Purchases that used to be fun but are not now

Video games. Just download them now.

Agree with videogames. I really used to look forward to some releases and actually bought a new computer to play one (five years ago), but it was a buggy mess and I stopped with it. After that, I avoid the hype and just watch other people play them on YouTube. It's cheaper

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If you're spending 2 hours setting apps and login details up on a new iPhone then something went wrong somewhere. With the exception of banking apps, where you need to de-register on the old phone and transfer security key to new one, and re-addition of banking cards to wallet, there should be zero set up needed. All other apps/logins etc should transfer seamlessly - they did for me a month or so ago.. 

...buying condoms!

Music. Scanning the £5 racks in Fopp!, or standing by the listening posts in the Virgin Megastore, flicking through the posters in HMV, buying gig tickets at actual music shops, and then when you did buy a CD, the ritual of unwrapping it, putting in on, sitting down and listening to it whilst reading the inlays. It was brilliant.

Cocaine 

I actually prefer that video games are digital. What I don't prefer that the "live service" online model allows games companies to release half-arsed bug ridden crap and then patch as they go, effectively punishing earlier adopters who are typically paying full price for the games on release.

Booze. The headaches are unmanageable.

TheBrick
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Speak for yourself 😛

misteralz
Music...

Music. Loved to buy cassettes, vinyl or CDs, take home, unwrap, sit down and listen all the way through. Now it's all streamed playlists 'curated' by some AI programme / spotty yoof. There's no occasion or progression, just quick snippits then move on.

EDIT beaten to it!

Music +1

And gig tickets, a 5-10% booking fee seemed reasonable when you were buying it over the counter in a shop. Less so when it's just ticketmaster sending a QR code to your phone.

I was going to say music also, but for a slightly different reason.

I've spent hours in record shops looking CD singles of favourite bands so I could collect b-sides that didn't exist on the albums. It was a real excitement when I found one I didn't have.

If you’re spending 2 hours setting apps and login details up on a new iPhone then something went wrong somewhere.

Same with Android.

Like phones: computers. It used to be a quantum leap in screen resolution, speed, OS capabilities, etc. These days the differences are far less noticeable. They've turned into a white good, with all the same excitement you get when you change the fridge.

Agree about video games. Used to love upgrading to the next console but recent ones are so good there’s really no need to be chasing the next big thing. Spent way more time on the Switch than I have my X Box Series X. Can’t stand downloadable games. Our village broadband is 2mb and until we got a decent mobile signal big downloads were near impossible. I remember when they rebuilt Destiny 2 a few years back and it took 6.5 days to download. That was after they patched it a couple of days in and the download reset. <br /><br />

So happy about online tickets though. To hell with queuing in the pouring rain to find a shop had sold its allocation of 20! 

Another vote for music here. I used to spend hours in our local music shop (George Heapy's in Knaresborough and later Sound of Music in Harrogate if there are any locals on here). I was on first name terms with all the staff in both places and they'd play stuff on request so you could decide if you wanted to buy it. Occasionally I would pre-order so I could be sure of having particular popular albums on release date. Then I'd go home, put my nice new vinyl on and sit there playing it over and over whilst inspecting every square inch of the cover and inlay.

I still have all my 500+ mainly albums but along with a few singles, 12'' singles and picture disks. One day I am going to make a space where I can set up a simple turntable system so I can play them all again.

Is it indicative that no-one's said bikes yet?

Is it indicative that no-one’s said bikes yet?

But that is fun. all bikes are good* these days, even better if you can demo a short list of ones you want. If not just get one you like the look of.

*good initially. In 6 months when you realise that changing your stem requires a brake bleed you may be less enamoured

+ whatever with music. I don't miss the physical object so much as the commitment purchasing music was. If I bought something and didn't like it the first time then I'd stil give it a few listens and often find something to redeem the album. I had a whole stack of compilations I made of good tracks from crap albums.

Ah, "mix tapes."

So happy about online tickets though.

That's a double-edged sword though. It's also a lot easier for scalpers, and if they lock that side of it down then you can't just go "here's your ticket" to your mates.

Gig tickets.

Years ago you'd go to the venue or mail order pay for your tickets then they'd arrive in the post, you'd go to the gig and hope the doorman wouldn't tear your tab off too hard and rip the rest of the ticket so you could keep it in your collection of other tickets from gig you've been to.

