How to approach people on the street to shoot them - etiquette & payment.

Well yes, I guess nostalga influences our opinions on many things.....and I also love Majestic Wine Warehouse!
Perhaps there comes a point in time, when we all start to feel a bit "out of tune" with the times we live in, to the point where images from yesteryear seem to have more meaning.
I believe even the great Henri Cartier-Bresson gave up taking pictures around 1961 and turned to painting....perhaps he felt his world was disappearing and he had nothing more to say with the camera?

I hear you completely, Rolleiman. It's probably a very natural result.

To the OP, don't let the nostalgia discourage you. Just get out there and tackle your street photography, whether head on or more discreetly, in a way that resonates with you and, ultimately, your audience. Good luck.

Leo