Nostalgia is a powerful substance. And everyone carries it within themselves. It can take us to a distant time and place in a heartbeat. All we need is the right trigger. Luckily, the subreddit of the same name has plenty of them.
Whether we're talking about multicolored pens, Tamagotchis, or having to manually turn off your computer, this online community shares pictures that make you feel old and hit right in the feels.
We at Bored Panda have already covered r/Nostalgia in our older publications here and here, but with 1 million members, its collection of sentimental gems keeps expanding really fast, so we thought we'd release an update to send you down memory lane once more. Safe travels!
This post may include affiliate links.
Robin Williams
Remember The Visualizer In Windows Media Player? I'd Spend Hours Staring At It
Even though we all feel nostalgia, it's not entirely clear what psychological purpose it serves. Is this longing feeling for the past good or bad?
Krystine Batcho, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at LeMoyne College, said the word was coined or invented a long time ago, over 300 years ago, and originally designated homesickness.
"Semantic drift over the centuries has broadened that to the notion of longing for or missing aspects of a person's personal lived past," Batcho explained.
In The 2000's Everyone Had A Cd Case In Their Car Half Full Of Burned Cds, And It Was Better Than What We Have Now
Old Stereo Cabinets
ooooo the 1980s are calling. But TBH the sound quality on this thing totally owned anything you can buy now
Anologue will always outperform digital. In photography, music, radios
Load More Replies..."indexed" or "hydraulic" feeling? 😁🤓😂 lol...both feel great!
Load More Replies...And even relatively inexpensive entry level systems like this one still sound a hundred times better than an iPod with ear buds.
Thats because the bluetooth cant actually transmit lossless quality!
Load More Replies...beautiful ... and is that the led zep box set in there ? ... even more beautiful
My grandpa had about three sets. When he died, we gave them out because we didn't know what to do with them.
Still have one in the basement ... listen to to often ... the actual stereo not the clicking door magnets
My ex still has his and his entire stereo. Two 100 disc CD players, dual tape deck, record player, the works.
These were suuuuch a status symbol in the 70s and 80s! Hifi (which is where u get wifi btw) 🤓
I just got rid of my sony stereo that came in a cabinet in 2016. I bought it in 1994. It was my first big purchase. 5 cd disc player, dual cassette, subwoofer, surround sound speakers, remote control. I couldn't wait to bump my music in it! I have a feeling those will be making a comeback soon.
And the sexy slabs of audio engineering treasures behind the glass..God names like Technics, Sansui, Pioneer, Harmon Kardon, Klipsch. If you were serious, you had a honkin' 1000 watt pre-amp with lighted analog needle gauges...and a 20 band equalizer with manual analog sliders uhh uhh! 😂 🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️
I would love a stereo like this. The p**n shops have them.
I think I seen one these before, always wanted to see how it works by touching buttons, twisting knobs, that stuff.
My friend had a "stereo tiki" Polynesian figure on his Technics setup...to ward off ppl like you! 👺😂😉
Load More Replies...My folks had one of these! Memories... mum blasting classical music while she did the hoovering... God help you if you weren't an early riser in our household...
I still have 3 of these components. No streaming service, no phone can ever duplicate the sound of a great receiver and speakers.
The sound was great, and you could adjust it to suit what you wanted instead of what a board of directors wanted.
This was our stereo goal. We still have some of it and all of our albums. We had $X to spend and put together the best set we could for that money. It was well worth it.
We had a windup Victrola record player with a horn the sound came out of.
Just gave my dads to my uncle.... with all the cds and tapes, albums we kept...
Ohhh No way!!! No way was I the ONLY tween/teen NOT allowed to even touch the glorious family stereo system?! (without permission and supervision) Unless of course the parents left my siblings and I to fight over “who’s picking first?” Then be scared shitless bout somehow becoming to powerful and close your eyes ANYTIME one of us pushed that glass lil too hard!!! Fearful of it shattering?? Or wait…. was that just at my house??
Those were the days when your life centered around your sound system, record collection, a couple of old sofas all surrounding the all-important coffee table which held the bong and some other things. I forget
What should I save from today's era? Because I want all of this throwback stuff again. Will I feel the same way in 20 years about the 2020s...aw hell I just heard myself. I want the 80s/90s stuff!!
dying to get my hand on one these days, regretted for selling n giving the ol ones up years n years ago... 😢😓
I remember the smell of it! Musky, yet homey with a feel of luxury ☺️👌🏼
Why was the magnet sound always soooo loud when we were tryna be quiet lol
S**t...that looks awesome. I had that identical stereo, piece by piece. Good times on there making mix tapes.
