Products From The 1980s That Kids Today Are Surely Clueless Having Ever Existed

Ah, the era of floppy disks.

Sophia

• Published in Interesting
• July 6, 2022

The '80s didn't leave much room to lack with anything—it had a lot of things to offer, and it was definitely a time where everything just seems to be enjoyable. The decade has brought us a lot of things that would also bring a lot of significance later on; from beauty products to household items, and just about anything in the entertainment and consumerism industry.

People back then always seem to jump in on the trends of the decade as soon as they can, and it's no wonder how households back then seem to have the same things displayed—including ceramic plates and frosted glass figurines. That being said, it is fairly evident that a lot of things have such a stark difference between what it is back then compared to what it is now, but it just shows one thing: trends come and go, but they are always the exact copy, except that they are much more temporary and more fit to the era they were born into.

The decade of 1980s was a time where funky clothes, questionable fashion trends, loud music, and just about everything odd, and weird, but kind of made sense at the same time, have made their way into the mainstream.

Not a lot of us (duh) have had the pleasure to experience this iconic decade, and many young people nowadays are quite shocked by the products that were used in our homes and personal life back then—back when iPods weren't still born and plastic shoes were actually 'in.'

Take a look at some of the products that were popular back then in the '80s and see for yourself how much society has progressed since then:

1. Trapper Keepers

Trapper Keepers were these fancy three-ring binders sold for $5—which is kind of absurd for just a binder, but hey, it's a Trapper Keeper. These binders came in colorful designs on the outside and a storage room for folders inside, just like a handy, physical desktop.

2. Z. Cavaricci pants

Z. Cavaricci pants were a short-lived trend in the '80s that were actually kind of meh, looking at it now. Zubaz and Esprit brands are still around with these kinds of pants, but Z. Cavaricci is still yet to make a comeback.

3. Scholastic book order forms

This was definitely a bookworm's favorite: the Scholastic Book Club forms were for kids who wanted to buy the books they want to read by choosing them in a flier that was passed around. The kids would check the ones they hope their parents would actually order.

4. Starter jackets

Starter jackets were a school must-have, as everyone wanted these bright-colored jackets. The flashier they are, the better.

5. Garbage Pail Kids

Don't get them confused with Cabbage Patch Kids (which you will see later on), because these ones are trading cards that spoofed the dolls. Nowadays, an original set of these cards are being sold for $3,000 on eBay.

6. Jellies sandals

We can't help but cringe at the fact that we actually found these trendy back then—but who's to question what's in and what's out in the '80s? This was definitely one footwear that everyone seemed to have.

7. Floppy disks

Yep, no cloud drives, no flash drives, and no built-in storage. Floppy disks were a way to save computer data back then, but now they are considered extinct.

8. Reebok Pumps

Shoes with inflatable air pockets were the real deal back then, and everyone wanted to have these Reebok Pumps. Nothing beats the feeling of having these original pumps as you strut into the mall!

9. Cabbage Patch Kids

Here they are, the Cabbage Patch Kids! Looking at it now, you would probably wonder why kids were all going crazy over these soft-toy doll, and every adult was in frenzy in finding them during Christmas to give as gifts.

10. My Buddy and Kid Sister Dolls

Aside from the Cabbage Patch Kids, the '80s also had these gender-targeted dolls that had a catchy commercial jingle you would have a hard time getting out of your head.

11. Video game arcades

Some places and malls still have these, but video game arcades are such an '80s thing. If you have watched Stranger Things, then you would know how really popular this was back then—you could jump between Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Rampage, Millipede, and many more, but at the cost of your money and time in queueing, of course.

12. Walkman

Before iPods became a thing and there weren't smartphones where we could just play our music, Walkmans were the best friends of music lovers back then. Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy and Max Mayfield from Stranger Things are probably the most prominent pop culture characters nowadays that are highly associated with this thing.

It initially cost $200 when it first came out in 1979, and by 1985, Sony has made billions of tapes for people who wanted to have music on the go.

13. This Nintendo console back then

Before Nintendo DS and Switch, this was how the brand's game consoles looked back then. You had to blow on your cartridge for your games to work but that's nothing compared to playing Super Mario Bros. after a long day!

14. TV and movie theme cereal

Cereals that are circled around TV shows and movies may still be around, but it was in the '80s when almost every show had this, including Ghostbusters, E.T., G.I. Joe, C-3PO, Gremlins, Mr.T, and Rainbow Brite.

15. Slap bracelets

These were still around in the late 2000s, but they were highly popular back in the '80s. As the name suggests, you just have to slap these things on your wrists, and they will automatically coil into a circle.

The decade has definitely brought us a lot of things, some of which have evolved years later into the things are gadgets that we still use right now. How many of these can you still recall if you're an '80s baby yourself?

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Sophia