Nostalgia electrics chocolate fountain instructions Continue Photo Emo Night in Brooklyn Forgotten Ghosts of Pop Culture past made a triumphant comeback. Between shows like Fuller House (Netflix reboot of 90s hit Full House), the return of the Gilmore Girls, and the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the block back on tour, nostalgia has its moment. Whether it's podcasts about old shows and movies, nostalgia-driven events and merchandise, or the resurgence of food and drink made popular decades ago, entrepreneurs are finding ways to relive what made them happy in the past and create something new. In most cases, these return businesses are a lucky accident. For many entrepreneurs of nostalgia, their business arose from their passion, which led to crowds of die-hard followers and fans. This is especially true for the duo who runs Emo Night in Brooklyn, a monthly event with a DJ who plays emo, post-hardcore and pop punk hits aughts, attracting thousands of passionately singing millennials to their party. The idea for their event was laid in Boston, where British co-founders and childhood friends Alex Badanes and Ethan McCoough both went to college. The couple started the party in their dorm rooms, and rocked quite hard by doing so. The guys then moved to Brooklyn around the same time and always will be before the game (partying in front of the bar) in a similar way. Alex and I thought it would be great if we moved the 'party' to the bar, invited our friends, and maybe the bar would give us a free beer in exchange for attracting people,' McCoy said. We went to a bar across the street from Alex's apartment in Williamsburg. They kind of laughed, but agreed that we could create our laptop in the corner of their 100-capacity basement, play the playlist of the music we wanted, and of course if a few people came, we would get that free beer we always wanted. After that initial playlist night in Brooklyn, Badanes and McCauby created a Facebook event that invited their friends to invite their friends (and so on). On the very night, there were hundreds of people lined up trying to get into that basement to drink, party, and most importantly, rock out the music that they grew up with. The story of Badanes and McCauby is not uncommon for entrepreneurs to turn their childhood and fan passion into unexpected success stories. For Jenny Whitaker, founder of Gilmore Girls Fan Fest, she was passionate about reviving gilmore Girls' love and creating something new. At the time, the show had been off the air for about a decade. The idea came to her while in Connecticut (where Gilmore Girls takes place). She thought: Why didn't anyone organize a Stars Hollow celebration for fans? Whitaker couldn't imagine a world where people couldn't visit Stars Hollow and present, the website says. She, with the help of her husband and co-founder Marcus, decided that it was time to bring the idea to life at least one weekend of the year. The first weekend brought together 1,500 guests from all over the world and plans to do so again this year. In addition to experiencing a city show based on, contestants were able to meet with numerous cast members. For us, it was important that we created something memorable that the participants had a great time, the cast got to get away from their day-to-day chaos, the media was feeling good to tell and the city we used to enjoy the visitors, Whitaker said. Indeed, we wanted to go away to do the whole weekend one to remember. And I think we've achieved that. Exploring interest in these topics doesn't necessarily require going physical space, either. Show and movie fanatics can access numerous podcasts that communicate and reminisce about their favorite episodes. From The West Wing and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the Gilmore Girls and even Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM), pop culture lovers can enjoy new content featuring their old favorites. Pop culture podcasts really come into their element when I started - shows like U Talkin U2 To Me? and Gilmore Guys are taking my social media feeds by storm, said Lapodcast host zack Heltzel. I am... asked myself which parts of my childhood stuck with me and no longer covered enough other podcasts. Eventually I landed on Disney Channel Original Movies. Although the podcast began with nostalgia, it grew to much more than for Heltzel. The podcast is a great excuse to ask amazing writers, comedians, and DCOM super-fans to hang out with me and go on little adventures for hours a week, he said. Every long-standing discussion I have with my guests teaches me a lot, and ... these conversations I have with these funny and intelligent people have helped me grow. Similarly, Gilmore Guys co-founder and co-host Kevin Porter said people tuned in to his show because it was specifically about something they already knew and loved. Porter and co- host Demi Adejuyigbe did not intend to make money with the show especially since there is so little. We did have fun, Porter said. All opportunities for making money were born out of necessity. We wanted and had to do live shows because of the demand. Tickets started at $5 for the first Gilmore Guys show. He grew up from there, and the duo eventually signed up with a network podcast called HeadGum and monetized their show through ads. Guys has products, which helped to create a positive cash flow for them. Nostalgic business thrives and retain the attention of fans for a reason: they remind us of the things that brought us happiness in our youth. This is An idealized sense of the past; it's also I'm running from now on, said Jessica Koblenz, a licensed clinical psychologist in New York. We tend to emphasize the positive aspects of the points, which are comforting, even if the situation has really improved. For example, we have nostalgia and glamorize moments we did not have cell phones because we remember the fun adventures that followed from trying to meet . I think the business is nostalgia and the reason we'll see X-number of Star Wars movies, Twin Peaks and Full House revivals is because people are haunted by this feeling that they were when they were young,' Porter added. Koblenz notes that some nostalgia is based on a mythical time that never was: For example, at Disneyworld Main Street, the U.S. is not a real place. It's cleaner and friendlier, and only the best elements of the time,' she said. If you want to start a business based on nostalgic love, it should be based on real passion. Of course, there is a big market for this. Everyone wants to relive great memories, and the fact that you can meet other people with similar interests by doing so makes it a slam dunk, McCoy said. It all feel good vibes and nostalgia is a positive feeling that people always want to experience. As with any business, you need to understand your target audience and their needs. Heltzel suggests creating a plan for how you will make this connection. There are very nuanced, detailed understanding of people who share the same nostalgic feelings that you do for what it is you want to explore, Heltzel said. To get their attention, you'll have to contact them at a level that's deeper than just mutual respect for sharing the experiences you once had. McCauby notes that entrepreneurs need to make sure that the number one reason for continuing this type of business will not only be happy, but that happiness will lead to success. While getting your business off the ground, McCauby offered the following advice: Be smart with your money. Invest it wisely in your business without overspending, he said. You don't always need the most expensive hotels, food or cars. Get with what you need. Take care of the people who will help you. We have an amazing team helping us, including booking agents, promoters, press/social media managers, artists we work with, etc., he said. Build a positive relationship. The people around you will eventually help you be more successful, McCoy said. Finding something worthwhile that won't feel like work most of the time, Whitaker added. Work harder than you've ever worked, and one day, hopefully it will make you burst with pride. Country Living editors choose each product. If you buy a link, we can earn a commission. Find out more What are collectibles and why are they so popular? June 14, 2007 Collectibles have become the hottest ticket items in the world auction. So what' collectibles and why are they so popular? People are nostalgic for their past, says Dana Hawkes, director of collectibles at California auction house Bonhams and Butterfields - so much so that they're willing to buy it back. Collectibles are often mass-produced items such as baseball cards, political items, and music memorabilia that reflect pop culture. According to Hawkes, collecting is something that has universal appeal and recognition. A photo of the Beatles in concert craved because thousands went to this concert, and it can conjure up a memory that more than one person can tell, she says. So, what to look for collectors? Anything that could be the next trend, Hawkes says. But what is fashionable today may not have a future high resale value.