Melchior cutlery

Massive, decorated with patterns and silver-plated, they were considered proof of good income. True, malicious tongues sometimes called them ”silver for the poor.” Melchior had to be cleaned regularly because it quickly tarnished, which was inconvenient and time-consuming, so usually all this luxury was brought to the table only for guests. In everyday life, people used spoons and forks made of stainless steel.

Baby strollers

Even in the 70s, you couldn`t just go to a store and buy a baby stroller – if they were sold, it was only in the capital and larger cities. Therefore, it was more practical to look for them at rental points: if you thought about it in advance, you had to queue up and after a few months, there was hope to rent a stroller. And, of course, there was no chance that someone would sell them. Therefore, moms who owned strollers were envied.

Home telephone

A home telephone was definitely a sign of high status. An ordinary worker couldn`t afford such luxury; it was only for important people in leading positions. Those lucky enough to install a phone at home knew at least all the residents of the stairwell, if not the whole courtyard. Loneliness did not threaten home phone owners: neighbors constantly came to them wanting to use the wonder of civilization.

Gold jewelry

The best way to save money was a savings book and gold. Every precious metal item was considered beautiful, even if there was no beauty in it. If the jewelry also had a stone, then everything was clear about the owner without words — this person was obviously not ordinary.

Polished cabinet

Being the owner of a polished cabinet in the 70s meant about the same as being a Tesla owner now. From small towns, people specially traveled to the capital for such furniture. But after acquiring this treasure, they wiped it every day and often with a special polished furniture product to make it shine brighter and not get damaged. Because a good thing requires quality care.

Gold teeth

Even 30-40 years ago, dental prosthetics that imitated natural teeth would not have been appreciated by anyone. Teeth had to be gold. No matter how old you were: gold looked good even at 30. If funds were insufficient but you wanted to shine, you could get gold-plated teeth. In the worst case - metal.

The love for gold was also dictated by practicality: they had the least problems due to the metal`s inertness.

Furniture wall unit

In the 80s, the era of polished cabinets was over, and attention turned to the wall unit - a furniture set along the length of the room`s wall. Romanian furniture was valued the most, but if it wasn`t available, Moldovan furniture was good enough. To buy a wall unit, people stood in line for years. Sometimes you had to ”check in.” That meant waking up at 3-4 in the morning on Saturday and showing up in line at the furniture store, standing there before opening and raising your hand when your number came. If the buyer didn`t show up - the queue was lost, hopes for the wall unit were gone.

Dinner service

Every home had dishes ”for every day” and ”for guests.” In the sideboard or wall unit, there was a dinner service that, like Melchior spoons, was used only when guests arrived.

World literature library

Books were very valuable, hunted for, subscribed to, and queued for. Often, when buying some book, you had to buy a couple of unnecessary ones. It was called ”giving extra.” Collecting such a ”world literature library” cabinet as in the photo meant that somewhere in the other room there was another cabinet with less valuable books, kept only because they are books, man`s best friend. And friends are not thrown away.

Fur hat and collar

Every woman dreamed of fur. The highest level was a fur coat. For example, mouton. But not everyone could afford such luxury. Therefore, most settled for a fur collar on a drape coat and a mink hat. Or even just one thing, as luck would have it.

Crystal

Crystal is like a fur coat, only at home. A person without a crystal vase was pitiful. And without crystal salad bowls, glasses, and goblets too. Often, all this was obtained with the help of acquaintances, because such luxury was available in stores only in the capital. Of course, no one ate or drank from crystal dishes (except on holidays) — all these beautiful things just stood in the sideboard, pleasing the owners` eyes, gathering dust and yellowing over the years.

Tell us what was considered valuable in your childhood? Are there any things you miss now?