Retro Gift Shops You'll Really Love!
By Mark Nobes, chief editor
It would seem that the need for nostalgia never goes away, and in recent years retro gift shops have been exploding online. Not literally, of course, but the number of stores has definitely been increasing. In this post, I'm going to hand-pick the best ones which are aimed at British shoppers, to bring you the ultimate list of retro gift shops serving the UK.
Truffleshuffle
Truffleshuffle is my favourite online retro store, and 80s fans will know that the name is taken from the "fat kid dance" (as it's crudely labelled online) by Chunk from The Goonies. The store has a very modern feel with a nicely-coloured theme and clean layout. You can shop by interest, gender or caretgory, and you'll find a huge choice of gifts related to the 1970s, 80s and 90s, including homeware, gifts, clothing, nightwear, underwear, games, puzzles and toys.
Etsy
Etsy has one of the biggest choices of retro gifts online. Whether you want an original, used product from the 80s, or a brand new item that celebrates the past, you'll find it here. Just type in "80s", for instance, and you'll see many hundreds of pages of products, both new and old. It's a very inspirational store, and you'll get lots of ideas here. The jewellery and clothings sections are particularly good, so if you're looking to dress up for an 80s party, make sure you give Etsy a visit.
Sweet and Nostalgic
Sweet and Nostalgic is a delightful UK store specialises in retro gifts and vintage gifts from the 20th century. It's packed to the rafters with gift ideas, including metal war signs, vintage coins, postcards, board games, replica newspapers and w whole lot more besides. You can choose your favourite decade from the Victorian era to the 1990s. The store has a vintage brown design but with modern menus, making it a very pleasurable shopping experience.
Screenshot from Sweetandnostalgic.co.uk.
Rex London
If you're after something really unique and retro, then Rexlondon.com is the store for you. Formerly the dotcomgiftshop, this new store now features a very clean and minimalist layout, and you'll find some fantastic ideas here, from traditional kites and boomerangs to a vinyl record shaped pizza cutter. Be warned, you will spend a very long time browsing this site, so set aside some time to do so!
Atom Retro
Atom Retro is a very cool retro store which is particularly good for retro and vintage colthing for both men and women. THey feature all the top brands, and a huge choice of items including shoes, dresses, shirts, trousers, etc. There is also a nice range of gifts, although it's not as extensive as other stores featured here. However, if it's clothing you're after (maybe a Harrington jacket and a pair of Dr. Martens?) then you really need to check out this store.
Red Candy
Red Candy has a very nice section dedicated to retro gifts, and the site features an extremely modern and very colourful, vibrant look which makes it a pleasure to shop at. There are some very unique gifts here, including a yellow Reliant Regal planter for Only Fools and Horses fans, and a very cool Back To The Future themed hoverboard doormat.
Old Soul Retro
This website doesn't actually stick any products. Instead, like Simplyeighties.com, they recommend retro products and link out to other sites such as ebay. Old Soul Retro is a nice site for obtaining lots of gift ideas and finding somethinh unique. Categories include Art, Clocks, Kitsch, True Vintage, Luxury Items and Beauty.
Amazon
Well, who hasn't heard of Amazon, and just about everyone has an account with them. THey're cheap and convenient, and there are retro gifts galore on the site, both new and old. The 80s fancy dress and retro sweets sections are particularly good. Not everyone's a fan of the store, of course, and you may prefer to support one of the smaller businesses, however many small businesses have storefronts on Amazon to sell their wares, including Truffleshuffle who I've featured above.
Make sure you check out our own retro gift ideas page, too, which links to Truffleshuffle and Amazon.co.uk.
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