Twitter Loves These Retro Reusable Grocery Lists, and For Good Reason

Certain jokes and images become buzz-worthy and re-garner trending status on Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook every few months or so, like this vintage, pocket-sized grocery list, which, yes, prefers to spell ketchup the O.G. way.

And for good reason. The antique metal concept — a novelty now, but once commonplace — is useful and re-usable, and this palmed-sized one is super cute for tucking in your pocket during a grocery run.

The device is a sort of analog version of a reverse grocery list. It keeps stock of commonplace pantry items, and you flip the switch next to the item when you run out.

So why don’t we use these anymore? Twitter users have explanations:

Maybe because the veggie section isn’t specific enough:

Maybe because spaghetti and noodles is a little too specific, or maybe because it doesn’t have our favorite modern snacks — as one user points out. Where are the kale chips and Oreos? And as another points out, where’s the beer?

Most likely, though, it’s because we have list apps on our phones now (as Twitter users were also apt to point out). But if you’re an old soul, the old-school grocery list might be for you.

Because of their off-and-on internet fame, the pocket-sized ones are a bit hard to come by online. Try your local flea market or antique store, and check Etsy for any that pop up (or similar ones, like this one with a metal cover and wipeable pages that fan out).

Also on Etsy, you’ll find large-scale versions of the device — several in French — meant for hanging on kitchen walls.

If you’re looking for a quirky statement piece to hang in your kitchen, the vintage grocery list just might be for you.