The iPod Is Back on Wish Lists: What the Retro Tech Comeback Means for Families

Somewhere in a drawer, there may be an old music player with a cracked click wheel and a few hundred songs from 2006. This holiday season, that little gadget is suddenly in style again.

A holiday tech report from Best Buy Canada, released this week and covered by Global News and Retail Insider, found that younger shoppers are leading a return to “retro” technology. The iPod topped the list of old products people most want back. The surprising part is who wants them.

What the new report found

According to the report, which Global News says was carried out with pollster Angus Reid, about 40 percent of Canadians said they are likely to buy a tech gift this year because of nostalgia. That number climbs to 53 percent among millennials and 49 percent among Gen Z.

A few other findings stood out:

• About one in three people said they are drawn to older tech because they like actually owning their media, such as vinyl records and game cartridges.
• Close to a quarter bought music, movies or games in a physical format in the past year. Millennials (32 percent) and Gen Z (30 percent) did so far more often than baby boomers (12 percent).
• After the iPod, shoppers named BlackBerry-style phones with real keyboards. Millennials leaned toward classic game consoles, while boomers missed their VCRs and VHS tapes.

Global News also pointed to a separate Angus Reid survey from last month showing that more than a third of Canadians had cancelled at least one streaming service in the previous six months.

These numbers come from Canada, but the pattern will sound familiar to many families everywhere: record stores with young customers, teens carrying simple cameras, and kids asking what a cassette is, then wanting one.

Why this is happening

A Best Buy Canada marketing director told Global News that this is not simply people longing for the past. Younger buyers, he said, are discovering devices that feel personal and that open up new ways to enjoy music, games and movies.

That rings true. Streaming gives us everything, all at once, and none of it feels like ours. A record you chose, a game you can hold, or a music player with no notifications asks you to slow down and pay attention. For many people, that feels like rest.

It also says something hopeful about this generation. Young people are not rejecting technology. They are learning to choose it on purpose.

How families can join in (without overspending)

This trend is a wonderful bridge between generations. Here are a few simple ideas:

1. Go on a “basement treasure hunt.” Before buying anything, look through closets and attics. Old CDs, records, board-game consoles and cameras may already be waiting. Let the kids lead the search.
2. Host a family listening night. Each person picks one song or album that matters to them and explains why. Grandparents often have the best stories.
3. Try “one thing at a time” devices. A music player that only plays music, or a camera that only takes pictures, can give children a gentler step into technology than a phone that does everything.
4. Start a small family library. A shelf of DVDs, records or game cartridges everyone can share teaches patience, care for belongings, and taking turns.
5. Buy secondhand wisely. Thrift shops, family hand-me-downs and refurbished sellers keep costs down and keep gadgets out of landfills. Check that older electronics charge safely and look undamaged before giving them to kids.

A gift that tells a story

Maybe the best part of this trend is that old things come with stories. Dad’s first record, Grandma’s favorite movie, the game console siblings fought over in 1998. When we pass those things down, we pass down memories, laughter and a sense of belonging.

Scripture calls us to do the same with what matters most, sharing God’s goodness with the next generation:

“We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.”

— Psalm 78:4 (KJV)

This season, as you wrap gifts or dig through old boxes, think about the stories you want your family to remember. A song can open a conversation. A conversation can open a heart. And a quiet evening listening together might be the most valuable gift under the tree.

Through every storm, we rise together, and sometimes we rise to the sound of an old record still spinning.

What old gadget, album or game from your past would you most love to share with your kids or grandkids?

Sources: Global News, “From VHS to iPods, retro tech is driving this year’s holiday shopping season” (Nov 12, 2026); Retail Insider, “Nostalgic technology makes a comeback as younger Canadians drive demand: Best Buy” (Nov 12, 2026); KJV Psalm 78:4.