Rotary phones, waterbeds, and 8-track tape players.
It was common to see each of these items in a typical house in the 1970s. But today, if you even mention any of those words to someone under 30 years old they would probably give you a funny look.
There’s no doubt that household items have changed dramatically over the last several decades and in this article we’ve compiled a list of 25 common household items from the 1970s that have basically disappeared from homes today.
1. Rotary Telephones
The first household item on our list that most homes had back in the 1970s was rotary telephones.
Rotary telephones allowed people to make calls by turning a numbered dial for each digit of the phone number. Because they were connected directly to a wall jack, they could not be carried around the house like modern cordless or mobile phones.
If a young person saw this type of phone in a house today, they probably wouldn’t have a clue how to use it.
2. Waterbeds
Another household item that was common in the 1970s that you hardly ever see today is a waterbed.
As the name implies, waterbeds used a large, water-filled mattress designed to conform to the sleeper’s body. They were marketed as a comfortable and fashionable alternative to traditional spring mattresses.
3. Shag Carpet
If you walked into a typical home in the 1970s, you were basically guaranteed to see shag carpet in at least one of the rooms.
And the variety of colors that shag carpet came in was impressive – yellow, lime green, and real were common colors that added a pop of color and warmth to the rooms.
Today, you’re highly unlikely to see shag carpet in any modern home unless a homeowner intentionally is going for a vintage look.
4. Metal TV Trays
Another item that was popular in the 1970s that has since fallen by the wayside is metal TV trays.
Metal TV trays provided a small, portable surface for eating meals while watching television. They usually folded flat for storage and were often decorated with colorful patterns or floral designs.
Some houses today might still have TV trays but they probably look nothing like the metal ones from back in the day.
5. Wood-Console Televisions
If you had a television in the 1970s, there was a decent chance that it was encased in a large wooden cabinet.
Wood-console televisions were designed to resemble a substantial piece of living-room furniture rather than a standalone electronic device. They were seen as the focal point of the room.
Today, it’s much more common for households to either mount the TV on the wall in the living room or simply place it on top of a large dresser or desk.
6. Harvest Gold Appliances
There’s a decent chance that if you were around in the 1970s the color of your appliances in your kitchen was harvest gold.
Harvest gold appliances included refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, and other kitchen items finished in a deep yellow-gold color.
The shade was used to give kitchens a warm, coordinated appearance that matched popular 1970s décor. Today, you would be hard-pressed to find any home that features appliances in this color.
7. Encyclopedia Sets
Another household item that you could find in most homes from the 1970s were encyclopedia sets.
Believe it or not, there was a time before households had access to the internet and encyclopedias – massive books that provided detailed information about history, science, geography, famous people, and many other subjects – were one of the ways that many families could look up facts and interesting information.
Today, Wikipedia and the internet have mostly eliminated the need for encyclopedia sets from most households.
8. Fondue Sets
One kitchen item that was wildly popular in the 1970s was a fondue set.
Fondue sets were used to keep melted cheese, chocolate, or hot cooking oil warm in a communal pot. Families would sit around the table and used long forks to dip bread, fruit, meat, or other foods into the pot.
Today, fondue sets still exists but they aren’t nearly as common as they were back in the 1970s.
9. Beaded Doorway Curtains
Another common household item from the 1970s that is rarely seen in houses today is beaded doorway curtains.
Beaded doorway curtains were decorative strands of beads hung across an open doorway. They created a visual divider between rooms while still allowing people, light, and air to pass through.
Back in the day, they were seen as fashionable. Today, they’re basically nonexistent in most homes.
10. 8-Track Tape Players
If you were around in the 1970s, you were all too familiar with 8-track tape players.
These tape players played music stored on large plastic cartridges containing a continuous loop of magnetic tape and were commonly found in living rooms or other communal spaces in the typical 1970s home.
11. Popcorn Poppers
The next item on our list that was common in the 1970s house was a popcorn popper.
Popcorn poppers were small appliances designed specifically to heat oil and pop corn kernels.
While they weren’t as efficient or fast as modern popcorn bags today that you can throw in the microwave, they were a fun and entertaining way to make popcorn for movie night.
12. Afghan Blankets
One of the most common living room items that could find in a typical 1970s home was an afghan blanket.
These blankets were hand-knitted or crocheted throws made from colorful yarn. They were used as bedspreads or as a decoration on the back of couches or chairs.
13. Stovetop Percolators
Another kitchen item commonly seen in a 1970s household was the stovetop percolator.
Stovetop percolators brewed coffee by repeatedly circulating boiling water through coffee grounds. They were placed directly on a stove burner and often featured a glass knob that allowed you to watch the coffee darken.
Today, these are basically nonexistent and have been replaced by newer kitchen technology that boils water faster and more efficiently.
