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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!

#2

Remember The Visualizer In Windows Media Player? I'd Spend Hours Staring At It

Remember The Visualizer In Windows Media Player? I'd Spend Hours Staring At It

ZaPandaz Report

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.

#3

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

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

DoesThisMatter Report

#4

Old Stereo Cabinets

Old Stereo Cabinets

Ok-Hotel3872 Report

#5

Remember When You Didn’t Have To Enter Your Personal Info Online To Win A Soda?

Remember When You Didn’t Have To Enter Your Personal Info Online To Win A Soda?

tralletz Report

"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.

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"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. 

#7

Multicolor Pens

Multicolor Pens

peter-s Report

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MPS
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Am I the only one trying to push them all at once?

fireprincezuko17 avatar
Sofie Carmine
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Um, obsolete? Tell that to my collection of them, including my fancy Hogwarts one

ronman avatar
Ron Man
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess whoever thought this was obsolete has never worked in a hospital or the multitudes of other places that use different ink for different reasons.

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Michelle M
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In primary school, we used every color but red to write. The teachers marked with red pens.

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Marco Conti
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a 4 color one. It's really the only pen I use, all the rest of my writing is digital, but my 4 color pen is very handy for note taking.

davidbrown_12 avatar
David Brown
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you didn't have one of these you weren't one of the cool kids. But in reality these pens sucked.

laurenrogers avatar
Blackstone
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember my best friend and I got in a fight over one and my mom took it and we never saw it again. It had 20 different colors too. 😭

hjerrie34 avatar
hyj (she, her)
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have them in my classroom. The kids use them for a reward - they love them!

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Sue Sanders
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They jammed up so frequently, or one color dried up while others were okay.

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Bruce B
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow… I just saw one of these today and couldn’t resist buying it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Genn1530
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG I forgot about this. Used to have a bunch. My mom Used to live in PR and she send us lots of this pens, the girls at school constantly took them and when I confronted them they had the nerves to say they bought them, they didn't sell this in DR at that point. I had so many of them that they could have just ask and i would have give it to them, but stealing was a better option i guess 🤔 🤷

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Jane Dorothy Warner
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Still got one beside my bed. It's been there for years and most likely doesn't work anymore, but it was a present from my parents (RIP) so I can't get rid of it.

washte avatar
Susan Price
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had several as a nursing aid to make chart notes easier to read and my kids love them now - they'll never grow old!

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LeeAnn Orlando
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still use these everyday. They haven't disappeared and now they come with colored inks AND a mechanical pencil lead.

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Laura Brown
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are still around, I've used them for literally decades...😂😂

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Ian Gallagher
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you were crafty, you could get two or three tips at the same time. Then break your pen 😅

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Worth Gurkin
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Indispensable for keeping track of more than one interwoven topics. Still I run out of red first

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DarkRoze
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Still get them at dollar tree or whatever. I have like 5 lol

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Tiffany Schmidt
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I loved these! Who remembers when gel pens were all the rage?? I was in middle school and was obsessed with them

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Huddo's sister
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are still very much a thing. My boss just got one for work- and the ink is scented!

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Janna Kepley
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can still get them pretty much anywhere you can buy colored pens.

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Lupita Gutierrez Reyes
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At the book fair this year at my school, there were tons and sold out in like two days. I managed to get one and now it is my prized possession :)

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Misty Z
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*tries to push all the colors down at the same time* *fails* *tries again* *still fails* Those were the days 😂

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j miller
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm sitting here looking at the collection of these I have in pen jar in front of me.

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adina shaina
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can still find these pens at most children's science museums

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Tiffany M
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ready? I just bought some year or the year before. Both singles and multi's like in the picture... 🤷‍♀️

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Amanda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My daughter wants one so bad..even tho got one and almost every color looked nothing like the color supposed to be and breaks for no reason.....just like when I was a kid.

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Sarah Stalder
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't remember this many color choices. Just brown black red green.

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Robyn Denton
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ummm, FYI, these are still available. So they're hardly obsolete.

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Vorknkx
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Having this was a sign of prestige and POWER when I was a kid in the 90's.

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ADHORTATOR
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my wife is a teacher and she couldn't live without them :-)

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Johan van Luijn-Hermans
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My kids still have them and even we have 4 color versions in our office daily use.

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Batgirl Kitty
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are definitely not obsolete, they are sold in dollars stores and such.

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Chris Anderson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had a few of these. Today I either use single colored pens or the 4 colored ones.

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DeadLetterOffice
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Click,click,click,click, click—my sister used to have one and I considered taking a hit out on her.

tim-g avatar
BreGerEu
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had one as a kid. The ink smelled like candy, so I used it a lot.

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Ugh_What_Now
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And you always pushed the buttons all down at once even though you knew... OMG I JUST REALIZED... this was the original fidget toy for gen x/millenials! No wonder my undiagnosed ADHD having self loved them so much! I'm shooketh... I need to go find mine, I KNOW I have at LEAST one in a doom box around here somewhere! 😂

jencasey_1 avatar
Jen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are still a thing, we are giving them to our students in thier end of the year gift bags. We even got them printed with the program name

anavicenteferreira avatar
Ana Ferreira
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are still a thing, a bit fancier looking maybe. A lot of my students have them.

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NeonDisco
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I loved these at school but when I see them now I can only think of Homer Simpsons 'condiment pen' which I would buy in a heartbeat.

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Mikki
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate those pens. They are terrible and suck at writing.

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Jill Pulcifer
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mine always managed to get stuck on each other and refuse to come out at all.

