15 Items Families Always Bought in the 1970s That You Rarely See Today

The retail world of the twentieth century offered a variety of products that have since vanished or been replaced by modern technology. Families regularly visited local department stores and supermarkets to stock up on items that were considered essential for a comfortable home life. From specialized kitchen gadgets to specific types of paper goods, these purchases reflected the tastes and the technological limits of the decade. It was a time when physical media and manual tools were the primary way people managed their households and entertained their children. Many of the brands and materials that were once household names have now become obsolete in our digital and health-conscious society. Looking back at these common purchases provides a fascinating glimpse into the daily needs and habits of a typical family fifty years ago. These fifteen items were once found in almost every shopping cart.

1. Rolls of Film for the Camera

Before the invention of digital sensors, every family had to buy physical rolls of film to capture their holiday memories. You would choose between black-and-white or color rolls, usually with 24 or 36 exposures per canister. People had to be very careful about which moments they chose to photograph because each shot cost money to purchase and develop. Once the roll was finished, you had to drop it off at a local pharmacy or a specialized booth and wait several days to see the results. There was a unique excitement in opening the envelope of prints to see if the pictures actually turned out clear. Today, we take thousands of photos on our phones for free, making the sight of a yellow film box a rare and nostalgic relic of a much slower and more deliberate era of photography.

2. TV Guides from the Grocery Store

Every weekly shopping trip included picking up a fresh copy of the TV Guide magazine near the checkout counter. This small digest was the only way to find out which programs were airing on the few available channels each night. Families would sit together and circle the shows they wanted to watch, planning their entire evening around the broadcast schedule. There were no digital menus or on-screen descriptions to help you navigate the options from your sofa. The magazine also featured interviews with stars and crossword puzzles, providing extra entertainment for the household. It was a vital tool for staying connected to the popular culture of the time. Now that we have instant access to streaming schedules on every device, the need for a printed television schedule has almost entirely disappeared.

3. Heavy Glass Returnable Soda Bottles

** **Buying a carton of soda meant lugging home a set of heavy glass bottles that were meant to be returned to the store. Families would keep the empty containers in a wooden or plastic crate in the garage until the next shopping trip. You would receive a small deposit of a few cents for each bottle you brought back to be cleaned and refilled by the bottling company. This was a very common and early form of recycling that everyone participated in without much thought. The soda always seemed to taste crisper and colder when it came out of a thick glass bottle rather than a modern plastic jug. As companies moved toward disposable aluminum cans and lightweight plastic, the ritual of the bottle return slowly faded away. It remains a classic memory of a time when packaging was much more durable.

4. Large Boxes of Powdered Laundry Soap

Laundry rooms were usually stocked with giant cardboard boxes of powdered detergent, each with a plastic measuring scoop. Liquid soaps were not yet the dominant choice for most households, so people relied on these heavy boxes to get their clothes clean. The powder often had a very strong and distinct floral scent that would fill the entire house on washing day. If the box got wet, the soap would turn into a solid brick that was nearly impossible to use without some effort. Moms and dads would carefully measure out the white grains to ensure the machine did not overflow with suds. While powdered soap still exists in some stores, the convenience of liquid pods and concentrated formulas has made the old giant box a much less frequent sight in the modern American laundry room.

5. Scented Stationery and Decorative Envelopes

Writing letters was the primary way to stay in touch with distant friends, and many people bought fancy scented stationery for the task. You could find boxes of paper decorated with floral borders or geometric patterns that came with matching envelopes. Some sets even had a light perfume applied to the pages to make the correspondence feel more personal and special. Young girls and adults alike took pride in their handwriting and the physical presentation of their messages. It was a time-consuming process that required stamps and a trip to the mailbox at the end of the street. With the rise of email and instant messaging, the art of the handwritten letter on decorative paper has become a rare hobby. The stationery aisle in most stores has shrunk significantly as our communication has moved entirely online.

6. Carbon Paper for Making Copies

If you wanted to make a duplicate of a typed or handwritten document at home, you had to use a sheet of messy carbon paper. You would place the dark blue or black sheet between two pieces of plain paper and press down hard with your pen or typewriter keys. The pressure would transfer the ink to the bottom page, creating a second copy that was often a bit blurry or smudged. It was a staple item for small businesses and students who needed to keep records of their work without access to a Xerox machine. Your fingers would often end up stained with dark ink after a long afternoon of organizing files or writing reports. The invention of the modern home printer and digital scanning has made this manual copying method completely obsolete for the average person today.

7. Cans of Frozen Juice Concentrate

Every freezer was packed with small metal and cardboard cylinders of frozen fruit juice concentrate. Families would buy several at a time because they were cheap and took up very little space compared to large liquid cartons. You had to let the can thaw slightly before dumping the icy block into a pitcher and adding several servings of cold tap water. Stirring the mixture until it was smooth was a daily chore for many children before they sat down for breakfast. The taste was familiar and consistent, providing a quick way to get fruit into the diet of a busy family. While you can still find these in some freezer sections, most people now opt for the convenience of ready-to-drink cartons that require no extra preparation or cleanup at home.

