Is it their durability and longevity that makes old consumer items feel so special in a contemporary context? That they've lasted so long is surely part of their material appeal. But for me aesthetics is a larger part. Take the two toys you show. If I ignore the bear's strange muzzle attachment, both are entirely charming and innocent, representatives of a bygone era: hence imbued w/ nostalgia. That they are also personal items renders them emotionally fetching in a way cameras, watches and fountain pens are not. Yet even strictly mechanical and functional items had a design aesthetic that we can recognize as pleasing to the human sensibility and a hell of a lot more interesting than their contemporary editions.
Is it their durability and longevity that makes old consumer items feel so special in a contemporary context? That they've lasted so long is surely part of their material appeal. But for me aesthetics is a larger part. Take the two toys you show. If I ignore the bear's strange muzzle attachment, both are entirely charming and innocent, representatives of a bygone era: hence imbued w/ nostalgia. That they are also personal items renders them emotionally fetching in a way cameras, watches and fountain pens are not. Yet even strictly mechanical and functional items had a design aesthetic that we can recognize as pleasing to the human sensibility and a hell of a lot more interesting than their contemporary editions.