The 1980s gave us shoulder pads and big, frizzy hair, but it also gave us a fully-functional LEGO-like toy brick landline phone from Tyco.
These phones are making a comeback as retro-cool home accessories. Refurbished models are showing up on eBay and are also available from several online vendors. The refurbished ‘Big Blocks’ phone by Tyco will set you back about $70-$120.
There may be satisfaction in knowing the purchase of a refurbished LEGO-esque phone adds a fun accessory to the buyer’s home and is an act of cultural and material recycling.
LEGO Phones
The Fully Functional Tyco ‘Big Blocks' Phone Makes a Comeback
Trend Themes
1. Retro-cool Home Accessories - The resurgence of vintage-looking home phones presents an opportunity for companies to leverage nostalgic design in creating new and improved smart home accessories.
2. Cultural and Material Recycling - The popularity of refurbished LEGO-like phones highlights the potential for repurposing cultural and material artifacts to create new marketable products.
3. Leveraging Nostalgia - Companies can profit from tapping into consumers' fondness for nostalgic products by creating innovative new consumer electronics and home decor inspired by old-school design.
Industry Implications
1. Smart Home Accessories - In the wake of the return of vintage-looking home phones, companies in the smart home industry should consider creating products with similarly retro aesthetics to tap into consumer demand.
2. Sustainable Products - Repurposing cultural and material artifacts like the Tyco Big Blocks phone can spark innovations in eco-friendly product manufacturing and design.
3. Consumer Electronics - Innovative and nostalgic reinterpretations of classic designs can drive disruption in the consumer electronics industry, opening up new markets for companies to explore.