The 1920s Reusable Shopping List: A Vintage Innovation
In the 1920s, reusable shopping lists helped streamline grocery trips long before digital tools. These practical boards or booklets featured “sliding indicators, movable tabs, or erasable surfaces,” making them a sustainable alternative to paper lists. Shoppers could simply “reveal or mark” needed items or write on wipeable surfaces. Some even featured “rotating dials,” showcasing early interactive design. After shopping, users reset the list for the next trip. This vintage tool combined “functionality with the charm of vintage design,” offering an innovative way to simplify household management long before modern apps.
