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In a surprising trend, consumers are increasingly buying retro phones such as this Ericsson R290 Satellite which came out in 1999

Remember when snake was all you needed to be entertained?

Now, the retro mobile game could be making a comeback, along with the vintage handsets it was played on.

Consumers harking back to a simpler era are turning their backs on smartphones by embracing bulky, vintage mobiles, with retro features.

The demand for these old-school phones is so high that some models of old Nokias, Ericssons and Motorolas are now fetching up to €1,000 (£810 or $1,360) a piece.

While they may lack features, these retro phones are simple to use, have batteries that last the week and are practically indestructible compared to their smartphone equivalent.

'Some people don't blink at the prices, we have models at more than €1,000 (£810 or $1,360),' said Djassem Haddad, who started the site vintagemobile.fr in 2009.

'The high prices are due to the difficulty in finding those models, which were limited editions in their time.'

For instance, a Nokia 8800 Arte Gold is currently listed on the site for €1,000 (£810 or $1,360), while a Nokia 8800 could be purchased for €250 (£200 or $337)

Mr Haddad had been hoping to explore what he believed to be a niche market, but since last year, sales have taken off.

Remember when snake was all you needed to be entertained? The retro mobile game could be making a comeback, along with the vintage handsets it was played on. Consumers harking back to a simpler-era are turning their backs on smartphones by embracing bulky, vintage mobiles, with retro features

Among the top-sellers is the Nokia 8210, with a tiny monochrome screen and plastic buttons, at €59.99 (£48 or $80). Finnish firm Nokia, the biggest mobile phone company before the advent of Apple's iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy, offloaded its handset division to Microsoft this year after failing to catch the smartphone wave

Over the past two to three years, his company has sold some 10,000 handsets, 'with a real acceleration from the beginning of 2013'.

Among the top-sellers on the website is the Nokia 8210, with a tiny monochrome screen and plastic buttons, at €59.99 (£48 or $80).

'The ageing population is looking for simpler phones, while other consumers want a second cheap phone,' he said.

Ironically, the trend is just starting as the telecommunications industry throws such handsets into the recycling bins, hailing smartphones as the way ahead.

Finnish firm Nokia, the biggest mobile phone company before the advent of Apple's iPhone or Samsung's Galaxy, offloaded its handset division to Microsoft this year after failing to catch the smartphone wave.

But it was probably also the supposedly irreversible switch towards smartphone that has given the old school phone an unexpected boost.

For Damien Douani, an expert on new technologies at FaDa agency, it is simply trendy now to be using the retro phone.

A Motorola StarTac 130 - a model launched in 1998 - and repainted bright orange was recently offered for €180 (£145 or $245). Ironically, the trend is just starting as the telecommunications industry throws such handsets into the recycling bins, hailing smartphones as the way ahead

There is 'a great sensation of finding an object that we knew during another era - a little like paying for vintage sneakers that we couldn't afford when we were teenagers,' Mr Douani told AFP.

There is also 'a logic of counter-culture in reaction to the over-connectedness of today's society, with disconnection being the current trend.'

'That includes the need to return to what is essential and a basic telephone that is used only for making phone calls and sending SMSes,' he added.

It is also about 'being different. Today, everyone has a smartphone that looks just like another, while ten years ago, brands were much more creative.'

French online shop Lekki, which sells a range of vintage, revamped mobile phones, claims simplicity is the way forward.

On the left is a photo from 14 years ago of a Nokia mobile phone which was able to access Internet. On the right is a photo of an Ericsson mobile telephone sporting the slogan of Japan's Sony Corporation, taken in 2001

'Too many online social networks and an excess of email and applications, have made us slaves to technology in our everyday life,' it said on its website.

A Motorola StarTac 130 - a model launched in 1998 - and repainted bright orange was recently offered for €180 (£145 or $245), while an Ericsson A2628 with gold coloured keys for at €80 (£65 or $110).

'We have two types of profiles: the 25 to 35 year-olds attracted by the retro and offbeat side of a telephone that is a little different, and those who are nostalgic for the phone that they used when they were younger,' said Maxime Chanson, who founded Lekki in 2010.

'Some use it to complement their smartphone, but others are going for the vintage, tired of the technology race between the phone makers.'