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

Screenshot of Sanae Takaichi and Donald Trump
MS Now

Room Goes Silent After Trump Makes Super Tone-Deaf Joke To Japanese Prime Minister About Pearl Harbor In Shocking Video

The audience in the Oval Office went silent after President Donald Trump made a tone-deaf joke about the attack on Pearl Harbor to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi following a question about why he kept his attack on Iran a "surprise."

Trump was wrapping up a Q&A with reporters during a bilateral meeting with Takaichi when a Japanese journalist pressed him on why key allies—like Japan—were not notified ahead of the attack on Iran on February 28.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @torimosser's TikTok video
@torimosser/TikTok

Woman Says Stranger On TikTok Helped Save Her Life After Dangerous Medical Misdiagnosis

It is far too common for women's health concerns to be dismissed in the United States, especially when it comes to chronic conditions and pain levels.

Diagnosed with several chronic conditions, 23-year-old TikToker Tori Mosser reflected on years of painful stomach cramps and painful episodes when she finally was able to share that she'd received a diagnosis: Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS).

Keep ReadingShow less
Images from u/South-Basket-887's post in the 'Mildly Infuriating' subReddit
u/South-Basket-887/Reddit

Landlord Sparks Debate After Warning Tenant About Leaving Small Appliances Plugged In

Many of us have had to live in a rented space at some point in our lives and had to deal with landlords, some of whom can be very imposing and let the power of having tenants go to their heads.

But most of us probably didn't receive special notes from our landlords detailing the little observations they noticed about our lifestyles while doing a surprise inspection.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mark Zuckerberg
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

Meta Is Shutting Down Its VR 'Metaverse' After Spending An Obscene Amount Of Money Building It—And People Are Roasting Mark Zuckerberg Hard

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was roasted online after Meta announced they'll be shutting down Horizon Worlds, part of their virtual reality "Metaverse," this summer after spending close to $80 billion on the project.

The news comes five years after Zuckerberg declared the metaverse to be the future of Facebook, even renaming the company Meta to reflect that vision. In recent months, Meta cut roughly 10% of the workforce in its "metaverse" division and signaled a shift away from virtual reality for its flagship platform, Horizon Worlds, where users interact through avatars.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Rand Paul and Markwayne Mullin
C-SPAN3

Video Of GOP Senator Picking A Fight With A Witness Replayed During Contentious Senate Confirmation Hearing

Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul confronted his GOP colleague, Oklahoma's Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Homeland Security, over his "anger issues," even presenting video evidence.

Earlier this month, Trump announced he will replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary with Mullin. Trump said Noem will instead take on the role of Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas, a newly created organization intended to foster a right-wing alliance across South America.

Keep ReadingShow less