14. Metal Ice Cube Trays with Levers
Most kitchens today have ice cube trays, but they don’t look like the ones that households used in the ’70s.
Metal ice cube trays froze water in individual compartments before automatic ice makers became common. Pulling the attached lever flexed the metal dividers and released the cubes from the tray.
As any kid from the 1970s will tell you, pulling the lever was the fun part about this device because you could watch all the cubes fall out of the tray at once.
15. Bread Boxes
Yet another common kitchen item from the ’70s was the bread box.
Bread boxes stored loaves, rolls, and other baked goods on the kitchen counter. Their enclosed design helped protect bread from moisture, pests, and exposure to the air.
These were common back in the day but they’re not seen nearly as often in households anymore.
16. Hand-Crank Egg Beaters
Hand-crank egg beaters were another kitchen appliance that was commonly found in a typical 1970s home.
Hand-crank egg beaters used rotating metal beaters powered by turning a handle. They were used to whip eggs, mix batter, and blend ingredients.
Today, electric hand mixers have mostly made the hand-crank egg beaters obsolete.
17. Console Stereo Systems
In many 1970s living rooms you could find a console stereo system.
Console stereo systems combined a record player, radio, speakers, and sometimes an 8-track player inside a large wooden cabinet. They served as both a home entertainment system and a prominent piece of furniture.
Today, these systems are pretty rare but you can certainly find one to buy online if you’re looking for a vintage piece of furniture to showcase in your home.
18. Rolodex Card Files
The next item on our list is one that most young people have never used: rolodex card files.
Rolodex card files stored names, telephone numbers, addresses, and business information on rotating index cards. You could quickly flip through the cards to locate a personal or professional contact.
Today, smartphones have mostly eliminated the need for rolodex card files since all of your contacts can now be stored digitally.
19. Answering Machines with Cassette Tapes
Another common household item from the 1970s was an answering machine with cassette tapes.
Cassette answering machines recorded telephone messages when no one was available to answer the phone. Callers heard a prerecorded greeting, and their messages were saved on a small cassette tape for later playback.
This is an item that most young people have never seen in person and would be confused by the need for it today.
20. Aluminum Jell-O Molds
Another kitchen item that was popular in the 1970s that is hardly ever seen today is aluminum jell-o molds.
Aluminum Jell-O molds shaped gelatin desserts into decorative rings, domes, and other designs. They were also used for molded salads containing fruit, vegetables, cottage cheese, or other ingredients.
21. Transistor Radios
The next item on our list is transistor radios.
Transistor radios were small, battery-powered devices that allowed people to listen to music, sports, and news away from home. Their portability made them popular at beaches, parks, picnics, and outdoor gatherings.
At the time, transistor radios were a state-of-the-art technology but today they’ve been replaced by much more advanced stereos and even smartphones where people can play any music they want at the touch of a button.
22. Wall-Mounted Rotary Can Openers
This next appliance is one that most people under 30 have never even heard of: wall-mounted rotary can openers.
Wall-mounted rotary can openers were attached to a kitchen wall and operated by turning a hand crank. They held the can in place while a cutting wheel removed the lid.
Today, these are rarely found in any home and hand-crank can openers are much more common.
23. Sunday Roasters
If you wanted to prepare a meal for a large gathering in the 1970s, there’s a good chance that you would pull out the Sunday roaster.
Sunday roasters were large covered pans used to slowly cook roasts, poultry, vegetables, and other family meals in the oven. They were especially useful for preparing traditional Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings.
Today, these have mostly been replaced with crockpots, ovens and other modern appliances.
24. Recipe Card Boxes
Another item from the 1970s that isn’t seen nearly as much in homes today is the physical recipe card box.
Recipe card boxes organized handwritten or clipped recipes on individual index cards. Families often divided the cards into categories such as desserts, casseroles, meats, and side dishes.
These could be found proudly displayed in most kitchens from the 1970s but today they’re not nearly as popular.
25. Princess Telephones
We started this list with a telephone that is rarely seen today and we’re ending the list with another telephone that was common in 1970s houses that is also rarely seen today: princess telephones.
Princess telephones were compact, stylish phones designed primarily for bedrooms and small tables. Many included an illuminated dial that made the numbers easier to see in the dark.
Similar to other items on this list, the smartphone has basically made this item obsolete.
Time Marches On
From old telephones to hand-crank egg beaters to transistor radios, new technology has eliminated the need for many of the household items from the 1970s that were once common.
And yet, people today will still search online for these old appliances and gadgets and buy them purely for the nostalgia and the memories of how things used to be.
After all, you can play pretty much any song you can think of directly from your smartphone, but it just doesn’t look as cool as an 8-track tape player.
How many items from this list did you have in your home from the 1970s? Do you still use any of them today?
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