The mid century conversation pit: A photo timeline of that fascinating 60s and 70s living room trend
Ever since the 80s, the iconic conversation pit has seemed hopelessly out-of-date. Could it be poised for a comeback?
1977
These old mail-order record clubs offered super-cheap music to the masses – on vinyl, l8-track tapes, cassettes, and, finally, CDs. But there was a catch.
See how Vintage Kool-Aid soft drink mixes looked over the years, along with all of the flavors they’ve made so far. Plus, see the Kool-Aid man break down some walls!
For decades after their introduction in 1963, Easy-Bake Ovens showed up on wish lists for Santa and for birthdays, and millions of them were sold.
50 years ago, the coolest vintage banana seat bikes for kids also had bright colors, high handlebars and slick rear tires. Check ’em out here!
Starting in the ’70s, making soup was easier than ever – you just emptied an envelope of Cup-a-Soup or Souptime into a cup, added boiling water, stirred, and you had a serving of hot soup. Here’s a look back!
Dynamite magazine was published from 1974-1992, and delivered a little bit of pop culture to kids’ mailboxes all across the US. Here’s a look back!
These cheap vintage Halloween masks & costumes proved that when you spent a couple bucks to get ready for trick-or-treating, you got what you paid for. But the kids? They loved it.
Before individual stickers-by-the-yard became popular in the ’80s, sets like these Halloween stickers were the big thing with kids! Take a look back at these vintage treats here.
Try not to be too creeped out by this collection of vintage Halloween party ideas spanning over a century!
Remember retro Halloween costumes like these, from back when all the kids were wearing cheap and ill-fitting Hulk, Wonder Woman, and Bugs Bunny costumes from the drugstore or made their own creations?
With these vintage Disneyland tickets, visitors could enjoy their choice of dozens of Disneyland rides and attractions in Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Frontierland and Adventureland.
In 1950, Sam Walton purchased a store in Bentonville, Arkansas, and then in 1962, opened the first Wal-Mart store in Arkansas. And that’s just the start of Vintage Wal-Mart history.
Get the history of ketchup, and see vintage catsup bottles of super-popular condiment in America that’s come a long, long way to be a tasty dip for our fries.
Despite a slow start, by the mid-’80s, REO Speedwagon’s hit singles ‘Keep On Loving You’ and ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ had topped the charts, and they were known across the globe. Here’s the story.
In the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, anyone who wanted to give their hair a healthy, voluminous bounce could get it with the help of vintage hot rollers like these.
What were hostesses with the mostesses setting up on dining tables 40+ years ago? Here’s a look back at some beautiful vintage ’70s table setting ideas!
If you lived through the seventies and eighties, you can probably immediately remember the sound that these vintage dot matrix printers used to make. See and hear them again here!
Based on one of the many traditional needlework crafts, these vintage needlepoint designs might just inspire you to get creative in all-new ways!
People loved all 8 kinds of Snackin’ Cake that you mixed, baked, and served in the same pan. They came in flavors like Banana Walnut, Chocolate Chip, Coconut Pecan and more. See them here!
Take a look back into the ’70s to remember more than 100 different kinds of retro window curtains, including sheers, tie-backs and cafe curtains!
Retro air-pop popcorn makers like these were super popular in the ’70s and ’80s, because they made it so easy to make a big batch of perfectly puffed popcorn. Here’s a look back!
In the ’70s, stainless steel or copper cookware wasn’t enough – people wanted retro pots & pans for their kitchen in all of the latest colors!
In the ’70s, the popular choice was shag carpet – with bouncier colors and more interesting textures and originality in designs than ever before.
Back in the ’70s, Lenox Temper-ware did everything: you could freeze in it, then bake in it, serve in it – and it came in 8 different dramatic patterns.
Meatloaf retro recipes: Here are three tasty ways to make the most of meatloaf. All it takes is a little imagination, and the special flavors you get only from Lipton recipe & soup mixes.
Judging by audience response to PBS new children’s show, Zoom may turn into the kind if household word television hasn’t heard since the halcyon days of Uncle Milty.
