NEWS COPY - with pics
Star Wars fans are leading an eighties revival, with sales of popular gadgets from the decade soaring in the run-up to Christmas.
Old favourites such as the ZX Spectrum and Meccano have seen a huge jump in sales as Brits start to ramp up their Christmas shopping.
Electronics retailer Maplin has reported a 400 per cent increase in sales of the classic stylophone over the past two months, while the interactive robot companion Meccanoid has seen a 100 per cent increase over the same period.Sales of the ZX Spectrum, a modern day take on the 80s computer game device are also expected to increase by around 60 per cent, compared to the month it was launched.
Other popular eighties gadgets making a comeback include Pac-Man and Tetris products.
Last year, Maplin forecast 2014 as being the 'year of the drone' and went on to sell more than 17,000 of them.
Ben Winter, Buying Director for Maplin Electronics, said: "We're seeing some of the 'retrotainment' gadgets flying off the shelves in the run-up to Christmas.
"Already, some have seen huge increases, and early indications suggest sales by the end of December will reach record levels.
"The retro trend in tech is in many ways down to the 'Star Wars effect', putting the 80s back in the cultural zeitgeist, leading parents to connect with our past in ways that are both nostalgic and interactive.
"The youngsters of the eighties are now parents and can re-live their childhood with their little ones, meaning a ZX Spectrum is going to be a more emotional purchase than a modern video game system.
"It's not just video games, as we've seen much excitement around the Meccano Meccanoid, as 'the build your own robot' receives voice recognition and is Bluetooth enabled to connect with your smart phone - so if you want one this Christmas, you need to be quick!"
Maplin is predicting the ZX Spectrum to be the one of the top retro purchases this year, followed by Meccano's Meccanoid G15 and G15 KS.
The Real FX Racing Car and ION Classic LP Players are also expected to be big hits this Christmas.
Maplin's top ten predicted retro best sellers
1. ZX Spectrum
2. Meccanoid G15 KS from Meccano
3. Meccanoid G15 from Meccano
4. Stylophone
5. ION Classic LP Player
6. GPO Empire Retro Turntable
7. Pac-Man ghost lamp
8. ION Max LP Turntable with speakers
9. Tetris Light
10. Real FX Racing Car
ENDS