They were all also priced the same usually, if you were going to see a big band in standing then everyone was paying the same for the tickets, now ticket master has ruined that, I remember seeing blink 182 over a decade ago and paying £45, last time they toured I looked at getting a ticket and it was £388!!!

Also E tickets are convenient but I do miss having a physical ticket to keep after for memories, as a side to this, mobile phones have also ruined the live music experience.

Beer.

Just makes me wee a lot now.

Airline tickets, they used to be the foretaste of an adventure to come, now it's a cat and mouse trial of gaming the baggage costs, finding a seat and the start of worrying about having forgotten some hidden details which means that you get rinsed for excess charges at 6am at the airport.

Oh, and the guilt that you really should be finding another way of travelling even though it would take 5 times longer and cost 3 times more

Booze. The headaches are unmanageable.

You're probably just out of practice. Set up a rigorous daily training schedule and watch your diet - you need a generous helping of fried salt with each meal. A few months endurance training and you'll be back drinking with the pros.

Anusol

Is it indicative that no-one’s said bikes yet?

my last one was a nightmare, but that’s more to do with war and plague, rather than the process itself, so I’ll reserve judgement.

You’re probably just out of practice

Form is temporary, talent lasts forever.

as a side to this, mobile phones have also ruined the live music experience

Yeah! But look at the "Gigs" thread. The photos are incredible! 😆 Like, why would you even think they are worth sharing?? Is it just to say "Look! Proof I went!" cos nobody believes you otherwise? Baffling, it really is.

Years ago you’d go to the venue or mail order pay for your tickets then they’d arrive in the post, you’d go to the gig and hope the doorman wouldn’t tear your tab off too hard and rip the rest of the ticket so you could keep it in your collection of other tickets from gig you’ve been to.

Yep - I still have a whole pile of tickets from the early-eighties onwards (unfortunately not all of them as St George's Hall in Bradford used to take both parts - one on the door and the other at the entrance to the section).

Porn. I remember the only time I felt the need to buy a top shelfer from a newsagent. I was so nervous going in the shop, quickly grabbed the mag and another random mag to hide it behind. Turned to the counter .. and working there was an attractive young woman who lived a few doors away from me! There was no backing out now.. I took them to the counter, with my (facial) cheeks glowing.. bought and ran.
They still have the things in newsagents so I guess you could still go through that fun. Or you could use the internet.

Food.  Used to love going round the supermarket getting bargains, deals etc.  Sad but would bore the living shite out of my wife showing her what I got.

I now try to get it delivered as there aren't really any deals as such, I can't afford to splurge on stuff that isn't on the list and it's depressing as hell walking round seeing people pick things up that they may enjoy only to put them back again because they can't afford it.

Project cars

Used to enjoy spending money and time on them, didnt mind laying on cold tarmac, front end up on axle stands, dropping the gearbox out from the car  and fitting an uprated clutch, even full engine swaps were never a chore

Now have a nice warm garage and cant be arsed with all that hassle these days

Even sound deadening, insulating and carpeting my van recently was a chore, im too tight to pay someone to do that but hated it after the first few hours

Anything mechanical i now just take it to one of three mates who have their own garage business

The iPhone is equal tedious. Each successive phone as dull as the last one, just a waste of two hours seeing everything up again.

Used to love choosing components to build up a new gaming pc, besides being very unsure if I have the concentration/patience to put a pc together these days, I struggling to find enthusiasm to pull the trigger on a pre-built pc or laptop to replace our '14/15 system that had a graphics upgrade a few years ago.

The technology jumps these days are far smaller, back in the early 2000s things moved on massively between upgrades every ~3/4 years.

Used to love choosing components to build up a new gaming pc

Not for a gaming machine but I remember buying a massively thick book that explained all the hardware compatibilitues, jumpers, buses you name it. Studied it before choosing the to build the machine and the worry that I had made a mistake. Now I just trawl dell outlet for a workstation with shit loads of ram.

Used to love going round the supermarket getting bargains, deals etc. Sad but would bore the living shite out of my wife showing her what I got.

