Staff Picks: 8 Perfect Holiday Gifts for the Retro-Minded
The holidays are here and just in case you didn’t finish your shopping on Black Friday (or haven’t even started yet, like some people *cough*), here are some great gift ideas for the music or mid-century lover in your life.
1) Wooden Candleholders from Dolenz & Daughters ($55)
Picked by: Allison
In the realm of unique, uncommon gifts related to music, a special, handmade item from Dolenz & Daughters might take the cake. The Dolenz namesake is, of course, the Monkees’ Micky Dolenz, who, with his daughter Georgia, has pioneered an online carpentry shop to hawk wooden good straight from Micky’s garage. Besides this set of modern candle holders, the fam also manufactures coffee tables, end tables, benches, frames and more.
2) ION Profile LP Vinyl-to-MP3 Turntable ($111)
Picked by: Erika
Loving vinyl is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you’ve got that uncompressed, hi-fidelity sound you can’t get anywhere else, and you probably have a massively cool vintage record collection to boot. But on the other, it’s not exactly portable. If the artist doesn’t offer a complimentary digital download with purchase, vinyl addicts often have to buy their music twice if they want their music collection on the go — and some of the really rare stuff may not even be available in digital format. But fear not: a vinyl-to-Mp3 turntable transfers records directly to a computer for import to any digital device! Not only does it make a vinyl collection portable, it also transfers those super rare and fragile records to a format that won’t break or wear out.
3) Mistaken Lyrics Coasters by BrightBeam Laser Goods ($25-$35)
Picked by: Carey
There’s a bathroom on the right”? “Gimme the Beach Boys to free my soul”? “The girl with colitis goes by”? Everyone has a favorite mondegreen or two, and BrightBeam Laser Goods, my favorite discovery at this year’s Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, has immortalized some of the best misheard song lyrics of all time, in coaster form. These engraved cork coasters are sold in sets of six and would make excellent stocking stuffers for the music nerds in your life. Choose from existing collections, like “Older Songs For Younger Hearts,” “Correct Giggles For Incorrect Reasons,” or “Amor On Cork” — or create a personalized collection by mixing and matching or submitting your own lyrics.
4) Batman: The Complete TV Series on DVD ($199 for DVD, $269 for Blu-ray)
Picked by: Jim
“Do you know how much work we went through for this?” doesn’t even begin to describe the effort to finally bring the series to home video. Jake Rosen at WIRED does a good job of going over the details, but for the TL;DR set amongst you: Fox held out against Warner Brothers’ efforts to buy up all existing properties made by National Comics (DC Comic’s predecessors) to keep the rights to all their heroes in-house, which was complicated because the production companies that put the show on ABC fought each other and the network over who owned what. An ugly mess that finally got resolved some 45 years later, resulting in a great image transfer and a few gifts to go along with the box set (lots of extra features and a shooting script) to make up for the delay, which means that if you just want the shows themselves there should be cheaper options available. (And besides, if this mess could be resolved, there’s still hope for that other not-yet-on-digital property from the 1960s seeing an official release, right…?)
5) Recycled Vinyl Wall Clock by Wrecords By Monkey ($39)
Picked by: Jen
Wrecords By Monkey is probably a familiar name if you frequent the NYC area and love vinyl records. Known for making decorative and practical items out of old records, their objective is to take “reclaimed vinyl records to create handmade accessories with a low carbon footprint that relate to music lovers of every generation.” Items for sale range from clocks to jewelry and even cuff links. In the past I’ve bought a vinyl-covered planner (which is now out of date but too cool looking on my bookcase to discard) from them and a friend got me a music note necklace which I love to whip out when I’m going to a concert. This Brooklyn clock would look fashionable on anyone’s wall and makes for a great conversation starter at your next party. It’s the perfect gift for vinyl lovers, art lovers, and anyone into green living and the upcycling movement.
6) The Wonder Years Complete Series ($249.95-$299.95)
Picked by: Lindsay
This one is a bit of a no-brainer, despite the hefty price tag. Those of us who remember when this show was airing original episodes in the late ’80s/early ’90s have been waiting a very long time for the release of the entire series on DVD. Wrangling the rights to the show’s extensive period music was entirely worth it (as anyone who has watched the show without the original songs can attest). The box set, available online via TimeLife, contains every last of the shows 115 episodes on 26 discs — plus an additional 23 hours of bonus footage — and a host of special goodies, which may make the $250 cost a little more palatable. But you know what? Screw the rest of the people on your Christmas list. Spend the money you would have spent on them on yourself instead. You deserve it.
7) Kit-Cat Clock ($49.99 for the Classic Black)
Picked by: Pam
Someday when I’m living in the kitschy mid-century modern home of my dreams, I know my kitchen will not be complete without a Kit-Cat clock hanging on the wall. These animated catty timekeepers were first introduced in 1932 and their popularity rose in the 1950s, when their moving eyes and swinging tails charmed the homes they dwelled in. Today, they come in a variety of colors and styles (honeysuckle pink lady kit-cat clock, anyone?) and best of all, they’re still made in the USA. Why not put this quirky icon of functional pop culture under some lucky recipient’s tree this year?
8) Retro Cell Phone Receiver ($7.99-$24.99)
Picked by: Emma
You know what’s great about cell phones? They’re small. You know what sucks about cell phones? Same thing. I often long for the days of not accidentally disconnecting a call with my face or having the phone too high up for the person on the other end to hear me, or too low to hear the person I called. So having an old-timey receiver you can hook into your phone at any time could be a lifesaver. Instant home phone! Plus, I’d love to see the looks on the faces of onlookers when you talk on this cell-phone in public. Available in super retro as shown or that more ’70s type of phone that survived into the ’90s.
What’s on your wishlist this year? Let us know in the comments!