8. Jars of Solid Vegetable Shortening

Cooking and baking in the middle of the century often relied on a large blue tin of solid white vegetable shortening. This shelf-stable fat was used for everything from frying chicken to making the flakiest pie crusts for the holidays. It was seen as a versatile and modern alternative to animal fats like lard or butter. Every kitchen had a dedicated measuring cup used just for scooping out the thick white grease for various recipes. It did not require refrigeration, which made it easy to keep on hand for a long time in the pantry. As health trends shifted toward liquid oils and fresh butter, the popularity of solid shortening began to decline. Most modern home cooks now prefer ingredients that are perceived as more natural or less processed than the old tubs of hydrogenated vegetable oil.

9. Paper Road Maps from Gas Stations

Before every family vacation, the driver would stop at a service station to buy or collect a new set of paper road maps. These large sheets were printed with intricate details of highways, local streets, and scenic landmarks for every state. Navigating a long trip required a passenger to act as the navigator, squinting at the tiny lines and calling out turns in advance. Folding the map back into its original shape was a frustrating task that almost no one could master on the first try. People kept a thick stack of these maps in the glove compartment or the seat pockets of the family station wagon. The convenience of GPS and digital mapping on smartphones has turned these printed guides into collector items. The stressful experience of getting lost without a signal is now a thing of the past.

10. Boxes of Individual Instant Puddings

Dessert often came from a small cardboard box of instant pudding mix that required only a few minutes of whisking with cold milk. Families would buy various flavors like chocolate, vanilla, or butterscotch to keep as a quick treat for the kids. It was a revolutionary convenience food that replaced the need for long hours of stirring over a hot stove. Once mixed, the pudding would set in the fridge and be served in small glass bowls with a dollop of whipped cream on top. It was a staple of the after-school snack routine and a favorite for busy parents who wanted to provide a sweet end to the day. While pudding is still available, the rise of pre-made plastic cups and more complex gourmet desserts has made the boxed mix a much less common sight in the modern pantry.

11. Metal Tins of Pipe Tobacco

It was very common for fathers and grandfathers to buy round metal tins of aromatic pipe tobacco at the local convenience store. The air in many living rooms had a distinct, often pleasant smell of cherry- or vanilla-tobacco smoke. Men took great pride in their collection of pipes and the various blends they would mix to find their favorite flavor. These tins were often reused to hold nails, screws, or small toys once the tobacco was finished. Smoking a pipe was seen as a relaxed, scholarly hobby, socially acceptable in most indoor settings. As the health risks of tobacco became more widely understood, the number of pipe smokers dropped significantly. The sight of a person carefully packing a pipe with tobacco from a tin is now something you rarely encounter in public.

12. Hardback Encyclopedias for the Home

A set of heavy hardback encyclopedias was a major investment that many families made to help their children with schoolwork. These books were often sold door to door and took up an entire shelf in the living room or the study. They were the primary source of information for everything from historical dates to scientific facts before the internet existed. Students would spend hours flipping through the alphabetized volumes to find information for their term papers and reports. The gold lettering on the spines gave the home a sense of prestige and a commitment to learning. Once the internet and sites like Wikipedia arrived, these massive sets became outdated almost overnight. Most are now found in used book stores or libraries as artifacts of a time when knowledge was contained in physical books.

13. Plastic Transistor Radio Batteries

Portable entertainment in the seventies relied on small transistor radios that required a steady supply of nine-volt or double-A batteries. Families would buy these batteries in bulk to ensure they could listen to ball games or music while at the park or the beach. There were no rechargeable internal batteries or USB cords to keep the devices running. When the sound began to fade or get static, you knew it was time to pop out the old cells and put in a fresh set. People would often carry spare batteries in their pockets just in case the radio died during a favorite show. The tactile click of the battery compartment was a familiar sound of the era. Today, our devices are powered by long-lasting internal cells, making the frequent purchase of small radio batteries a thing of the past.

14. Cans of Aerosol Hair Spray

Achieving the voluminous hairstyles of the decade required a heavy application of aerosol hair spray from a tall metal can. Women would buy these in multiple strengths to ensure their curls and beehives stayed in place through wind and humidity. The fine mist would fill the bathroom and create a sticky layer on every surface if you were not careful. People did not yet realize the environmental impact of the chemicals used to propel the liquid out of the nozzle. It was a daily essential for anyone who wanted to maintain a fashionable look for work or social events. As styles moved toward a more natural and soft appearance, the need for rock-hard hair lessened. Modern formulas are much lighter and use different delivery systems that are safer for both the user and the planet.

15. Manual Typewriter Ribbon Spools

For households that owned a typewriter, buying a new black and red ink ribbon was a necessary task for keeping up with correspondence. These small plastic spools were threaded through the machine and provided the ink for every letter typed onto the page. You had to be careful not to get the dark ink on your fingers while installing the fresh ribbon. If the print started to look grey or faint, you knew the ribbon was nearing the end of its life. Some ribbons were dual colored, allowing you to switch to red ink for emphasis or financial figures. The clacking sound of the keys hitting the ribbon was the rhythm of a productive afternoon. Now that everyone uses computers and digital fonts, the need for a physical ink ribbon has vanished for all but the most dedicated vintage collectors.

• Tags:
• vintage items
• consumer history
• Old Brands
• Household Goods
• 70s items