My stereo is a mix of two 1982 pieces with another "vintage", from 1996
My mom held onto her cabinet for YEARS with no stereo, cds or albums. Just an empty shell
Ah yes, the high watt sound systems that meant everyone in the neighborhood was listening to what you wanted to listen to. We had a family/friend new years eve party one year and we lived above a bar, random people kept showing up because our music was better and louder than the cheap system the bar had.
And we'd have miles of wire with sansui floor speakers from the windows to the walls ......till the sweat drips down my
I still have no idea what half of that stuff did but dammit, I wanted it!
Yes I had one of these in the '90's!! It had s 5 disc changer on top and a remote control. My nirvana, pearl jam and my girl soundtrack got a lot of use. And NIN. And oasis...
What about Beck? Lol just kidding.But seriously I'm sorry nothing will ever compare to the 90's and grunge and the music then
Load More Replies...My dad still has a stereo like this in his garage. Beautiful sound.
My parents had a few of those. Ahh.. so many stitches...so many memories
Remember When You Didn’t Have To Enter Your Personal Info Online To Win A Soda?
"Most of the research available today including my research argues that nostalgia serves a number of functions," Batcho said. "The thing that ties them all together is that nostalgia is an emotional experience that unifies."
In other words, it helps to unite our self, our sense of who we are, and our identity over time. This can be valuable because over time we change in incredible ways.
"We're not anywhere near the same as we were when we were three years old, for example," Batcho added. "Nostalgia by motivating us to remember the past in our own life helps to unite us to that authentic self and remind us of who we have been and then compare that to who we feel we are today." This also gives us an image of who we want to be in the future.
The Time When Transparency Was All The Rage
Multicolor Pens
Having To Manually Roll Down/Up Your Car's Windows
In the US, the average new car is $47K, average annual income $53K. We wouldn’t mind manually rolling down the windows in affordable vehicles.
Is It Me Or Did You Guys Have Those Temporary Trailers Attached To You're School That Were Only Meant To Stay Up For Like 3 Years But Ended Up Staying For Like 30?
I spent all of grade five in a portable. It was so cold in the winter. :(
Nostalgia also serves an essential psychological function in that it's a highly social emotion. It connects us to other people.
"In the beginning, when we're very young, it's part of what bonds us to the most important people in our life, our parents, our siblings, our friends. As we go through life, it can broaden out and extend to a wider sphere of the people we interact with. It's a social connectedness phenomenon and nostalgia is in that sense a very healthy pro-social emotion."
Before Cell Phones… Here’s How You Found Your Friends
Solitaire Card Backs
I know if you choose the one at the end sometimes an ace would shoot out of his sleeve. And if you choose the one with the castle the bats will move and the one with the robot some of the dials would move
The Art On The Back Of The Little Golden Book Series
Who Else Remembers Cigarette Vending Machines That Had No Way To Check A Persons Age And Operated On The Honor System?
75 cents at the pizzeria. You had to run in quickly while the guy was busy or lie & say it was for your mom
In itself, nostalgia is somewhat of a conflict because it is a bitter-sweet emotion. But that also has a hugely positive effect because it helps us to unify what otherwise would be felt or experienced by us as conflicts.
"The bitterness comes from the sense that we know for sure that we can never really regain them, they're gone forever. The irreversibility of time means that we absolutely cannot go back in time so it helps us to deal with the conflict of the bitter longing for what can never be again together with the sweetness of having experienced it and being able to revisit it and relive it again," Batcho said.
Teacher's Pulldown Maps
Silly Erasers That Never Worked
Defragging Your Hard Drive
Having To Manually Turn Off Your Computer
Haha I had forgotten that. One thing I won't forget is the absolute paranoia my dad had about computer viruses in the 90s
According to Batcho's research, nostalgia can be a stabilizing force and comfort us during times of transition.
"It's very difficult to grasp change, because in some sense, at a very deep psychic level, change threatens us," the psychologist explained. "It's a little frightening because we're not 100% sure that we can control it. One of the most important aspects of being a healthy human being is having a sense that you are in control of things. When things start to change, either very substantially, such as major events in a person's life, getting married or getting divorced, getting a new career, going back to school or graduating from school, it's comforting to have a nostalgic feeling for the past that reminds us that although we don't know what the future is going to bring, what we do know is that we know who we have been and who we really are."
