40 Old School Things Your Parents Remember But You’ve Probably Never Seen

Some things really do feel like they were from another dimension—and by “another dimension,” we mean your parents’ garage.

This collection rounds up relics from a time before phones were smart and TVs needed antennas.

Maybe you’ve heard your parents mention one of these odd little gadgets or spotted something similar collecting dust in a thrift store.

Either way, they’re the kind of old school things that make you go, “Wait… what even is that?”

From clunky machines with mysterious knobs to forgotten household staples that somehow required more steps to use than today’s tax software, these nostalgic posts are a low-key time machine to a weirder, slower, and more analog world.

1. Spirograph Was Something I Could Play With For Hours

2. Sometimes The Best Ideas Don’t Need To Change

3. The Frigidaire Flair Range By General Motors In Aqua With Matching Fridge

4. I Suddenly Feel The Need To Practice My Printing

5. This Was The Jungle Gym We Had At My Elementary School

6. In The Products We Don’t Use Much Anymore Category, Gummed Reinforcements To Fix Ripped Holes In Notebook Paper

7. 1975 Chrysler Imperial Front Seat. When Cars Came With A Living Room Couch

8. The Pokey Little Puppy Golden Book A Childhood Staple

9. Pull Down Maps Used To Be In All The Classrooms

10. Teeter Totters Were Great Until Your Friend Jumped Off And You Slammed Your Rear Into The Ground

11. Just A Basic Tricycle, But It Brings Back Memories!

12. Tupperware 2 Quart Drink Container, I Know My Grandma Always Had One In The Fridge

13. Chinese Checkers Were A Weekend Favorite

14. Scholl Exercise Sandals. They Always Hurt My Feet But I Know A Lot Of Ladies Loved Them

15. I Had No Idea There Were So Many Different Types Of 45 Record Adapters

16. We Had The Exact Ice Cube As The One On Top. You Had To Be A Body Builder To Crack It Open If It Was Really Full

17. Easy Bake Oven. One Of The Toys I Wanted So Badly But Never Got As A Kid

18. 1930sapartment Size Jadeite Enamel Kitchen Electric Stove And Oven

19. The Lunch Counter At Woolworths

20. Frosted Bar Glasses With Gold Accents

21. Until I Found This Picture, I Didn’t Realize Other People Had The Same Measuring Spoon Set That I Grew Up With

22. Back When Fast Food Places Had Ashtrays

23. Clairol Herbal Essence Shampoo. This Was Some Of The Best Smelling Stuff!

24. These Made Eating Corn On The Cob Even More Fun

25. If You Had A Crock Pot Back In The 70s, It Was Very Likely This Rival In Avocado Green

26. Trouble I Can Still Feel What It Was Like Pushing Down The Dice Dome

27. We Had A Dustpan Like This. It Fit On The End Of The Broom

28. Mousetrap! I Loved Playing This!

29. Diving Lady Neon Sign For The Starlite Motel Mesa Az. I Imagine This Must Have Looked Cool Lit Up At Night

30. Play Wigs. I Always Wondered What They Looked Like On, And Then I Found These Little Girls Wearing Them

31. Did Anyone Ever Live A House With These Antique Light Switches?

32. Mastermind

33. The Barbie Camper That Used To Take Road Trips In The Backyard

34. Green Stamps And The Machine That Spit Them Out

35. An Amc Gremlin Was A Prize On The Price Is Right In 1974

36. 1976 Saturday Morning TV Guide

37. Late 1970s Grocery Store Checkout With The “Scan Master”. Nothing But Brown Paper Bags

38. My Mom Was Not A Fan Of Me Stomping Around The House On These

39. Mister Merry’s Play Lighter. Perfect Of Baby’s First Cigarette!

40. Gentlemen. Are You Going Out Tonight? Jcpenney Has Just The Fashions To Attract Those Ladies You Are Wanting To Impress And Don’t Forget To Top It Off With A Jaunty, Single Feather Hat

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Alex Buscemi

Alex Buscemi

Writer. Billionaire. Astronaut. Compulsive liar.

@whatsupboosh on socials.