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Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for the past, is a very common and highly social-emotional experience. It is centered around the self, important social connections, and meaningful life events. In other words, when our mind drowns itself in these sentimental memories, it makes us revisit the precious moments we shared with friends and loved ones.

So to invite you on a new trip down memory lane, we at Bored Panda are continuing our series on the popular subreddit r/Nostalgia, and have once again compiled its best recent posts. Continue scrolling to check them out, and if you missed our earlier publications, catch up here, here, and here.

#1

Who Remembers Making Textbook Covers From Grocery Bags In The Late 1970s And 80s?

Who Remembers Making Textbook Covers From Grocery Bags In The Late 1970s And 80s?

DiosMioMan63 Report

#2

Erasers That Never Erased Anything

Erasers That Never Erased Anything

OmicronGR Report

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

my sister basically had a whole trading ring of those little shits

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Philly Bob Squires
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some of them even smelled like fruit or whatever. Couldn't erase a water droplet but hey...

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

I can smell them! I loved the smell of those little decorative erasers :)

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

And apparently they smelled like banana/strawberry/whatever .... they did not.

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

I remember buying them at the school store & they had a strange sweet smell but they didn't work 🍓

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

I remember those, instead of erasing they would just smudge everything...greatest thing ever invented for left handed people to get detention. (Or the evil eye!!!) But sometimes they would smell great, 🤷.

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

They smelled yummy, erased nothing, except maybe the paper itself creating a hole, left dirty marks. Overall, just became useless. I started to use them just for decoration in my pencil case, yet had to differentiate between the good & bad ones. So I stopped buying and using them. Gave them away as "gifts" and hoped they weren't returned to me.

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

I still think these are still a thing. My nieces still collect them.

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I love tacos (I love pizza too)
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My kids(8 & 10) still insist on having their "smelly" erasers or their $5.00 Target put together/puzzle/ unicorn/food erasers that suck and my dogs want to eat.

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

Still out the These are not obsolete. Teachers buy them and put them in their treasure boxes. Kids love them and you can get so many different kinds.

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

These would just smudge everything so it would look ten times worse 🙄

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

duh, you're supposed to collect and trade them. this is a classroom economy we're looking at here.

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

Repeatedly disappointed that they are not as delicious as they looked in grade 4...still kept trying to nibble them tho.

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

Or the horrible ones that smell supposedly of fruit and are disgusting

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

My 8 yr old granddaughter collects them, they still don't erase

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

most of them never claimed to erase anything - they were just called pencil toppers.

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

In a anime jashin-chan dropkick she had one of these did nothing but smear the paper

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

Because you never used them - just had them in your pencil case.

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

They would usually work if you rubbed them against something rough before trying to use them to erase. It would soften them a bit since the main reason they didn't work was they were too stiff.

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

They didn't work well but some smelled decent. Others not so much

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

I would steal my parents quarters and buy pencils and erasers from the pencil machine in school. I had good collection going! I loved those dang erasers

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

These weren’t for ACTUALLY erasing anything. They were for cute scented eraser and sniffing clout

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

In the 70's we had ones shaped like cars, planes, dinosaurs, space ships,etc.. look up Diener Russ/Industries. Great memories.

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

My mom had a lot of these, unused and still in their original packaging. They're pretty much useless, though. My mom probably bought them because they're super cute.

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Research often shows that nostalgia is a primarily positive emotion that can lift people's spirits. But in these studies, participants are usually asked to recall a past event that makes them feel most nostalgic, and the Dornsife team at the University of Southern California thinks that this approach tends to result in people recalling a unique and overly positive, fond memory.

They have found the opposite may be true. Just like in Bruce Springsteen’s nostalgic song Glory Days, people look back to the good times when they feel dissatisfied with their current life.

#3

Manual Credit Card Machine. You Know The Sounds It Makes

Manual Credit Card Machine. You Know The Sounds It Makes

James_Bong Report

#4

A Top 10 Gift If You Were A Kid In The 90’s, I Present To You, The Ultimate Surround Sound Audio, Complete With The Option To Extend The Speakers 2 Feet While Simultaneously Having A Glow-In-The-Dark Solar System On Your Ceiling

A Top 10 Gift If You Were A Kid In The 90’s, I Present To You, The Ultimate Surround Sound Audio, Complete With The Option To Extend The Speakers 2 Feet While Simultaneously Having A Glow-In-The-Dark Solar System On Your Ceiling

fugazi-stugotz Report

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Miradona
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still have mine, in working condition. Mind you, I grew up in post communist Romania, so having this was the utter most lavish thing my parents could afford. But it made my teenage years so much better

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#5

Rear Door Ashtrays; Playing With These As A Kid On Car Rides

Rear Door Ashtrays; Playing With These As A Kid On Car Rides

Brozalx Report

"When people are asked to describe something that makes them feel very nostalgic, the positive elements dominate,” said David Newman, the study’s lead author and a Ph.D. candidate at USC Dornsife. “They think of a pleasant past experience, and the memories they bring to mind have a positive influence on how they see their own life.” 

