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

Nicki Minaj and Donald Trump
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Trump's 'Gold' Gift To Nicki Minaj Certainly Seems To Explain Her Sudden Pivot To MAGA

Rapper Nicki Minaj made headlines this week for declaring herself President Donald Trump's "number one fan" as he launched his savings accounts for newborns—and now she's gotten a telling gift for her trouble.

Minaj appeared Wednesday at the Trump Accounts Summit in Washington, D.C., where she praised Trump’s rollout of investment accounts for U.S.-born babies.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man in a  suit with a red tie and a pocket square
selective focus photography of person holding black smartphone
Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash

People Break Down The Most Overrated 'Adult Goals' People Chase

As children, we begin to grow an image of how our life will turn out.

Usually involving a financially lucrative career, a good-looking spouse who adores us, and a magazine cover worthy house.

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

Woman's Story About Plane Passenger Refusing To Lower Window Shade Sparks Heated Flight Etiquette Debate

Though arriving at a destination can be fun and exciting, traveling itself is often exhausting and annoying, especially when we're made to feel uncomfortable along the way.

TikToker Kelly Meng launched a heated debate on TikTok after she shared a story about taking a 15-hour flight next to a woman who refused to do anything but what she wanted with the window shade next to her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Zohran Mamdani
Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

'New York Post' Dragged After Bizarrely Criticizing Zohran Mamdani's 'Poor Snow Shoveling Form'

The first major winter storm of 2026, which at one point spanned over 2,000 miles, dumped record levels of snow on New York City.

Central Park reported a record 11.4 inches for the day and the most snow since 2022. In Manhattan, Washington Heights almost hit 15 inches, while Brooklyn saw widespread totals of 10 to 12 inches.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Affleck Confesses Why He And Matt Damon Added Random Gay Sex Scenes To 'Good Will Hunting' Script
Arturo Holmes/WireImage via Getty Images

Ben Affleck Confesses Why He And Matt Damon Added Random Gay Sex Scenes To 'Good Will Hunting' Script

Who knew the iconic line “How do you like them apples?” might be spiritually adjacent to a stack of random gay sex scenes that never made it into Good Will Hunting? At least, that’s how its writers—Boston buddies Ben Affleck and Matt Damon—have described one of their more chaotic attempts to figure out who was actually reading their script.

For anyone somehow unfamiliar with the Oscar-winning Affleck-Damon bromance: the two met as kids in Cambridge, Massachusetts—Affleck was 8, Damon was 10—and grew up a block and a half apart. They bonded over acting, moved in together after high school, and started grinding through auditions.

Keep ReadingShow less