It is a matter of time before the group that considers portable cassette players retro is no longer around. Harsh fact. But for now, those who grew up knowing this legendary device that made music portable—beyond FM/AM—will continue to relish those good old days. If you are one of them, well, then you want to check out the Pantasy Retro Portable Cassette Player Set.
It may not be from LEGO, but it is in the same league as LEGO Polaroid, LEGO Game Boy, LEGO NES, LEGO Atari 2600, and the likes, in the realm of nostalgia… that you can build with your own hands.
Pantasy spared no effort to make the Retro Portable Cassette Player (85039) [CH] as authentic as possible. To achieve realism, the set boasts several specially molded elements. Pantasy does not just give you a portable cassette player; it gives you the works. The building set also includes a pair of retro on-ear headphones—complete with cable and the requisite headphone connector that actually plugs into one of the two headphone jacks on the tape deck.
Also included are two buildable cassette tapes with appropriately retro labels. Yes, I know it does not quite look like it, but the headphones and tapes are brick-built objects.
Even the portable cassette player can pass off as the real thing. Well, that’s until you touch it. At first glance, it appears to be an actual relic from the 1980s. It even comes with buildable stands to prop up the on-ear cans and one cassette tape. When completed, the cassette can fit into the tape deck.
The completed model further features a functional tape deck opening button. When pressed, the cover will pop out slightly, as it should. Unfortunately, though, the cover does not have “brackets” to guide the tape into the player as some portable cassette players had. It also has a “Hot Line” button that is depressible.
This isn’t Pantasy’s first jab at retro gadgets; it previously released a desk PC with a horizontal CPU and CRT monitor, a jukebox, and an antique rotary phone, but this has to be the most realistic build yet. When completed, the portable cassette player measures 15 cm wide, 10 cm tall, and 3.5 cm deep.
The Retro Portable Cassette Player (85039) packs just over 500 pieces, and it has been launched in China for a modest 189 yuan [CH] (about US$27).
Images: Pantasy.
