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
I'm a baby boomer and I remember frozen screens showing "test patterns" that would be shown on the tv all during the night, when TV stations went (hold onto your hat) off the air.
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Hard to choose what I like to stare at most... This or defrag running🤔
Bonus points for those who found the Milkdrop plugin on WinAmp. For those REALLY into tripping out on visualizers while listening to pirated music.
Absolutely. I played around with that thing about as much as I played that pinball game that use to come with windows.
The visualizer? No, I couldn't stand it sorry. I wished it would have played a video or something. Annoying otherwise.
Oh yes, I love watching how it would change during a song with a heavy beat or lots of guitar riffs!
I remember this all to well. I kept having fun changing the colors as well
My oldest brother built a crystal radio set during WWII. I used to listen to the serials on it. Boston Blackie, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, the Green Hornet, Fibber McGee, Lux Radio Theater, Grand Ole Opry, Mr. First Nighter, Oxydol's own Ma Perkins, One Life to Live, et al.
I still use the visualizer in Winamp. I hook my laptop up to the 65 inch tv, put on a great playlist, and bug out.
I'm only 17 and this used to be one of my favorite things to do in my spare time...
This thing and my adhd did not mix lmao. I'd stare at this and forget what mom told me to do.
Oh yeah, your favorite music coupled with the wild visuals was awesome, especially after taking a few hits off the oney!
I remember watching this when I was very little. It was soo mesmerising.
this is one of the later gen wmp; the upgrade was in response to the popularity of aftermarket, 3rd party players like WinAmp
Gen X here i was staring for years to this, an then when the Xbox came 20 years ago, was there too, and still sometimes i open the windows media player for a little nostalgia
I sort of think—- well, isn’t this still available? I mean, it’s not convenient at all…. But still available?
I loved visualizers on iTunes back in the day. There was something oddly soothing about them.
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
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
Then leaving the chat room when everyone notices a predator is in the chat ruining everyones conversations. Soon enough it was impossible to chat without people wanting to "talk dirty" maybe I just had bad experiences but I remember it being so cool at first
Note: this post originally had 94 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
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???
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This isn't to you Eagle Girl. But I've never seen so many down votes in my life! 60!!!
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I'm gen z and now I feel I didn't even have a childhood
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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.
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I found that oddly ironic considered that BoredPanda is an European site.
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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....
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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”
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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 
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!
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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.
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... 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
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.
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.
