Antique items adorn the corners of vineyard houses.

In the 1970s and 1980s, black and white televisions, music sets, tape recorders, gas lamps, household appliances, etc., which were popular at the time, have become obsolete in the face of LCD TVs, mobile phones, laptops, and the internet, and are now being sold as scrap, serving as decorative items especially in the corners of country houses. Muammer Heper, a 67-year-old man in Erzincan who contributes to the family economy by selling old products in Bugday Square, stated that the once indispensable tools and equipment of the past are now considered antique scrap. He mentioned that there was high demand for hand tools that were commonly used daily, especially in the 1970s, and that these items are now being bought as decorations for the corners of homes. He said, ‘I am a retired worker. I started this as a hobby at first, but as I accumulated more items, I decided to open a place to sell them. We buy and sell everything related to the past here. Items with antique value are rare, but we also sell old tools that we or our fathers used in the past.’ He added, ‘We are from the X generation. The hand tools and equipment we used in our time are now being placed as memorabilia in a corner of the house or in a music corner, but we used them back then, while the so-called Z generation today doesn’t know about them; they come and admire them. They mostly put them in a corner of their house as decorative items.’ Heper mentioned that the interest in their products increased after the pandemic period, stating, ‘During the pandemic that affected the whole world in recent years, business has increased. People moved from cities to villages which also affected their lifestyles. Those who wanted to create a nostalgic atmosphere rushed here to shop. Our sales are usually for pleasure, not necessity. There are also many items that are only for decorative purposes. Gas lamps and old tape recorders are the most sold items. Our prices vary depending on the item’s age, texture, and condition.’ Kenan Taskin, one of the customers shopping at the store, said that they buy the products for decoration and to revive the memories of their families and elders. In his statement, he said, ‘As young people, we buy items such as televisions and radios used by our elders in the 1970s and 1980s to keep their memories alive in a corner of our homes. When our elders see them, they reminisce about the old days and tell stories from that time.’