owner's manual and a typewritten letter from Steve Jobs himself (the return address is his parents' house). But I might humbly suggest that a $150-$200 Briel Replica 1 or even an emulator are more cost-effective ways to compute like it's 1977.

But if you still have the auction itch and want to scratch it, have you thought about bidding on an old brand name?

On Dec. 8 in New York, a firm that has bought up classic trademarks over the years is selling them off to the highest bidder. Up for grabs are names including Braniff International airline, Collier's magazine and Old Nick candy bars. There are names Retro Thing readers might like, including Victrola and Computer City. And there are also some decidedly non-retro names available, including the defunct search engine Infoseek and Allied Signal, a name that only existed for about a decade and a half. There is also Bobby Socks and Hot Pants, terms I had no idea had been trademarked.

The auction sort of exposes what you probably already know: That the trusted brand name you see on the shelf may well have been bought by a startup business.

Among the 150 or so trademarks for sale, some are probably quite valuable (I could totally see Meister Brau becoming the next PBR) and others less obviously so (Relaxacizor? Really?). But the one that really got me thinking was General Cinemas, if only because I have such strong memories of its circa 1980s bumper animation.

I can buy it and start my movie theater empire! (There's money to be made in showing films in theaters, right?)

eBay Pulls The Plug On Retro Thing

Retro Thing has been a member of the eBay Partner Network for years. It's a program that helps websites earn money by linking to eBay auctions, and we've used the income to pay some of the costs of running the site.

We got an email from eBay last week telling us that our account was under review. They demanded a "detailed explanation of how you are driving traffic to eBay, or you risk the termination of your account and 100% reversal of commissions." They even wanted server logs.

I responded immediately but received an email last night stating that they're terminating our account. The form letter wished us good luck in the future. It also curtly stated, "You are not permitted to rejoin the eBay Partner Network,"  and concluded with a cheery admonition that  "At this time, we are not reconsidering our decision." We seem to have been tarred with the same brush as Internet ad spammers.

This is a nightmare scenario for several reasons. Since I started this site five years ago, we've frequently recommended eBay as a source for hard-to-find classic technology. I suspect we've made a great deal of money for the company by encouraging people to scour less visited categories in search of cool gear.

The second problem is more serious. Retro Thing has always been a daftly impractical labor of love. The loss of income from eBay puts the site in a situation where it may not be able to pay its way. We're not talking a huge amount -- eBay has generated under $1000 so far this year -- but it's a large enough shortfall that it could spell the end.

It has always been a challenge to convince advertisers that placing their products alongside "old junk" is a smart move, yet most Retro Thing readers are technology junkies who appreciate clever design in any form. You're the kind of alpha geeks who enjoy juxtaposing iPads and classic console stereos. You're the guys (and you are mostly guys) who know how to hook up an entertainment system. And you're the serious gamers who also appreciate the brilliant simplicity of Mario and Galaga.

This is the point at which we ask you for help. If you know of a company that would be a good advertising fit for Retro Thing, please encourage them to contact us. And If you can afford it, a small donation will help to keep the lights on. I've got a couple of copies of Essential Retro on the shelf  - donate $50 or more and I'll sign one for you.

[Update: eBay contacted us a few days after this ran because of complaints from Retro Thing readers. They reinstated our account.]

Waxy Wishes For 4th Of July

We hope that all of our Canadian readers had a terrific Canada Day, and what could better epitomize Independence Day for our American readers than a chunky Bicentennial candle? This candle has survived intact for more than 30 years, even though every year I threaten to light it up and use it as a launchpad for bottlerockets.

Whatever you do today, we hope that you keep it safe and sane. To our readers around the world, please feel free to stop by. We bought way too much food - even those turkey hot dogs we heard that you like!

How Healthy Are Your Vintage Electronic Gadgets?

I penned a guest article for Create Digital Music a while back which takes a look at how age impacts electronic gadgetry. While the CDM piece focused on musical synthesizers, similar problems crop up with vintage stereos, computers, TVs and gaming consoles.

Most electronic gear is designed to provide affordable functionality for a decade or two. Collectors are discovering that even relatively modern devices from the 1970s and 1980s are beginning to fail at an alarming rate. Sadly, there may be precious few Commodore 64s or vintage Nintendo Entertainment Systems in working condition within a few decades.

How Healthy Are Your Vintage Synthesizers? [CDM]

Related:
Will Our Old Videogame Consoles Die Soon?

Win a Flip Mino HD Camera

[Update: The winner is Dee, from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. You can read his epic misadventure here. Thanks to everyone who entered - we had a tough time picking our favorite entry. Stay tuned for more contests in the coming months. -JG]

We've teamed up with AXE Canada to give away a shiny new $249 Flip Mino HD video camera. To win, just share a retro-related story in the comments about a time when you could have used a dash of AXE Shock deodorant bodyspray. Our favorite tale will win the camera.

Help Bohus Win A $1000 Video Contest!

 
Here's a question we get all the time at Retro Thing; "What do you do with all that retro junk?"  I can only speak for myself when I say "Well, I use retro junk to enter online video contests..." My lady and I whipped up a quick video extolling the virtues of Dollar Tree, a shop where everything costs one U.S. dollar. The video stars the educational puppets I wrote about a while back, and the little gumdrop shaped puppets will show you a few of the things you can pick up for a buck at the store.

Here's where you can help. Anyone can vote for the video (you don't have to register or leave any identifying information) by visiting the contest page HERE. Mine is the ready-to-play video called "at the movies" all the way to the right, and you can vote by just clicking the green button below it. You can vote multiple times (kind of like in Chicago </rimshot>), once a day until April 2nd. There's a really good first prize, and I'd appreciate your help! If the video wins, I'm sure I can convince those puppets to make a special visit right here on Retro Thing.

 
Thanks for checking out the video, and for adding your votes. Every vote is important over the next few days, and don't forget you can vote every day up until April 2nd. I'll let you know if it turns out to be a success. Now get voting!

link:

Help out Bohus by voting for his "At The Movies" video

8-Bit New York

Eric Brodeur sent us a link to this amazing interpretation of NYC using old-school 8-bit graphics. Click and drag the image to explore the five boroughs like you never have before.

I would seriously be willing to pay for maps like this on my GPS. [8-bit-NYC via TechCrunch]

Retro Thing Pixel T-Shirts Are Back

A surprising number of you asked us to reprint our limited edition 8-bit Invasion t-shirt. So we did. There are less than 50 remaining, available in any color you wish... as long as it's black.

8-bit Invasion pays tribute to the evil aliens that made video games so addictive during the early years.   Screen printed on a 6.1 oz Ultra Cotton tee in the United States. $16.95. Don't see an 'add to cart' button? Click here.

Size: Adult Medium Adult Large Adult XL Adult 2XL

Retro Thing Mystery Countdown

What's this? Those Retro Thing rapscallions ravaging their readers with a rip-roaring macro-focus riddle? What could it be? Have they finally perfected their time machine? Has James figured out a way to get finally get classic retro cars to run on pure salad oil? Or perhaps Bohus has computed the exact formula for a controlled matter implosion so that he can finally fit all that retro stuff in his storage locker?

We're just a few days from the unveiling of the latest from Retro Thing's smoke-filled labs... Stay tuned, Retro readers!