Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Here Are The Luxury Items That Were Commonplace 20-30 Years Ago

It's amazing to think how, as times change, so do the quality of products.

But this also includes items that were once considered commonplace that are now seen as vintage or even luxury.

For those who were around at the time when an item was first introduced, it can be surprising to see how the availability of that item changes over time, and even frustrating when it becomes increasingly expensive.


Redditor zombiem00se asked:

"What was normal 20 or 30 years ago, but is considered a luxury now?"

Quality Furniture

"New furniture made out of real wood."

- Juls7243

"It's legit why I started woodworking. Even my s**tty projects that I'm unhappy with are infinitely better than the junk in stores."

- leap3

Software Ownership

"I hate that everything is a subscription now. I miss being able to just straight up buy Microsoft Office. Now you need a subscription."

"There's a hidden way to buy a license, but it has very basic functionality and limited apps, so it's kinda useless."

"Even my printer needs a d**n subscription to use the ink that came with it (which I hadn't realized or I wouldn't have bought it)."

- SolusLega

Income-Rent Ratio

"The days of paying no more than 30% of your income in rent."

- newsaggregateftw

"I lived in poverty housing and this was how they determined our rent. It was 30% of mom's income, regardless of how much she was making."

"That was 20 years ago, not sure what starving kids do today."

- DaughterEarth

Constant Availability

"Not being expected to be reachable 24/7."

- Siukslinis_acc

"Yes, f**k this. I hate being bothered about work when I'm off work. I used to have a boss that expected me to answer when I wasn't at work so he would b***h and moan about it. Then I became known as the one who never answers."

- Capt_Skyhawk

Affordable Concerts

"Concert Ticket prices."

- Quality_Street_1

"Sure does seem like ticket prices went from $50 to $200 really f**king fast."

- 7eregrine

Faithful Cookware

"Household products that didn't break within the first few years of use. My grandma had the same fridge from 1993 for a good while before deciding to switch to a newer, bigger option two years ago. Yes, it broke within those two years. My mom's wedding cookware is still going strong 25 years later, but whenever she needs new pans, they start flaking Teflon into the food within a few months."

- parangolecomuna

Retirement Funds

"Retirement plan built-in to your job."

- SuvenPan

"Or just retiring in general, lol (laughing out loud)."

- Joaham1

Farmer's Markets

"Farmer's markets. You used to be able to go down and get fruit and vegetables cheaper than the grocery store. Now it seems like they charge three times more than stores do."

- jrhawk42

Available Repairs

"Being able to get things repaired instead of buying new."

- einRoboter

Right to Privacy

"Privacy used to be implicit. It was just there. You didn't have to think about it."

"Now it's explicit. You have to seek it out and take steps to ensure it remains in force."

- dsac

The Good Ole Days

"Being left the f**k alone."

"Buying something and just like, owning it."

"Playing a video game without an internet connection."

"Not having to provide your email address for every single f**king thing you do."

- El_Mariachi_Vive

Just Gaming

"I still miss the days of just putting a game in, turning it on and you go right into playing it. The game alone was the sole focus and purpose of the console. The GameCube is the last system I remember playing that had this."

- __M_E_O_W__

Bins of Photo Albums Under the Bed

"Photographs on actual photographic paper. I know it's still possible but oh so rare."

- audiofankk

High-Quality Clothing

"Good quality fabric in clothing. I have clothes from the 90s (and 80s from my mother) that still hold up today. These days, I'm lucky if my shirt isn't saggy and misshapen within a year."

- TheMadLaboratorian

FriYay and TGIF

"Being able to go out every Friday after work and being able to afford it."

- M-the-music-guy

We're always moving forward and looking forward to future advancements, but sometimes, it's nice to look back on where we've been and what we miss about the old days. Sometimes, it may even be a little sad to think of what's not available anymore, but at least we got to experience it.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Piotr Szczerek snatching a hat from a young fan of Kamil Majchrzak at the U.S. Open
ESPN

CEO Who Snatched Tennis Player's Hat From Kid At U.S. Open Speaks Out To Apologize

Piotr Szczerek became the internet's latest super villain a few days ago thanks to a viral video showing him snatching a tennis player's hat from a young fan.

Szczerek, the CEO of Polish paving company Drogbruk, was shown wresting the hat that tennis player Kamil Majchrzak had autographed for the boy at the U.S. Open, sparking major outrage.

Keep ReadingShow less
Riley Moore; Tim Walz
Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images; Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

MAGA Rep. Dragged After Falling For Obviously AI-Generated Video Of Tim Walz Mocking Trump

West Virginia MAGA Republican Representative Riley Moore was mocked after he flipped out online over an obvious deepfake video of Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz disparaging MAGA's Dear Leader, Republican President Donald Trump.

Moore joins other gullible individuals who have fallen for AI-generated false representations of prominent Democrats. The depictions are so ludicrous, only someone easily fooled would fall for them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

RFK Jr. Gets Hilariously Brutal Reminder After Asking People What Their First Jobs Were

Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was widely mocked after he published a post on X on Labor Day asking people to share what their first job was—a rather odd question from a man who faces regular criticism for being utterly unqualified for his role overseeing the nation’s public health apparatus.

Kennedy wrote the following on X:

Keep ReadingShow less
man singing on stage
Austin Neill on Unsplash

Jobs That People Romanticize Too Much Until They Actually Do Them

As children, most of us try on different future identities and occupations. As a 5-year-old, I thought being either a firefighter or a nun would be ideal.

My plans changed as I got older.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
CBS News

Kristi Noem Dragged After Making Wild Claim About How Trump Saved LA By Sending In Troops

Longtime MAGA acolyte Kristi Noem lied on Face the Nation in a desperate bid to justify Republican President Donald Trump's retaliatory act of sending the National Guard and active duty Marines to Los Angeles without cause.

Public perception has largely been against Trump's targeting of major cities in states governed by his political rivals.

Keep ReadingShow less