Left: A red air pump station at a gas station with a Visa and MasterCard payment option. The caption reads, "Remember when air used to be free." 
Right: Two toy soldier figurines, one red and one blue, holding parachutes. The caption reads, "These guys were always ready to go.
Via Reddit

Time flies. It really does. One moment you’re a kid, maybe most concerned about what kind of toy you’re about to dig out of the cereal box, and then the next thing you know, you’ve had decades pass you by and you feel terribly old. All of these crazy technological advancements are certainly not helping the cause. That being said, some of these images are sure to make you feel quite, quite old.

1. “Remember when air was free?”

A public air pump station for vehicle tires located in a shaded area beside a tree. The station features payment options including Visa and MasterCard. It is equipped with a hose and gauge for inflating tires. A red cylindrical bollard is nearby.
u/freelost127/via reddit.com

2. “It really wasn’t difficult.”

A tweet from user "@Grosdoriane" reads: "The fact that people used to deliver pizzas before GPS is so absurd to me. People were really calling up a pizzeria like 'I want a large pizza delivered in 30 minutes. I'm going to give you a house number, and a random street name. Good f***ing luck.'
u/friendlysquall/via reddit.com

3. “These were interesting to sleep in.”

A wooden-framed waterbed with intricate carvings on the headboard, featuring a built-in mirror and small storage compartments. The room has tiled flooring and a window allowing natural light to enter. The waterbed appears to have a smooth, red-tinted surface.
u/1illiteratefool/via reddit.com

4. “Anyone else grow up with one of these?”

A hand holds a flat, woven wicker tray resembling a paper plate. The image has text above and below. Top text: "When dinner was served on paper plates..." Bottom text: "But you wanted to take it up a notch." The background shows a tiled floor and kitchen cabinets.
u/leglesslegolegolas/via reddit.com

5. “What was the one thing you always wanted, but never got?”

Two boys play with a large aircraft carrier toy set, complete with fighter jets, a control tower, and various miniature vehicles and action figures. One boy is wearing a red shirt and is holding a black jet, while the other boy, in a blue shirt, is playing with the control tower.
u/sleeplesscitynights/via reddit.com

6. “Throwing it back to the perpetual towel drying station.”

A wall-mounted automatic hand dryer with a continuous piece of cloth towel. The cloth hangs down for drying hands. The background features beige patterned wallpaper and gray tiled walls.
u/quickpresentation11/via reddit.com

7. “These always appeared on coffee tables between Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

A wooden bowl filled with various types of nuts, including almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts, is featured. In the center of the bowl, there are five intricately designed metallic nutcrackers standing upright.
u/altruisticcult7957/via reddit.com

8. “Were you one of these kids?”

An electronic project kit titled "Science Fair 160 in ONE Electronic Project Kit." It features various components on a panel, including resistors, capacitors, LEDs, a speaker, a solar cell, transistors, and switches, labeled and arranged in different colored sections.
u/tonysopranos/via reddit.com

9. “The kids have no idea.”

A vintage hand-crank tool with a cylindrical brush attachment, mounted on a base. The tool appears to be made of metal with a rustic finish, and is set against a wrinkled white fabric background.
u/the299bin/via reddit.com

10. “I’ll see your paddle ball and raise you a cheap airplane.”

A small model glider made of lightweight wood with red printed designs, including the word "Jetfire" on the wings. The glider has a long fuselage, wide wings, and a tail section with vertical and horizontal stabilizers.
u/deleted/via reddit.com

11. “If you can tell what this is, then you might be old.”

A stack of white, perforated plastic strips lies on a dark wooden surface. The strips are aligned with several small, evenly spaced holes running along their length.
u/bitterfuture/via reddit.com

12. “These were mighty fun.”

Two toy paratroopers are attached to wooden wall. One is red with a green parachute and the other is blue with a yellow parachute. Both have white cords connecting them to their packed parachutes.
u/sixmillionwaystolive/via reddit.com

13. “Truth.”

A vintage television from the 1980s sits on a metal and wood TV stand. On the screen is a retro-style video game. Below the TV, there is an old game console with two joystick controllers attached. Text above reads, "Unless you were there in 1982, you can't even imagine how baller this setup was.
u/sirjohngalt/via reddit.com

14. “Nothing like making your own popsicles.”

A white popsicle mold set displayed on a black surface. The set includes a tray for six popsicles, four molds with pointed tips, and six handles with stoppers. The molds and handles are arranged neatly above and beside the tray.
u/plguy/via reddit.com

15. “Blast from the past.”

A red box labeled "72 Big Shot Caps" with safety warnings stands next to a vintage metal toy cap gun. The cap gun has a distinctive flared handle and a circular mechanism at the base. The packaging and toy are placed on a wooden surface.
u/nichliin/via reddit.com

16. “Don’t even try to tell me you don’t know about these.”

A stack of three white ceramic casserole dishes with blue floral patterns on the side, positioned against a dark background. The dishes have handles and are nested inside one another.
u/eventualoutcome/via reddit.com

17. “Never forget.”

A red can of Jolt Cola featuring a yellow lightning bolt through the "O" in "Jolt." The can displays the slogan "Twice the caffeine" and "The Switch Is On" in yellow text at the bottom. The background has horizontal white lines.
u/affectionalrent/via reddit.com

18. “If you know, then know you’re old.”

A brown, vintage Westclox alarm clock with a white face and black Arabic numerals. The clock has black hour and minute hands, a thin red second hand, and is set to approximately 7:17. The clock is placed on a wooden surface.
u/motosurf77/via reddit.com

19. “If you had one, then you’re up there in years.”

A blue Motorola pager with a grey clip-on chain is displayed. The screen shows the time 11:36, and below it, another time which appears to be 15:01. The pager has buttons below the screen and the brand logo on the front.
u/progress7309/via reddit.com

20. “Pretty on point.”

Four members of the Rolling Stones stand together on stage, wearing a mix of casual and vibrant outfits. One of them is dressed more conservatively, suitable for an older man, contrasting with the others' more flamboyant attire. A humorous caption is above them.
u/islandbeef/via reddit.com

21. “Memory unlocked.”

An open box of the vintage "Creepy Crawlers" Thingmaker by Mattel. The set contains various molds, bottles of colored goop, a heating unit, and accessories for creating rubbery bug-like creatures. The box lid features illustrations of children making and playing with the creatures.
u/wickedtimes/via reddit.com

Meet the Writer

Matt has spent over the last 8 years as both a writer and editor, working in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally maniacal, pigeons. They always have a lot to say. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a new book and/or some friends, or just as easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.

These days Matt’s caught up in trying to provide folks as many vivid glimpses into the days long since passed as he can, through fun and engaging collections of hand-picked vintage photos.