17 Once-Popular Household Items You Rarely See Anymore

It seems like just yesterday when renting VHS movies on a Friday night was the thing to do. But in reality, it's been years — and no one would have a VCR to play them on anyway! Oh how times change, and it can happen in the blink of an eye. We all remember growing up with certain household items that seemed like everyone and their mother had. Yet, just like with video rental stores, they fizzled out right under our noses, and won't be coming back any time soon. R.I.P. cameras with film.

Although these common household items were once popular, some might leave young people scratching their heads. For the rest of you, it's a fun dose of nostalgia — from appliances like answering machines, to absolute must-haves like the phone book. So, grab your Jiffy Pop popcorn and take a trip down memory lane to see which items you recall having in your home.

Most people can't imagine not owning a cell phone. But back in the day, a landline was all you had — and you'd typically find the main phone in the kitchen or living room (and thanks to a cord, that's where you'd stay). We all remember those awkward calls to friends where you had to speak with their parents first, or waiting forever for your sister to get off the phone. The first landline came out in the late 1800s, but you rarely see them at all anymore. Looks like it's time to upcycle your old home phones!

Before streaming, you'd have to actually plan when to watch TV so you didn't miss your favorite shows. Thank goodness for the TV Guide, which told you exactly when and what channel every program was on. While TV Guide Magazine is still around, it's far from the living room staple that families relied on for their entertainment schedule. And if you misplaced it? Couch cushions were flying.

Having ashtrays in the house was once a very common thing. Even if the homeowners didn't smoke, they'd set them out for friends and guests. Many people collected ash trays, and displayed them as a piece of decor. Some kids even used to make ashtrays as art projects to give to their parents as gifts. It was definitely different times, that's for sure!

If kids today were to see a Rolodex, they might not know what to do with it. However, most households had one near their main phone as a keeper of contact information. A Rolodex was a lifesaver for storing phone numbers and addresses. Plus, who didn't love flipping the cards? Nowadays, everyone uses their cell phone to save contact information, sadly missing out on the Rolodex's fun wheels.

Not everyone could afford to have their own set of Encyclopedia Britannica, but they were certainly a popular household item pre-internet. School research projects could be done at home, whether you were writing a paper on zebras or the planets. Some might even remember a traveling salesman coming to their door trying to sell the books. Regardless of how much you actually read through the encyclopedias, they always looked sharp lined up on a shelf.

We're not talking about the huge TVs of today that look like mini movie screens. Most families had a big, boxy television that took a great deal of strength to move. As time went on, screens got bigger, while televisions as a whole got lighter, flatter, and less expensive. But back in the day, it was bulky TVs on wide TV stands. Although you may not need it to hold your TV anymore, don't throw out your vintage TV stand – as you can give it a transformation instead.

The popularity of answering machines rose in the 1980s, with the clicks and beeps still fresh in many of your heads. Sure, you still use voicemail, but nothing will compare to dashing home to check the answering machine, excited to see who called. It was also a great way to screen calls, before caller ID was a thing. The answering machine was eventually booted out like its pal, the landline. Luckily, we can still enjoy all of the jokes they stir up in classic sitcoms.

Ah, the old Yellow Pages. Many households would have a cabinet full of the hefty books — but not so much anymore. People have turned to searching up businesses online, making the printed phone books not as popular as they were decades ago. They were such a common item, some of you may remember them being used as makeshift booster seats for kids at the dinner table.

Teens nowadays have impressive digital music playlists. But, years ago, we'd show off our music collection with a stocked CD tower placed beside the stereo. It was a real pride and joy no matter how you organized your jewel cases. While some still honor the classic CD, having a tower in your bedroom or living room isn't quite the "it" thing anymore.

Having a typewriter at home was nice for the times when writing something by hand just seemed like a pain in the neck. They weren't as convenient as computers, and were a tad noisier — but it's easy to see why they became a popular household item, especially for students. While you probably haven't noticed a typewriter sitting on a neighbor's dining room table lately, it's a household item that won't be forgotten.

If you were around in the '60s and '70s, it wasn't out of the ordinary to spot a couch with a plastic cover. Not that it made you want to sit on it, though! A great material for protecting furniture, but it made the piece totally uncomfortable — especially on a hot summer day. You don't see plastic-covered couches and chairs too often anymore. But the ones that were covered are probably still in excellent shape.

If you invited friends over for a cookout, you were definitely challenging them to some lawn darts. Once a popular backyard game, the goal was to throw a heavy, metal-tipped dart into a target that was placed dozens of feet away. Lawn darts (or Jarts) were officially banned in 1988 after multiple injuries and deaths. Needless to say, they are no longer a common household item — families are reaching for cornhole instead.

What do you think would happen if you were to give a teen a rotary phone — do you think they'd know how to use it? Many of you probably remember having this type of phone in your house. Instead of pushing on buttons, you had to complete the call using a dial, which took a bit longer than the modern phones of today. Hopefully, your buddy's phone number didn't have a bunch of 9s!

Like TVs, computers were once massive and a popular luxury in many homes. People typically had one family computer that was set up in a shared space like the kitchen, living room, or office. Nowadays, it seems like everyone in a house has their own laptop computer. But years ago, it was just one enormous box that kids had to fight over if they wanted to play Oregon Trail.

Nothing says fun Saturday night quite like looking at your neighbors' vacation photos. Slide projectors were great, as they allowed you to view your memories on a big screen or wall. However, if they weren't YOUR memories — it could become a bit of a snooze fest. You can probably still hear the classic click sound in your head when the host would finally get to the next slide.

There used to be a time when a magazine rack was a living room essential. After all, where else were you going to store all of your People and Sports Illustrated magazines? But with everyone getting their news and celebrity gossip online, there's no longer a need to have an entire rack for published material. Gone are the days of flipping through your favorite magazines, and along with it, having a holder next to the recliner full of them.

Modern electric juicers are a far cry from the old-school juicers people used to have for healthy living. You know, the kind that forced you to manually twist the oranges for what felt like forever? The juice always tasted fresh and delicious, but many of you would've rather been watching cartoons than getting an arm workout. Today, there are easier methods for enjoying some vitamin C — although they cost a lot more and take up more counter space!