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The old side of tech in lost Las Vegas

Brick phones, reel-to-reel recording, Super 8 film -- there's a plethora of old tech hidden away in the antiques stores and thrift shops of Las Vegas, all you need is a good eye and a love of all things retro.

James Martin
James Martin is the Managing Editor of Photography at CNET. His photos capture technology's impact on society - from the widening wealth gap in San Francisco, to the European refugee crisis and Rwanda's efforts to improve health care. From the technology pioneers of Google and Facebook, photographing Apple's Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, to the most groundbreaking launches at Apple and NASA, his is a dream job for any documentary photography and journalist with a love for technology. Exhibited widely, syndicated and reprinted thousands of times over the years, James follows the people and places behind the technology changing our world, bringing their stories and ideas to life.
James Martin
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As Las Vegas has shifted from a debaucherous underworld to a Disneyworld-like vacation for families, we went looking for old Las Vegas, and found some really cool old tech history.

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An old Motorola America Series cell phone.

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Philco introduced its 17-inch tabletop TV, the Predicta, seen here, in 1959. The TVs were first sold for around $200.

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Stereo headphones for your Walkman! Radical!

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The stylish 1970s-era Weltron 2001 "Space Ball" 8-track stereo with an AM/FM multiplex! Straight out of a Kubrick film.

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A Bell & Howell 1239 XL Macro Super 8 film camera from 1979.

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A stylish 1960s-era pink Frigidaire refrigerator with matching ovens and cabinets. The full kitchen for the modern American.

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A vintage model AP1495YH Quasar TV, clock, radio, alarm combo from 1986.

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Action black and white portable TV with AM/FM radio.

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An RCA SelectaVision 400 VHS VCR. Panasonic made VHS VCR, which sold for around $1000 when it was released in 1978. Most importantly, it comes with a Red Skelton "King of Laughter" tape inside.

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A vintage 1962 GTE green rotary dial telephone found at Retro Vegas in Las Vegas, NV.

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The Panasonic flip clock radio, model RC6003 from the mid 1970s.

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You know your TV is old when the knobs are on the side.

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This original Soviet Sokol-KV-2 spacesuit was worn by cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya -- the first woman to walk in space on July 25th, 1984, when she conducted a spacewalkoutside the Soviet Union's Salyut 7 space station.

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Atari game cartridges including classics like Missile Command, Space War, Star Master and Fishing Derby.

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A Motorola MicroTAC from the 1980s.

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A robot built from old electronics parts, including a Foxconn nose and mouth heatsink.

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A 1959 RCA Victor model 1-RD-45 AM tube clock radio.

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Old Vegas is a mecca for collectors who love vintage Star Wars toys -- this complete TIE Fighter set was in mint condition.

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A Genius GM-ST three button serial mouse.

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Old Las Vegas is packed with really old, and really cool, vintage tech.

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A Bell & Howell 1585 reel to reel 16 mm projector.

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A stunning 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville outside Atomic Style Lounge in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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A 1965 Polaroid Model 80B Land Camera.

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One store owner told us about a young customer who looked at the store's collection of rotary phones and didn't know how to make a call. "Turn your finger around the dial... and then what?"

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A classic typewriter, from the age before you could delete your typos.

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A Panasonic boom box with a tape deck and AM/FM radio. AM and FM? What a time to be alive!

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A Sears solid state radio.

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A set of Star Trek "Next Generation" plates.

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General Electric Show N' Tell Phono Viewer and combination record player, model A660B.

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With this Miraphone cylinder music box, you can stream "Must You" from "The Wizard of Oz" muscial right into your parlor.

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A wall of beautiful timepieces.

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This cast iron stove and oven was once the cutting edge of a smart home kitchen.

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A working Gatling Gun with tripod made from six AK-47s.

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