I find the 'local' Co-ops usually have some great 'going out of date' bargains – I regularly get things like their 'Specially Selected' posh fish pies for <£1 and sandwiches for 60p.

 find the ‘local’ Co-ops usually have some great ‘going out of date’ bargains – I regularly get things like their ‘Specially Selected’ posh fish pies for <£1 and sandwiches for 60p.

I love a co-op chuck out, my first port of call before going round the rest of the shop. 60p sandwiches though? Nice, they're generally £1.50 in ours. There's a chuck out Ginsters Sausage Roll in the fridge waiting to accompany a bit bike maintenance tonight. It may, or may not have gone out of date yesterday, I'm not going to check.

The iPhone is equal tedious. Each successive phone as dull as the last one, just a waste of two hours seeing everything up again.

I started the swapping process in the O2 shop, did a factory reset on the old phone, then finished the setup at home. I’m on the Swap-up contract, so I literally swap one phone for another. There were one or two things I had to reset, mostly banking apps, but a lot easier than it used to be. Of course they’re dull, all modern smartphones are dull - there’s more than a decade of development and refinement in the format, and any improvement is incremental; nothing’s broken, so nothing needs fixing.

Disagree with music not being so fun. I love discovering artists I've never heard of before, or tracks I hadn't heard by artists I'm familiar with. I buy albums on bandcmap and download, as just haven't bothered to see what streamed music is all about. 99% of the time, shuffle play on the whole collection and see what comes out. Skip anything I'm not in the mood for. Quite like knowing that the unrecognised track I'm listening to is based on a decision I made to purchase an album. Sometimes will wonder why I bought it, and another time it'll click. Youtube great for discovering music via music channels, or on bandcamp the monthly genre lists they publish can be good to dip into. So much better now it's so easy to listen to music before purchase.

Definitely pre internet music, I used to spend ages after college at Sonic Sounds in Lincoln, he'd absolutely filled to the brim a shop about the size of a box bedroom with stuff, going through the discount and S/H CD's, finding linking together bands who were on a label you liked, or taking a flyer because it looked interesting, and actually buying a CD Walkman so I could listen to what I'd bought on the train home rather than waiting an hour!

Airline tickets, they used to be the foretaste of an adventure to come, now it’s a cat and mouse trial of gaming the baggage costs, finding a seat and the start of worrying about having forgotten some hidden details which means that you get rinsed for excess charges at 6am at the airport.

Absolutely. It used to be exciting and amazing that you could book it over the internet. Now it's just the feeling of being ripped off and "nickel and dimed" to death, and the nagging feeling you've used the wrong payment card and have offended the MoneySavingExpert Gods.

Is this just a thread about getting old and turning into our parents?

Bikes. As much as I like a new bike, I just don't get as excited as I once did.

I definitely agree with music, use to love spending ages going through second hand record racks and then the joy of finding an album you’ve been after for ages. I still go to record fairs now but it’s not quite the same when you know you could just search on line and immediately find what you like.

Much to the annoyance of my wife, whenever we are on holiday somewhere I still seek out all the record shops.

What I have started doing is using my local record shop to buy stuff rather than Amazon. It can be a bit more expensive. and sometimes frustrating when he doesn’t have it in but offers to order it, which I feel obliged to do even though it takes a few days to arrive at store and I know could get it delivered to my house the next day at cheaper price.

But it feels good to be supporting a small local shop where I know he is struggling to keep it going. Also have a bit of a chat which often leads me to getting something else as well. He also does me a favour on record store day by putting stuff I want in another part of the shop.

Superyachts. Health and safety regulation is a bore, they let the wrong sort of people moor next to you and the staff all have had funny ideas since watching Triangle of Sadness.

"They still have the things in newsagents so I guess you could still go through that fun. Or you could use the internet."

Yes - but hedges are now just a branch of McDonalds.

Is this just a thread about getting old and turning into our parents?

Nah, that's not as good as it used to be either.

Woeful lack of tartan slippers on the M&S website.

Yeah, another votes for airlines. 

They've absolutely ripped the arse out the experience of travelling. It's hard to get away from the idea that you're just one click away from being ripped off, that if you'd just bought the ticket on a Wednesday evening precisely 21 days from departure date with carry on bags but without the twix and coffee offer that you're being fleeced for your child's inheritance; you gormless hick. 

Bastards.