Movie Theater Carpeting
Teacher's Grade Book
Magic Mitt For The 90s Kids Out There
This Ride That Almost Killed Us All In The 90's
Nostalgia brings things back. It stimulates memories of the times when we were accepted and loved and this phenomenon is very comforting. Knowing that at some point in life we didn't have to earn our love can be very powerful. Nostalgia helps us realize that our parents, our siblings, or our friends simply loved us unconditionally. And these thoughts can work miracles on us when we're undergoing turmoil in our personal lives.
Magic Slate Paper Saver
Family: Why Do You Love Pizza So Much? My TV As A Kid
Visiting Your School After Dark If You Were Attending A Performance Or Exhibit. The Eerie Type Of Feeling You'd Experience
Wait, school performances and exhibits aren't a thing anymore? Why not?
Mr. Sketch. Our First “High”
Batcho believes nostalgia might even have an element of infectiousness and wishes it was even bigger. To understand what she means by that, think of a group of people who have some shared experience.
"The best example of that is when a group of friends are reminiscing about their antics, the things they did as either teenagers or children or what have you. There it's a bonding experience. Another example of that is we know from current research that sports fans love to do that. They talk about the games that they enjoyed and when their team was victorious. When you have a common bond, it can be very infectious and it's like a domino one memory triggers another."
A Complete Fisher-Price Medical Kit
Wood Grain Pull Out Vhs Storage
Candy Powder Filled Fruit
Winamp. Did You Have It?
And the reason why she wishes it was more infectious is that this, let's call it, collective nostalgia can break down when you have a group of people who do not have shared experiences to be nostalgic about. Suddenly if you have one individual wanting to reminisce about their past but no one else in that group remembers those things or lived through those things, you might get things like a generation gap. Someone is talking about the 1950s and a teen says they can't even imagine it.
So when you think about it, r/Nostalgia is doing a beautiful public service. The subreddit is bringing together those who might not have anyone to daydream about the past with.
Countertop Popcorn Machines
The Mac And PC Commercials
The Computer Section Of A Public Library In 2006
The Classic Rectangular Garfield Comic Books
I Never Had A Pair Myself, But I Recall Quite A Few Childhood Friends Having The 80s Style Fisher Price Roller Skates…
Robinhood Men In Tights (1993)
Their once was a man from Nottingham who tried to cross a river. What a dope. He stepped on a rope now look at him shiver
Cd Holders That Strap Onto Your Sun Visor
My Daughter. Playing With Her New Tamagotchi
😳 my granddaughter has that same flannel nightgown…. now i know 💯 i am old 😢
California Raisin, 1987, You Heard It From The Grapevine!
Kit Kat With Foil Wrapping
3D Pinball For Windows - Space Cadet Gif
Old Disney Store
Limewire
Turn Off Computer
Cootie!
Mcdonald’s Burger Seats. I Can Still Feel Them - The Hardest Substance Known To Man
Bedding Sets From The 90s
The Old Comedy Central Logo. The 90s To Mid 2000s Were Peak Comedy Central
I remember turning it on and seeing actual stand up comics being funny. Not just sitcoms.
Celebrating A Merry Birthday In 1997
Aww! I have a Merry Birthday Too! Only upside to one present is when your mom is struggling, sometimes you get something good like a Nintendo.
Ringtone Commercials
It was Jamster in the UK with the Crazy Fog... still trying to forget that noise
Connecting With The World In Aol Chat Rooms
Spirograph. Lite Brite. See and Say with a pull string. Jarts-- lawn dart game responsible for many serious injuries and even death. The original Underoos. Rubik's cube. Books on how to solve Rubik's cube. Mr. Whipped. The Tidy Bowl man. The original Walkman.
I still hate rubik's cube and feel super stupid whenever I look at one. Like, WHY AM I SO DUMB I CANT FIX IT???
Load More Replies...Aww Thanks for the Ear to Ear Smile going from my face to my heart <3<3
This isn't to you Eagle Girl. But I've never seen so many down votes in my life! 60!!!
Load More Replies...I'm gen z and now I feel I didn't even have a childhood
Load More Replies...Please change the post's title to something like "nostalgia" instead of "obsolete things". It doesn't fit the list at all and it's very disturbing.
