# LEGO Phones The Fully Functional Tyco ‘Big Blocks' Phone Makes a Comeback By Katie Cordrey | Published 2009-06-16 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tyco-big-blocks-retro-phones-fully-functional-landline-lego-lookalike References: [gadgets.boingboing.net](http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/06/15/only-2-bids-on-1989.html) & [markpascua](http://www.markpascua.com/2008/03/21/lego-esque-phone/) The 1980s gave us shoulder pads and big, frizzy hair, but it also gave us a fully-functional [LEGO](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-atari-2600)-like toy brick landline phone from Tyco. These phones are making a comeback as [retro-cool home accessories](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pop-phone). Refurbished models are showing up on [eBay](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/willy-chavarria1) 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. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.4/10 - Popularity: 46% | Activity: 49% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **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. - **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. - **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. ### Sectors Adopting This - **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. - **Sustainable Products:** Repurposing cultural and material artifacts like the Tyco Big Blocks phone can spark innovations in eco-friendly product manufacturing and design. - **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. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Retro-Inspired Toy Models](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-atari-2600.md) - [Mint-Tonal Retro Radios](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-5.md) - [Functional Toy Telephones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chatter-telephone.md) - [Legacy Building Block Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/galaxy-explorer.md) - [Brick Toy Revivals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/game-boy-set.md) - [Building Block Game Consoles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-nintendo-game-boy.md) - [Retro Puzzle Block Computers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-fan-build.md) - [Retro-Chic Nostalgic Flip Phones](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/barbie-phone.md) - [Vintage Building Block Cameras](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-ideas-polaroid-onestep-sx70-camera-set.md)