One step into Emily Force’s apartment and you’ll feel like you’ve gone back in time thanks to everything from vinyl records to vintage collectibles. “It’s just cool to have your own unique, eclectic stuff and clothes,” she says.
Experts say these days, nostalgia rules. Jason Dorsey is a generational expert. He says millennials are especially fascinated by what they may consider relics.
“They want a connection to the past, to history,” he explains. “And they also want something that’s tangible, that really connects us with the time and a sense of place that many millennials can’t find in a digital world.”
The sense of yesteryear is big business. One recent survey found 92 percent of college students prefer print books to their digital counterparts. And vinyl sales keep climbing with 13.1 million records sold in the US last year. And the mix tape is back with cassette tape sales growing by 74 percent last year!
“It’s not replacing, you know, your iPhone,” says Dorsey. “But it’s certainly a supplement to it.”
Dorsey believes the low-tech trend is fueled by the growing desire to make a mark in this mass- produced world. And it’s not just one decade in demand.
“So, the 40s, 50s might be more prominent for say, furniture. Sixties and 70s might be more prominent for clothing, and the 70s, maybe even 80s we might see in film and these other places.”
Emily likes all the decades, and says she’ll continue to rock her vintage looks and sounds for the foreseeable future.
And don’t think brands aren’t paying attention to all this nostalgia. You don’t have to look far to new twists on old favorites from cereals to tortilla chips to clothing. And blast from the past beverages like Zima and Crystal Pepsi are back on store shelves this summer. Maybe you really can go back again!
