1980 - Anything In Particular

1980s Fisher-Price Brown Battery Powered Cassette Player and Recorder Model 826

Jon Nix — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 11:27:39 +0000

Immediately recognisable to those of us of a certain age, this is a Fisher-Price portable cassette player and recorder, more boringly known as the Model 826. It's a battery-powered slice of two-tone brown plastic which dates from the 1980s (copyright 1980). It's a simple affair but that was part of its appeal and also why they became so popular to youngsters. It's a one-touch recorder via microphone or input and a player through its rather limited speaker. But what would you expect.

This one is in good cosmetic condition and seems to work correctly - it does require a good quality set of batteries, however. There are no chips or cracks to the plastics and all of the buttons are responsive and work as they should. Don't expect jaw-dropping audio, but do expect to be charmed by this relic of a particular time when this was indeed the thing to have...

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1980s Kidco Burnin’ Keys Highway Patrol Car with key – Number 62

Jon Nix — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 11:57:47 +0000

Like neon, big hair and leggings, the Burnin' Keys cars were big in the 80s. Made by Kidco they were a die-cast car with a launch system - nothing too unusual there, as there were plenty of toy cars around at the time which had similar. What was different with the Burnin' Keys was that the launcher was built into the car and was activated by a key which came with the vehicle and matched the vehicle. Operational was simple: just plug the key into the back of the car, squeeze the sides of the key slightly and the car zooms off via the spring loaded mechanism.
This one is a 1980 Highway Patrol poilice car number "62" and comes with its original key and fob and is in full working order. Cosmeticaly it's also good with wheels intact and rolling well, and with only minimal signs of wear and tear.

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Vintage 1980 Toshiba CR-3000 Stereo Digital Clock Radio

Jon Nix — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 13:21:06 +0000

Looking rather like a black plastic "Toblerone" packet, this is the Toshiba CR-3000 Stereo Digital Clock Radio, which dates from 1980. No surprises there - the glossy black finish, minimalism, and angular shapes are typical of that cross-over from space-age design to the 1980s. In many respects it's a fairly standard electronic clock radio, aside from the design, but there are some interesting features which set it apart too. First of all, that long design means that the stereo speakers do indeed have some spread to them and, what's more, two inputs on the left-hand side of the unit allows for further speakers to be added to enhance the sound. All of the controls are very neatly located on the top edge of the unit in a slightly recessed groover or are to the rear on the sloping surface, which means the front it gloriously uncluttered - just the two speakers and the clock and tuner displays. If you're a fan of sleek and stylish design then it ticks all the boxes.

This unit is in very good condition overall. There are, as to be expected, signs of use - notably some marks to the rear and superficial scratches to the high-gloss front, but otherwise the plastics are in very good condition, no chips or cracks. As a bonus, the original box and instructions are present, albeit the former has more obvious signs of age and wear.

The unit measures approximately 42cm long with a height of 5cm and a depth of 6cm (16.5 in., 2 in. and 2½ in. respectively).

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1980 Boxed MB Electronics Genius Sliding Lights Puzzle Handheld Game

Jon Nix — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 11:25:47 +0000

A game that might have passed you by back in the day is this MB Electronics "Genius" game. It's an electronic variation on the familiar sliding tile puzzle games of the past, but instead of trying to complete a picture by manipulating the tiles, the twist here is that the tiles are uniform and indicate their correct position by lighting up. It's weirdly addictive, frustrating, and fascinating... a test of memory and strategy as well as patience!

It runs on two AA batteries and is fully working, complete with original box and instructions. It's in good condition with no chips or cracks to the plastics.

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