The Washington Post’s home and design reporter Jura Koncius recently emailed me, wanting to talk about TV tray tables. She was working on a feature to go with the launch of the new fall TV season: a what’s-old-is-new-again look at these throwbacks to the early days of television and how they still might relate to our lives today. Did I use them? What did I know about them? Are folks into them? It was a lot of fun talking to her! Read her story here.
And then, Open Thread:
Do you use TV tray tables? Do you have stories about growing up with them? Are you on the lookout for vintage, like the set above from ebay seller heathers684
(affiliate link). Even: What are you watching on TV this season that you’d like to recommend?
Pat says
We have a set similar to those, the floral design is a bit different. Use them every day, the design is getting worn off, wish I had protected it before we started using them, never thought about it. I prefer these to the wood ones, the lip on the tray keeps everything contained on the tray! Bought mine at a church sale for very little probably 20 years ago.
Lisa says
We had them & used them all the time! We even upgraded from the flimsy metal ones to some solid wooden ones w/ parquet wood tops! They were quite handy for much more than just eating from. You could have a little port-a-table wherever & whenever you needed! To have a TV dinner on a TV tray in front of the TV was quite the treat!!!
Amy says
Yes, I remember well! And Swanson TV Dinners on those TV trays! My parents would set us up when they’d get a babysitter to go out (brave gals – there were 5 of us!) of course we thought this was such a treat! I wish they would make those tables again. The raised edges keep spills contained, and they were lightweight and easy to put away if you wanted to. Difficult to find any variety nowadays.