# The List of Disappearing Products **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 23, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094 "2008-11-23T14:15:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/81 "2008-12-09T15:54:16Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > A few things that come to mind: > [ul] > [li]Drum brakes on cars[/li] > [/ul] You’re not buying cheap enough cars. Look at the back wheels of cheap cars on the road, and you won’t see the disc shining through the wheel. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/82 "2008-12-09T15:59:23Z")
> [@BJMoose](#): > > Couple of weeks back the local paper had a story on the last photo lab in America (or maybe even the world) that still processes Kodachrome film. It’s in Pittsburg, Kansas, if you want to visit. Not only that, but Kodak isn’t promising to ever make another giant reel of the film. The sales are so slow to the geek/professional photographers that it’s not convinced it’s worth the effort. Oh, Polaroid film is no longer made, officially, announced February this year. Wikipedia says Fuji still makes instant film, but does that work with the Polaroid cameras? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/83 "2008-12-09T16:07:09Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Dot Matrix printers (at least for the home user) True for home but I see TONS of them in the small business world, mostly for printing duplicate and triplicate forms that have to be signed to avoid having someone sign 6 times instead of once. ---
**Author:** ![rhythmonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@rhythmonly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhythmonly)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/84 "2008-12-09T16:27:50Z")
Bacon Thins. Dry Roasted cashews. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/85 "2008-12-09T19:30:45Z")
Someone upthread mentioned pull-top soda cans - they are everywhere here in the Middle East. What I haven’t seen since I was a child is the pop-top cans, where you had to push in two prescored buttons, leaving a drinking hole and a smaller air hole. Only a few brands of drink used them (my puny Google fu can only turn up that apparently Coors used this design in the early '80s). ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/86 "2008-12-09T19:55:42Z")
> [@rhythmonly](#): > > Dry Roasted cashews. Still being made and widely marketed in Brazil. If you know anyone going, you want “castanhas de caju, sem sal” I know it’s not in the spirit of the OP, but these are my guilty pleasure. I heard you can find them as “raw cashews” on Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/87 "2008-12-10T00:38:04Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > Carbon paper. **Scissorjack,** you’re just looking in the wrong place for it. It’s available in craft stores as “transfer paper.” Manual credit card machines – or “knuckle-busters,” as we call them. Yes, they are still around now for back-up, but they will be going away, because they expose the customer’s entire credit card number. When you use an electronic terminal, the only thing on my copy and the customer copy is the last four digits. If I were a really stupid crook, I could use the info on the manual credit card slips to put fraudulent charges on cards. Bottle brushes – You just need to call your Fuller Brush man! Oh, wait… ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/88 "2008-12-10T00:49:03Z")
> [@rhythmonly](#): > > Dry Roasted cashews. Readily available in the Snack Aisle of every supermarket I’ve been into here in Australia. I do love Dry Roasted Cashew Nuts! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/89 "2008-12-10T01:03:21Z")
Airline Tickets. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/90 "2008-12-10T01:22:35Z")
Bottle brushes are still readily available. You’re just not looking in the right places. Try home-brewing stores. [Williams Brewing](http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BRUSHES_C53.cfm) has several types for sale. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/91 "2008-12-10T01:31:38Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > You’re not buying cheap enough cars. Look at the back wheels of cheap cars on the road, and you won’t see the disc shining through the wheel. Yep. Most family hatchbacks or small sedans still have drums in the rear. Three of my last four cars did, come to think of it - all built since '93, and the latter three built since '98. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/92 "2008-12-10T02:09:52Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > Oh, Polaroid film is no longer made, officially, announced February this year. Wikipedia says Fuji still makes instant film, but does that work with the Polaroid cameras? At least, it won’t be made after this month, as per post #70. > [@Dottygumdrop](#): > > Someone upthread mentioned pull-top soda cans - they are everywhere here in the Middle East. > > What I haven’t seen since I was a child is the pop-top cans, where you had to push in two prescored buttons, leaving a drinking hole and a smaller air hole. Only a few brands of drink used them (my puny Google fu can only turn up that apparently Coors used this design in the early '80s). A couple of locally made fruit drinks use those pull tabs. I remember those “push hole” beer cans; I think what really did them in was people didn’t want their bartender constantly sticking his fingers in their beer! > [@rhythmonly](#): > > Bacon Thins. > > Dry Roasted cashews. Those we have here, too. ---