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Nichole Simpson
Community Member
1 year ago

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I make more then $12,000 a month online. It’s enough to comfortably replace my old jobs income, especially considering I only work about 11 to 12 hours a week from home. I was amazed how easy it was after I tried it GOOD LUCK..... https://www.worksclick.com

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#8

Having To Manually Roll Down/Up Your Car's Windows

Having To Manually Roll Down/Up Your Car's Windows

SharkPirateNinja Report

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sofacushionfort
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#9

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?

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?

DudeThatsSpermNoMilk Report

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."

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#10

Before Cell Phones… Here’s How You Found Your Friends

Before Cell Phones… Here’s How You Found Your Friends

CharlieJ821 Report

#11

Solitaire Card Backs

Solitaire Card Backs

AstroSlytherin Report

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Who Panda 420
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#12

The Art On The Back Of The Little Golden Book Series

The Art On The Back Of The Little Golden Book Series

wileycoyotea Report

#13

Who Else Remembers Cigarette Vending Machines That Had No Way To Check A Persons Age And Operated On The Honor System?

Who Else Remembers Cigarette Vending Machines That Had No Way To Check A Persons Age And Operated On The Honor System?

FreeClownFarts Report

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Eagle Girl
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

75 cents at the pizzeria. You had to run in quickly while the guy was busy or lie & say it was for your mom

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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.

#14

Teacher's Pulldown Maps

Teacher's Pulldown Maps

DualCay0te Report

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#15

Silly Erasers That Never Worked

Silly Erasers That Never Worked

DualCay0te Report

#17

Having To Manually Turn Off Your Computer

Having To Manually Turn Off Your Computer

1800generalkenobi Report

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Ranch Dressing
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haha I had forgotten that. One thing I won't forget is the absolute paranoia my dad had about computer viruses in the 90s

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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."

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#19

Teacher's Grade Book

Teacher's Grade Book

RexLayne Report

#20

Magic Mitt For The 90s Kids Out There

Magic Mitt For The 90s Kids Out There

mcmcdonough Report

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.

#22

Magic Slate Paper Saver

Magic Slate Paper Saver

Jfonzy Report

#23

Family: Why Do You Love Pizza So Much? My TV As A Kid

Family: Why Do You Love Pizza So Much? My TV As A Kid

Grave_Warden Report

#24

Visiting Your School After Dark If You Were Attending A Performance Or Exhibit. The Eerie Type Of Feeling You'd Experience

Visiting Your School After Dark If You Were Attending A Performance Or Exhibit. The Eerie Type Of Feeling You'd Experience

DualCay0te Report

#25

Mr. Sketch. Our First “High”

Mr. Sketch. Our First “High”

Diva_Bot Report

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.

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"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."

#26

A Complete Fisher-Price Medical Kit

A Complete Fisher-Price Medical Kit

fishnwirenreese Report

#28

Candy Powder Filled Fruit

Candy Powder Filled Fruit

jonnybe12 Report

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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.

#30

Countertop Popcorn Machines

Countertop Popcorn Machines

endlive Report

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Justin M
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These still slap. If you like popcorn, do yourself a favor and go buy one. 1000x better than microwave

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#32

The Computer Section Of A Public Library In 2006

The Computer Section Of A Public Library In 2006

thenewyorkgod Report

#34

I Never Had A Pair Myself, But I Recall Quite A Few Childhood Friends Having The 80s Style Fisher Price Roller Skates…

I Never Had A Pair Myself, But I Recall Quite A Few Childhood Friends Having The 80s Style Fisher Price Roller Skates…

B34TBOXX5 Report

#35

Robinhood Men In Tights (1993)

Robinhood Men In Tights (1993)

Apprehensive-Mix2450 Report

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Jacki moore
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#37

My Daughter. Playing With Her New Tamagotchi

My Daughter. Playing With Her New Tamagotchi

RobertPaulsen39 Report

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Gini Sarver
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

😳 my granddaughter has that same flannel nightgown…. now i know 💯 i am old 😢

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#38

California Raisin, 1987, You Heard It From The Grapevine!

California Raisin, 1987, You Heard It From The Grapevine!

LizzySlaughter Report

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#39

Kit Kat With Foil Wrapping

Kit Kat With Foil Wrapping

jeepy321 Report

#40

3D Pinball For Windows - Space Cadet Gif

3D Pinball For Windows - Space Cadet Gif

heeroo0 Report

#42

Limewire

Limewire

PooPb0i56 Report

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Kayla J
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Spending a few hours downloading a song only to find out its someone's cover or not what you were looking for, but I had a stack of CDs like in the other picture thanks to it.

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#43

Turn Off Computer

Turn Off Computer

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Powin
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

well we still do it as of today so as to allow fresh start of the computer

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#45

Mcdonald’s Burger Seats. I Can Still Feel Them - The Hardest Substance Known To Man

Mcdonald’s Burger Seats. I Can Still Feel Them - The Hardest Substance Known To Man

dinomango Report

#46

Bedding Sets From The 90s

Bedding Sets From The 90s

Jaimass Report

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Dee
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't forget about the little mermaid and Pocahontas sets too with matching curtains.

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#47

The Old Comedy Central Logo. The 90s To Mid 2000s Were Peak Comedy Central

The Old Comedy Central Logo. The 90s To Mid 2000s Were Peak Comedy Central

Ekh0es Report

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Mtg Wolfie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember turning it on and seeing actual stand up comics being funny. Not just sitcoms.

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#48

Celebrating A Merry Birthday In 1997

Celebrating A Merry Birthday In 1997

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Eagle Girl
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#49

Ringtone Commercials

Ringtone Commercials

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Mr Halloumi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was Jamster in the UK with the Crazy Fog... still trying to forget that noise

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#50

Connecting With The World In Aol Chat Rooms

Connecting With The World In Aol Chat Rooms

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Who Panda 420
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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Note: this post originally had 94 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.