If you caught Mirror80’s recent 1980s design trend feature, you know I’m now the proud owner of the September 1986 issue of Metropolitan Home, which I ordered from Etsy shop The Archaic Ad Collection. And speaking of ads, I just had to share this 1986 Sharp ad (from Metropolitan Home) for obvious reasons. If you’re old enough to have lived through the ’80s the first time around, maybe you had one of the QT-50 Stereo Radio Cassette Players above. Mine was lavender. The very first song I recorded from the radio with the help of this device was “Escapade” by Janet Jackson. But enough about me. Let’s take a look at the rest of the ad…
I would definitely vacuum more often if I could wear powder blue heels and pantyhose decorated with the design of an ’80s modern painting while using a pink machine to remove confetti from the floor. And surely any ad proclaiming the magic of “passionate pinks, greens, yellows, lavenders, blues, and other hues, all with the heat of a tropical sunset” would include a few flamingos. I’m glad Sharp didn’t let us down:
So in the year 1986, where would you put your new pastel Sharp clock radio, telephone, stereo radio cassette player, calculator or vacuum cleaner? Perhaps in a home like this one… [image via Tumblr Supreme Interiors]
If you’re wanting to hunt down your own Sharp “high tech turned hot tech” electronic device, check out eBay or Etsy. I’m still kicking myself for giving away that lavender jam box…
I totally remember those boomboxes!! My friend had an aqua one. I still have mine too-not a Sharp one, but one of the humongous ones the kids were carrying around back then–it has lights in it even.
Good for you for keeping yours! If only I’d done the same…
So cute. When I was shopping today, I noticed a vacuum cleaner that is now only sold in pastel colours! PS I love your blog. I think mid-century is in fashion now, but I much prefer recent retro.
Thank you for your kind words, Alana! I’m happy to hear there are still pastel vacuums on the market. Thanks again for your comment.
I have the little sister model, Sharp QT-5, in lavender. I used it all the time when I was a kid.
Let’s hear it for lavender electronics! I remember that mine had peach and mint accents. Such a fun combo!
So cool to see the ad — my friend had the pink and i had the purple…I wish i would have kept…
Thanks for the awesome reminder ..:)
I had a Pink QT 50 Radio 📻 and I just lived it and I kept it in my bedroom on my Bureau and I played the radio and cassette player every morning and at night it, it played great!!! I also took my radio on vacations to Wildwood and Atlantic City and it made everything alot more fun!!!!! I miss it now because I lost it when I moved 8 years ago. I just want to say, Thank you to Sharp for making such a beautiful radio 📻 for me!!!!!
I still have my coral color (not pink) Sharp QT50