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/93 "2008-12-10T02:29:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Bottle brushes are still readily available. You’re just not looking in the right places. Try home-brewing stores. [Williams Brewing](http://www.williamsbrewing.com/BRUSHES_C53.cfm) has several types for sale. Dollar Tree has them with the baby stuff. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/94 "2008-12-10T02:41:20Z")
> [@Octalcode](#): > > Time clocks that punched actual cardboard time cards. One of the satellite offices for my company still uses a timeclock and timecards. My office uses biometrics - we clock in with our fingerprint. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/95 "2008-12-10T05:58:08Z")
Microfiche. I think almost everything is digital these days, although you can still access old microfiche records in some places. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/96 "2008-12-10T06:53:27Z")
> [@Octalcode](#): > > Hotel/Motel room keys. With the big fob that had the hotel/motel name,address, and room number on it. > (drop in any mailbox. Return postage guaranteed) Actually, my office manager, who’s “between apartments” at the moment, lives at a motel with an actual key (as opposed to the digitally-encoded card that big hotel chains use these days) > [@](#): > > Time clocks that punched actual cardboard time cards. We do have a time clock, but it prints the time on the card, rather than mechanically punching holes to indicate the time you punched it. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/97 "2008-12-10T14:21:25Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > That’s another item that’s plentiful here. I find them handy for washing my lager glasses. You can even find some with a little sponge attached to the end for such purposes. > > As for Kodachrome, I know it has to be sent out of Thailand, but I don’t know where. Takes up to two weeks to get it back. > [@Cardinal](#): > > Not only that, but Kodak isn’t promising to ever make another giant reel of the film. The sales are so slow to the geek/professional photographers that it’s not convinced it’s worth the effort. > > Oh, Polaroid film is no longer made, officially, announced February this year. Wikipedia says Fuji still makes instant film, but does that work with the Polaroid cameras? Never guessed my comment on Kodachrome would attract any interest. The newspaper story is [here](http://www.kansas.com/news/story/614962.html). This _is_ the last Kodachrome lab in the world, so your stuff is coming here, **Sam**. (Looks like they’re also the last folks to process Ektachrome.) Kodak says they’ll make Kodachrome “as long as there is demand” for it, but that may not be much of a promise. Though I recall that I saw a Kodak catalog a dozen years back and was amazed at the wide assortment of obscure types that they stocked. (Has me wondering if they still make 620 film. In the Sixties I had a camera that used that old standard.) I can’t say what Fuji’s instant film is intended for, but to my knowledge Polaroid was always the only game in that town. Re bottle brushes: I shoulda known to go looking for the things in the areas where they are still used - home brewing and baby bottles. Alas, both are beyond my immediate practical experience. (I’ve discovered recently that most of the furniture industry regards the glider chair as a nursery item. Why, I don’t know.) I’m beginning to wonder if we shouldn’t add the humble Thermos to the endangered species list. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/98 "2008-12-10T15:15:49Z")
> [@jali](#): > > Rabbit Ears (TV antennas) Those aren’t dead, and I suspect that they won’t go away unless all the network decide to abandon over-the-air broadcasting. They’re fairly popular with university students. You can even get ones that pick up HD signals. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/99 "2008-12-10T16:09:02Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > Wikipedia says Fuji still makes instant film, but does that work with the Polaroid cameras? I have used Fuji instant film with Polaroid Cameras. I don’t know about the sealed-in-plastic type, but Polaroid’s higher end consumer model used a film that you had to peel apart, and you ended up with a photo that was not sealed in plastic. The sealant was in the chemicals that were in the part that you peeled off and trashed. That’s the kind I have used. ---
**Author:** ![rhythmonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@rhythmonly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhythmonly)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094/100 "2008-12-10T16:50:32Z")
So I can get Dry Roasted Cashews in both Brazil and Australia, but Thailand has Bacon Thins as well? Thailand it is! (runs off to buy extra Lotto ticket) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-list-of-disappearing-products/474094.md?page=6)