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So, the USC Dornsife team captured how frequently people may feel nostalgic and how intense their feelings are in daily life. The psychologists asked about 230 undergraduate students, in exchange for course credit, to complete daily questionnaires for 14 days.

#6

Who Remembers The Parachute Guy. Would Always Get Stuck Up A Tree Or On A Roof

Who Remembers The Parachute Guy. Would Always Get Stuck Up A Tree Or On A Roof

thatissubpar Report

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

I still love these guys lol - the excitement you feel as you yeet it off the top of the staircase - ah, the good days…

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#7

Getting To Play With The Parachute In The 90s Was Peak “Life Is Good”

Getting To Play With The Parachute In The 90s Was Peak “Life Is Good”

Popular_Echo4882 Report

#8

Back When I Was Growing Up, Ice Cream Came In A Box!

Back When I Was Growing Up, Ice Cream Came In A Box!

Radizelyo Report

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These diary studies included questions about whether they had positive or negative interactions with friends or acquaintances, experienced positive moments of achievement, or had negative moments, such as falling behind on coursework.

They also asked about events that could potentially evoke feelings of nostalgia, such as whether the participants had heard a song on the radio that they hadn’t heard in a while.

#9

Image Transferring With Silly Putty

Image Transferring With Silly Putty

noconnostalgia Report

#10

The 64 Pack Of Crayons With A Built In Sharpener

The 64 Pack Of Crayons With A Built In Sharpener

esloishatpc Report

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M Kawai
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My favorite colors were the gold silver and copper ones. And I can still imagine the smell.

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#11

The Clear Craze Of The 90s When Almost Everything Was Clear

The Clear Craze Of The 90s When Almost Everything Was Clear

BrightSummerDays Report

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#12

Leather Phone Cases Used By Some Dads In The Early 2000s

Leather Phone Cases Used By Some Dads In The Early 2000s

KevlarYarmulke Report

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Nobody
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the only reason you had that case for a nokia was to attach it to your belt. It was NOT to protect it, nokia 3210s could survive a direct hit with a 10 megaton blast with only minor scuff marks

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The results showed that people were likely to feel nostalgic when things were going wrong in the present.

"These negative experiences colored nostalgia in a negative light," Newman said. On days when people felt nostalgic, they reported feeling more stressed, depressed, and lonely; expressed more regret and rumination; were less satisfied with their life, and reported lower self-esteem. They also felt less peaceful and calm and expressed more rumination on the following day. 

#13

Anybody Else Have Parents Who Saved National Geographics And Included Them On The Family Bookshelf?

Anybody Else Have Parents Who Saved National Geographics And Included Them On The Family Bookshelf?

Spalding_Smails Report

#14

Weekend Nights At The Skating Rink Were As Close To A Nightclub Scene As Us Pre-High Schoolers Got Back In The Day

Weekend Nights At The Skating Rink Were As Close To A Nightclub Scene As Us Pre-High Schoolers Got Back In The Day

Spalding_Smails Report

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TheNewJenBrady
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had my first kiss at the local roller rink in 1990 when I was 13. Cal-Skate lol. It's still in business in the same location 😊

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#15

The Original Mouse Trap

The Original Mouse Trap

In-Jail-Out-Soon Report

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

I still have mine circa 1963. My desperately want Christmas present. Now my grandkids have grown out of it.

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But although people tend to feel nostalgic when they have had negative experiences, the team of psychologists found another surprising positive correlation.

People were likely to feel nostalgic on days “when they had helped others, were reminded of old friendships or music, felt inspired and engaged in social media use," the researchers explained.

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#17

The Original Facebook

The Original Facebook

artem_nyan Report

#18

Pre 9/11 When A Kid Was Able To Visit The Cockpit Of An Airplane

Pre 9/11 When A Kid Was Able To Visit The Cockpit Of An Airplane

Mylaptopisburningme Report

#19

Pizza Hut Glasses

Pizza Hut Glasses

Teelk3007 Report

#20

Highlights Magazine

Highlights Magazine

caughtyoulookinn Report

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

My great grandma at one point had a Highlights subscription, one issue included a game that she carefully removed and taped together, we played it with buttons. I wish I could go back and actually listen when she talked.

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Based on their analysis, Newman and colleagues concluded that nostalgia is a mixed bag — but the mix is decidedly negative in day-to-day life.

"The results from these studies stand in sharp contrast to the prevailing conclusion from previous research, which had indicated that nostalgia is a mixed but predominantly positive emotion,” Newman said.

"Deliberately engaging in the recollection of extremely nostalgic moments may improve well-being,” he said. "But in most situations in daily life, feeling nostalgic may not feel very pleasant."

#21

Cd-Rom Games

Cd-Rom Games

loopie35 Report

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

I honestly miss, that you could have a game on a disk or simliar, install it and then play (without downloading another x Gigabyte data), use it without Internet connection, lend it to friends etc

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#22

The Most Relatable Rugrats Quote: "It's Four O'clock In The Morning! Why On Earth Are You Making Chocolate Pudding?" "Because I've Lost Control Of My Life" 1993

The Most Relatable Rugrats Quote: "It's Four O'clock In The Morning! Why On Earth Are You Making Chocolate Pudding?" "Because I've Lost Control Of My Life" 1993

Dayetison Report

#23

Eating Mac N' Cheese By Arranging A Single Noodle On Each Fork Tine

Eating Mac N' Cheese By Arranging A Single Noodle On Each Fork Tine

ikmf2569xf Report

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KJ
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, totally wouldn't still do that as a full grown adult, honest!