Curl it. Cut it. Blow it dry. Brush it. Tuck it. Let it fly. There’s no one way with summer ’77 hairstyles. Kenneth has done 24 marvelous styles for us, so now is the time for a pretty change! So pick a new do, get ready to enjoy a great summer.
Vintage Fenton glass – candy dishes, bowls, vases, lamps, baskets and more – came in milk glass and in radiant colors.
See the ’77 Ford cars: New action-stripe Pintos, sassy sweet-handling Mustang IIs, tricked up trucks and fancy vans. Thunderbirds and LTD IIs in new spring colors. Even a sportier Granada.
Vintage book clubs have been around since before the Depression – and while the titles have changed, the concept behind the membership isthe same. Here’s a look back!
The history of Tupperware Parties, Tupperware Ladies & how they moved millions of plastic containers
Starting back in the ’50s, women were encouraged to start their own businesses, hosting Tupperware parties, and demonstrating how to use those popular plastic containers. Here’s a look back!
More than one billion Colorforms sets have been sold since the ’50s. They started with basic geometric shapes, then moved on to branded playsets.
Take tic-tac-toe, toss in nine celebrities, stir in some questions and add fabulous prizes. What do you get? The original Hollywood Squares game show!
While television hardly needed another cop series, ‘Starsky and Hutch’ was one of the better reasons to turn on a TV back in the ’70s. Here’s why.
If you need a book, you used to need to look for the most important item in the library — the vintage card catalog.
Forget white or stainless steel – these colorful vintage kitchen sinks came in bright and bold colors like red, orange, green, yellow and more!
In Hawaii in the ’70s, Waikiki was more than a beach. It’s a vibrant, exciting, cosmopolitan resort city on Oahu, only a few miles from bustling downtown Honolulu.
For decades, it was considered inappropriate for TV or movies to show a married couple sharing a bed. But did married couples really sleep in separate beds back in the ’50s?
In the 1970s, you could get the budget Ford Torino Wagon, the popular Gran Torino station wagon, and the top-of-the-line classic Ford Gran Torino Squire with woodlike trim.
In the ’60s, 70s & ’80s, kids across the country competed for the coveted Presidential Physical Fitness award. Here’s a look back at the exercise requirements, the awards, the badges and more!
While she was known to millions as Carol on The Brady Bunch, Florence Henderson had a vibrant, successful career as both an actress and singer.
Ranch salad dressing and your favorite brand of tuna — they bring out the best in each other, like in this 6-layer tuna salad vintage recipe.
These old-school vintage blow dryers from the seventies were more than just hot air – the handheld tools could dry! Style! And came in retro-popular colors like yellow, orange and baby blue.
America flipped over Farrah Fawcett’s famous feathered hair back in the seventies, and the trendy retro Farrah hairstyle was copied by millions of women. Here’s how she created the look – including step-by-step diagrams!
Today’s toddlers ride in style in the sleek and racy, brightly-colored, low-slung plastic numbers like the vintage Big Wheel from Marx – that whiz, spin, skid, slide, race and even roar.
Look back to the ’70s and ’80s at vintage Sea World San Diego, when Shamu the Killer Whale was the ocean-themed amusement park’s star attraction.
The first vintage Etch-A-Sketch toy was made back in 1960. It was a big seller from early on, and over the years, Ohio Art made several other creative, artistic toys – such as those shown here.
Crunch up your dinner with this retro seventies recipe for Double-Coated Chicken Supreme, made with Rice Krispies – a delicious way to serve chicken.
Red, pink, gold & beyond – See the top vintage nail polish brands and colors from the 20th century, with shades & styles from decades ago – see how manicures have changed over the years!
Do you remember Shrinky Dinks? They were DIY crafts that could be made by coloring on a plastic sheet, cutting out the various shapes, and then shrinking them down using heat.
These tasty vintage pudding cups were supposedly made for kids… but we know that plenty of adults loved the taste and convenience of these to-go desserts. How many of the flavors do you remember?
