Retro Sounds: Miida Stereo Receiver

On a recent thrift store run, I dipped my toes into the pool of vintage sound systems.  I bought a Miida Stereo Receiver.  It's a nice looking receiver and it is totally analog.  When you power it up, it has dials and needles and a warm glow.  The sound it delivers is pretty good, too.  But, there is a problem.  One stereo channel cuts out completely--even when listening to headphones.  A little whack can help it come back, but that's not a fun way to listen to music.

I probably jarred the unit a bit when positioning it on the shelf and attaching speakers.  But, now I am in a quandary about whether to have it repaired, learn to repair it myself, or ditch it and buy a more modern receiver when the time is right.  I don't want a $40 dollar receiver to become a $400 receiver.  But, it would be so cool if it worked right!

Miida Stereo Receiver

I could just save up a little money and buy a new receiver like the Onkyo TX-8255 (shown below).  I'm sure it would work well and sound great.  But, I'm a little stubborn about these things.

Retro Gifts

From Radios to Record Players, this Christmas old fashioned gifts may be your best bet.  Here are some decidedly retro gift ideas:

Five Retro Gift Ideas

A Retro-Style Watch from Fossil

This watch from Fossil has all the retro goodness of a classic watch from the 60s or 70s in a modern quartz package and dial size.  It's a nice solid watch with a classic look and simple style.  You can read more about it in this review:

Wristwatch Review:  Fossil Men's Ansel Vintage-style Quartz Watch with Stainless Steel Band

If you'd like to learn more, this link will take you directly to the watch on the Fossil.com site!

Old School Clock Radio - GE Clock Radio 7-4620D

Sometimes if you want something to work well, you have to do it the old school way.  Last weekend, I found the perfect clock radio.  If you've ever been confused and befuddled by the myriad of buttons on a modern alarm clock, you'll love this radio. It's a GE Clock Radio Model 7-4620D.  It has an LED time display and very simple controls. I suspect it was made in the late 70s or early 80s.  Here it is on the nightstand among my alarm clocks.

It looks simple and it is simple.  The controls on top of this GE clock are super easy to understand.

 
But, it also has a few old school features.  For example, it has a heavy old school speaker that puts out some decent sound and more importantly some loud sound.  You can tune the radio and control the volume here.

 

As long as the power doesn't go out, you won't sleep through anything with this clock radio.  Plus, you won't find teak grain finish on polystyrene like this anywhere!  

If you gotta go with more modern technology inside, here you go . . .but my clock radio was only $5.

Vintage GE Radio

The newest addition to my cube is a vintage radio from General Electric. It was only $2 at a thrift store.

Vintage GE Radio

However, with earplugs, it's a great way to listen to talk radio, music, and get traffic reports at work.  The radio is a survivor from the mid-1970s, but it still works well.  The antenna seems to have been replaced and I don't get every channel.  But, radios often don't work well in modern office building.  For an updated radio alternative, check out this attractive Sony radio -

Retro Toasters

Do you remember cool Toasters from the kitchen's of the 70s?  I did.  Or, I thought I did.  I found these really cool Toasters in a thrift store.  One was an old Proctor-Silex and the other was a Toastmaster toaster. I thought I'd buy them and sell them or use them.  However, there was one thing I didn't remember:  old toasters can get pretty funky.  I plugged one in to test it and it started smoking almost immediately.  It smelled of burnt toast and worse.  I just shut it off and walked away.

Retro Toasters

 If you want a toaster that works and that doesn't smoke, you are probably better off getting a nice new toaster from a reputable store like Kohls!  A good toaster will last for a long time and set the tone for your kitchen.

Ikea Pod Chair

Nothing could be more retro than a pod chair!  It seems to have been a popular style during the 70s.  Last weekend, we saw an interesting looking pod chair called Skruvsta at Ikea.  It's got the whole retro mod look going for it.  It comes in at about $150.

At a higher price point, here's another funky looking Pod Chair from Wayfair.com:




Here is an affordable leopard print chair called the "Mod Pod FX" from Sam's Club.  I don't really see it as a Pod Chair though . . .