Yeah, about half these things are still on the market. They may not be as popular as they once were, but you can still find those pens at almost any toy store, those "medical kits" are probably even more popular now (not original FP, but basically the same thing), n64 is now a premium subscription on Switch, and as a concept consuls are absolutely still popular, and if you don't shut your computer (or even smartphone) down all the way at least occasionally you are running a lot of garbage that is slowing you down and using up more power than you need to.
Load More Replies...I found that oddly ironic considered that BoredPanda is an European site.
Load More Replies...Do some people understand the definition of "obsolete"? As in, no longer useful? No longer available?
Remember trying to go fast enough to slide? I'll just put this right here. Big-Wheel-...ce4fc1.jpg
And I'm surprised no one brought Beanie-Babies to the party....
Load More Replies...Sad to not see JOLT cola on the list. “All the sugar, twice the caffeine!”
When whole listicles are nostalgic for things that came out after you finished high school, you're old. I'm old
I was just thinking this. Or, more sarcastically, “What, no photos of a cotton gin”
Load More Replies...Max Headroom, Choose Your Own Adventure books, Slip and Slide, Rubik's Snake, Hoppity Hop, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Commodore 64/128, having to get up and go to the TV to change the channel, audio cassettes
My family were talking about Max Headroom recently, because my step-dad reckons my sister's old high school principal looks like him! moo_2020-6...501ee3.jpg
Load More Replies...The connection between a number 2 pencil (or pen) and an audio cassette. Also the cassette to CD adapter for older cars.
I only heard of that a few years ago when I began teaching kindergarten and I couldn't work out how to play lol!
Load More Replies...I'm smiling as I see most of these I remember them, but as an adult You folks wouldn't have a clue how to use some of the technology I had as a child Also the games, toys and pastimes were way different Virtually devoid of any electronics. We played outdoors, rode tricycles or bikes and played mostly with little or no safety equipment. We had very little processed food. A coke was a treat. Most moms were at home and took pride their homes and families. We prayed in school and never had to worry about being shot because we were protected by God whom most people trusted and respected. No perverts would have ever dared try to hurt one of us and if they did the law dealt them a swift just penalty. The toys were simple but realistic. Children grew up as children not mini adults or drug dealers. We loved each other, hugged and appreciated what we had. I'd love to go back to those days...when people cared and loved
Anyone else's feelings get hurt seeing your childhood while in the antique store?
I remember saving up to buy a sky pager. Just to have to find a payphone and call my friend or moms when summoned. Was the ultimate 90s accessory.
All these wonderful memories came flooding back! Thank You Bored Panda!!!
i know just about all of them - i coulda' bought a fully automatic bb gun powered by a can of freon off the back of a comic book cover when i was a kid.
This article made me think of this song: ("Unbelievable" by Owl City and Hanson, if you don't trust me to follow the link! I have never Rickrolled anyone and never will, I swear). https://youtu.be/PTWaiwb5QnE
#5 I learnt quick nothing was free, u needed the deposit money in Canada. Kept a couple of dimes on me. I won a lot
Speak & Spell. Speak & Math. Commodore 64. Hot Wheels. Barbie with her Afghan hound in the US and Cindy in the UK. The Muppet Show. Sesame Street. Bagpuss. Swap Shop. Will o'the Wisp. Original Bugs Bunny cartoons. Blue Peter. Bicycles with streamers from the handlebars. 99p's. Metal roller skates.
Literally had or knew every single one lol... loved this one!
The LaserDisc. The predecessor to the DVD and BluRay. They looked just like a DVD but we're the size of a 33 1/3 LP and almost twice as thick. Dragon's Lair, Space Ace, and Cliff Hanger were LaserDisc video games. There were quite a few others but those are some that come to mind.
This list did nothing but make me feel even older and closer to death than normal. Thanks, Boredpanda.
I liked the article, but many of these still exist. Plus, like most of these, it is so US-centric. I know they can only use the things that are online, but it would be nice if they featured some from other countries.
Spirograph. Lite Brite. See and Say with a pull string. Jarts-- lawn dart game responsible for many serious injuries and even death. The original Underoos. Rubik's cube. Books on how to solve Rubik's cube. Mr. Whipped. The Tidy Bowl man. The original Walkman.
I still hate rubik's cube and feel super stupid whenever I look at one. Like, WHY AM I SO DUMB I CANT FIX IT???
