Remember when it was completely normal to lug around a boombox? Families would have them for outdoor gatherings. Homies would sport them as accessories. Although size totally mattered (and it was the bigger the better), these portable sound systems were considered convenient. And, even though teased bangs and shoulder pads are long gone, the handheld radio remains the perfect beach or picnic take-along. If anything, they’ve gotten more convenient with time. They are smaller, lighter, and sans ‘D’ batteries. And, they are perfectly exemplified by Kikkerland’s Solar and Hand-Cranked AM/FM Radio. One minute’s worth of cranking gets you 30 minutes of play. And, a full solar charge gets you seven whole hours. We know you all have iPods (myself included). But during the boombox days, people listened to music together. And, it was great.

For a list of retailers, go to kikkerland.com or buy now at amazon.com
(I say we do it for the novelty)