1970s Retro Gifts: Toys, Records And Party Kit

Space hoppers and Chopper bikes, glam and disco 45s, and a party that runs on a glitterball and a cheese hedgehog.

Someone turning 50 to 60 now grew up in this decade. This is the buying guide: what is worth getting, what is only worth getting if it is the real one, and how to put it all in a box without spending a fortune.

Straight answer first: we don't sell retro toys or records. We draw and print cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers in the UK, and we stock party decorations. Everything else below is advice on where the genuine items come from.

Years covered in the 1970s

• 1970 - England defended the World Cup, the Beatles ended and eighteen-year-olds got the vote. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1970
• 1971 - Decimal Day, the first Glastonbury as we know it and Slade on the way up. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1971
• 1972 - Miners' strikes and power cuts, Ziggy Stardust and a very good year for glam. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1972
• 1973 - Britain joined the EEC, the oil crisis hit and Slade wrote Christmas. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1973
• 1974 - Two general elections, the three-day week and Abba winning Eurovision. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1974
• 1975 - Bohemian Rhapsody, the EEC referendum and Fawlty Towers. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1975
• 1976 - The heatwave, the drought and the first stirrings of punk. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1976
• 1977 - Silver Jubilee street parties, Star Wars and the summer punk went overground. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1977
• 1978 - Grease, the first test-tube baby and the start of the winter of discontent. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1978
• 1979 - The winter of discontent, the first woman Prime Minister and the last year of the seventies. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1979
• That is every 1970s year we have written up so far: 1970 to 1979.

Best 1970s retro toys

• Space hopper, Chopper bike, Clackers and a Slinky.
• Lego in its early British boom, Playmobil from 1974, Sindy and Action Man still going strong.
• Star Wars figures from 1977 - the single biggest toy story of the decade.
• Stylophone, Simon, Merlin and the first handheld electronic games.
• Subbuteo, Escalado, Buckaroo, Operation and Connect Four.
• Raleigh Grifter at the end of the decade, and roller skates that strapped over shoes.

1970s records worth buying

• Glam: Slade, T. Rex, Sweet, Wizzard, David Bowie.
• Disco and soul: Chic, Donna Summer, Earth Wind and Fire.
• Punk and new wave from 1976: the Clash, Buzzcocks, Blondie.
• Album sleeves from this decade frame better than any other - the artwork is half the gift.
• Christmas number ones make good one-off presents: the 1973 pair of Slade and Wizzard are everywhere and cheap.

1970s party kit

• Colours: orange, brown, mustard and avocado.
• Food: prawn cocktail, cheese and pineapple hedgehog, vol-au-vents, Black Forest gateau, Blue Nun.
• Music: glam for the singing, disco for the dancing, nothing after 1980.
• Props: a glitterball, paper chains, a fondue set, a pile of annuals.
• Games: name that tune, pass the parcel with adult forfeits, a 70s quiz round.

Build a 1970s hamper

• Sweets: Curly Wurly, Texan bar reissues, Space Dust, cola cubes.
• A song lyric print from their year.
• A retro pin badge or sticker set.
• A printed 70s quiz and a guess the year round.

How to buy retro without being ripped off

• Boxed doubles or triples the price. Unless they collect, buy loose and spend the difference on something else.
• Reissues are fine for toys and games. They are not fine for records - the whole point is the pressing they owned.
• Charity shops, car boots and eBay beat any retro gift website for genuine items, and the search is half the present.
• Check the year, not the decade. A lot of what people file under one decade actually arrived in the next.
• Pair one proper item with three cheap nostalgic bits. The cheap bits get the reaction; the one proper item gets kept.

Shop prints and posters

Milestone birthday cards

Blank inside, kraft envelope, printed in the UK.

Decorations for a decade party

Banners, balloons, cake toppers and confetti, plain enough to take any era theme.

Pin badges and stickers

Cheap, small and genuinely kept - good hamper filler and party favours.

How to write it so it lands

• Buy for the year they turned eighteen, not the year they were born.
• One real item plus three cheap nostalgic bits makes a better hamper than one expensive present.
• Print the look back page for their year and put it in the box - it costs nothing and people read it all night.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1970
• Look back to 1971
• Look back to 1972
• Look back to 1973
• Look back to 1974
• Look back to 1975
• Look back to 1976
• Look back to 1977
• Look back to 1978
• Look back to 1979
• 1970s party playlist
• 1970s trivia: fun facts
• 1970s calendar: year by year
• 1970s fashion: clothes, hair and accessories
• 1970s shopping guide: clothes, books, music and tech
• Decade shopping guides by era
• Decade fashion guides by era
• 1970s holidays and travel
• Decade travel guides by era
• 1950s retro gift guide
• 1960s retro gift guide
• 1980s retro gift guide
• 1990s retro gift guide
• 2000s retro gift guide
• 70s kids' TV shows
• 70s quiz questions
• Look back to the 1970s
• Test card, Ceefax and three channels
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Retro party playlist by decade
• Guess the year quiz
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Milestone birthday cards
• Posters and prints
• Enamel pin badges
• Party supplies
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What are the best 70s retro gifts?

A space hopper for the laugh, a 7 inch single from their year for the keepsake, and a framed album sleeve for the wall. Add sweets from the era and you have a hamper.

What music should a 70s party play?

Glam early on and disco later. Keep everything pre-1980 and build it around the year the birthday person turned eighteen.

Do you sell 1970s toys or records?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints, pin badges and stickers, and we stock party decorations. For the toys and records, charity shops, car boots, eBay and independent record shops are the honest answer.

How do I pick the right decade for a birthday?

Work from the year they turned thirteen to the year they turned twenty-five, not the year they were born. That window is the one they actually remember.