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#24

Taking Flintstones Vitamins Growing Up

Taking Flintstones Vitamins Growing Up

Djf47021 Report

#25

The Way The Sanford King Size Permanent Marker Smelled

The Way The Sanford King Size Permanent Marker Smelled

lawyersgunznmoney90 Report

#27

Nothing That Wasn’t Candy Ever Tasted More Like Candy That Ludens Cough Drops

Nothing That Wasn’t Candy Ever Tasted More Like Candy That Ludens Cough Drops

Popular_Echo4882 Report

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Laura Jackson
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've got a big candy dish full of these right now beside me in bed right now! My son and I both are on the tail end of a week long COVID infection. Thank God it wasn't anything worse than having the flu (thank you vaccines!). Those body aches, though, there's no description for them they were so intense. Anyway, Luden's cough drops are the best cough aide you can buy, other than liquor😁!

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#28

An Ancient Memory. Busytown Mysteries

An Ancient Memory. Busytown Mysteries

BrightSummerDays Report

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

I refuse to accept this is obsolete. Every one of my nephews was given a Busytown book as their first gift from me.

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#30

Came Across My Game Boy Earlier Today While Cleaning Out Some Old Boxes

Came Across My Game Boy Earlier Today While Cleaning Out Some Old Boxes

HeyChason Report

#31

A Favorite Show From Childhood. Anybody Remember Muppet Babies?

A Favorite Show From Childhood. Anybody Remember Muppet Babies?

APdabs503 Report

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#34

I Found These McDonald's Transformer Toys In My Parents' Attic Recently

I Found These McDonald's Transformer Toys In My Parents' Attic Recently

starrgarita Report

#35

Og Goosebumps (1992-1997)

Og Goosebumps (1992-1997)

ReadMeAStoryPlease Report

#36

Tale Spin (1990-1991)

Tale Spin (1990-1991)

T1m3Wizard Report

#37

Aim (1997-2017)

Aim (1997-2017)

T1m3Wizard Report

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

How many CDs did they mail out over the years? One million? 10 million? Billions?

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#38

Who Watched "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?" Growing Up? What A 90s Masterpiece

Who Watched "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?" Growing Up? What A 90s Masterpiece

Filmband06 Report

#39

"The Hologram Store" That Sold Beauties Like These At The Mall

"The Hologram Store" That Sold Beauties Like These At The Mall

wiltony Report

#41

Apple Computers In Late 90s/ Early 2000s

Apple Computers In Late 90s/ Early 2000s

Djf47021 Report

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Don Golosso
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Back when they offered affordable design for the masses. That went downhill fast from there...

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#42

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. Nightmares For A Kid In The 90's

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. Nightmares For A Kid In The 90's

xcomegetsomex Report

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

I bought a used copy a few years ago so that my son can enjoy them as well.

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#43

For My First Father's Day My Incredible Wife Bought Me My Favourite Toy From My Childhood So My Son And I Can Play Together. She Even Re-Did All The Stickering

For My First Father's Day My Incredible Wife Bought Me My Favourite Toy From My Childhood So My Son And I Can Play Together. She Even Re-Did All The Stickering

QueanbeyanPride Report

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Carter Allen
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandma got this exact one for me and my cousins along with a pirate one and a wild west one... love it

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#44

Rollercoaster Tycoon 🥹

Rollercoaster Tycoon 🥹

CeaseFireForever Report

#45

McDonald's Packaging From The Early 90s

McDonald's Packaging From The Early 90s

GaffersB Report

#46

Hybrid Theory And Meteora Were Big Parts Of My High School Years. Linkin Park

Hybrid Theory And Meteora Were Big Parts Of My High School Years. Linkin Park

styder11 Report

#47

The Old Taco Bell Packaging (Also The Easy Button)

The Old Taco Bell Packaging (Also The Easy Button)

Uncommon_sharpie Report

#48

Gameboy, American Girl Dolls, Blockbuster, Beanie Babies, Longaberger Baskets, Boom Box, And A Bowl Cut. The Dream Of 1998z

Gameboy, American Girl Dolls, Blockbuster, Beanie Babies, Longaberger Baskets, Boom Box, And A Bowl Cut. The Dream Of 1998z

crunchygroovez Report

#49

Malcolm In The Middle

Malcolm In The Middle

xwing1212 Report

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

We rewatched it sometimes. Just like friends, the nanny, scrubs, ... Good to relax

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#50

Lost (2004)

Lost (2004)

Otherwise_Basis_6328 Report

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Andrea Pereira
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Somewhere between the third and the nth season I just stopped paying attention on the plot and just stayed to watch Sawyer without a shirt...

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Note: this post originally had 125 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.