Load More Replies...Aww Thanks for the Ear to Ear Smile going from my face to my heart <3<3
This isn't to you Eagle Girl. But I've never seen so many down votes in my life! 60!!!
Load More Replies...I'm gen z and now I feel I didn't even have a childhood
Load More Replies...Please change the post's title to something like "nostalgia" instead of "obsolete things". It doesn't fit the list at all and it's very disturbing.
Yeah, about half these things are still on the market. They may not be as popular as they once were, but you can still find those pens at almost any toy store, those "medical kits" are probably even more popular now (not original FP, but basically the same thing), n64 is now a premium subscription on Switch, and as a concept consuls are absolutely still popular, and if you don't shut your computer (or even smartphone) down all the way at least occasionally you are running a lot of garbage that is slowing you down and using up more power than you need to.
Load More Replies...I found that oddly ironic considered that BoredPanda is an European site.
Load More Replies...Do some people understand the definition of "obsolete"? As in, no longer useful? No longer available?
Remember trying to go fast enough to slide? I'll just put this right here. Big-Wheel-...ce4fc1.jpg
And I'm surprised no one brought Beanie-Babies to the party....
Load More Replies...Sad to not see JOLT cola on the list. “All the sugar, twice the caffeine!”
When whole listicles are nostalgic for things that came out after you finished high school, you're old. I'm old
I was just thinking this. Or, more sarcastically, “What, no photos of a cotton gin”
Load More Replies...Max Headroom, Choose Your Own Adventure books, Slip and Slide, Rubik's Snake, Hoppity Hop, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Commodore 64/128, having to get up and go to the TV to change the channel, audio cassettes
My family were talking about Max Headroom recently, because my step-dad reckons my sister's old high school principal looks like him! moo_2020-6...501ee3.jpg
Load More Replies...The connection between a number 2 pencil (or pen) and an audio cassette. Also the cassette to CD adapter for older cars.
I only heard of that a few years ago when I began teaching kindergarten and I couldn't work out how to play lol!
Load More Replies...I'm smiling as I see most of these I remember them, but as an adult You folks wouldn't have a clue how to use some of the technology I had as a child Also the games, toys and pastimes were way different Virtually devoid of any electronics. We played outdoors, rode tricycles or bikes and played mostly with little or no safety equipment. We had very little processed food. A coke was a treat. Most moms were at home and took pride their homes and families. We prayed in school and never had to worry about being shot because we were protected by God whom most people trusted and respected. No perverts would have ever dared try to hurt one of us and if they did the law dealt them a swift just penalty. The toys were simple but realistic. Children grew up as children not mini adults or drug dealers. We loved each other, hugged and appreciated what we had. I'd love to go back to those days...when people cared and loved
Anyone else's feelings get hurt seeing your childhood while in the antique store?
I remember saving up to buy a sky pager. Just to have to find a payphone and call my friend or moms when summoned. Was the ultimate 90s accessory.
All these wonderful memories came flooding back! Thank You Bored Panda!!!
i know just about all of them - i coulda' bought a fully automatic bb gun powered by a can of freon off the back of a comic book cover when i was a kid.
This article made me think of this song: ("Unbelievable" by Owl City and Hanson, if you don't trust me to follow the link! I have never Rickrolled anyone and never will, I swear). https://youtu.be/PTWaiwb5QnE
#5 I learnt quick nothing was free, u needed the deposit money in Canada. Kept a couple of dimes on me. I won a lot
Speak & Spell. Speak & Math. Commodore 64. Hot Wheels. Barbie with her Afghan hound in the US and Cindy in the UK. The Muppet Show. Sesame Street. Bagpuss. Swap Shop. Will o'the Wisp. Original Bugs Bunny cartoons. Blue Peter. Bicycles with streamers from the handlebars. 99p's. Metal roller skates.
Literally had or knew every single one lol... loved this one!
The LaserDisc. The predecessor to the DVD and BluRay. They looked just like a DVD but we're the size of a 33 1/3 LP and almost twice as thick. Dragon's Lair, Space Ace, and Cliff Hanger were LaserDisc video games. There were quite a few others but those are some that come to mind.
This list did nothing but make me feel even older and closer to death than normal. Thanks, Boredpanda.
I liked the article, but many of these still exist. Plus, like most of these, it is so US-centric. I know they can only use the things that are online, but it would be nice if they featured some from other countries.