There's a high chance that you've witnessed your parents or grandparents using the phrase "Well, back in my day..." And if you're over 30, you probably now know exactly why they said that! After all, kids today have a very different life, and they'll never get to appreciate the toys and food that anyone over 30 got to play with and eat. In fact, kids today would consider those things to be "vintage," which is why they'll never understand any of the following pictures. But you definitely will.
Life-Savers Were Lifesavers
Sure, hard candy is still around today - but are the hard candies you'd find in the grocery store today a match for Life-Savers? It's a no from us. These candies came in all different flavors, and it seemed as though a new Life-Saver flavor popped up every single day. And while some loved the cherry ones, others thought they tasted like cough syrup. But most people loved the butter rum flavor, right?
These candies were a huge part of most people's childhood, but anyone under 30 just wouldn't appreciate them for the delicious food they were. So, hands up if you can taste this picture?
Becoming Mr. Cool
There's nothing cool about smoking; we know that. But there was something about having a candy cigarette hanging out of your mouth that just made you feel so cool! Kids would wander around the playground with one of these, feeling like Danny Zuko or one of the Pink Ladies - and the best part? They came in so many different brands and flavors. You could buy the traditional Marlboro, or you could opt for Camel's bubblegum cigarettes!
While the discourse around smoking has changed since these were cool, there's no doubt about the fact that this apparently "vintage" item was a huge part of our lives. We loved them!
The Legendary Chip Bowl
Is this picture bringing back so many memories right now? You're not alone. There was a time in everyone's life when this bowl was sitting in front of them, full of chips, at a family gathering. Because everyone had one, right? These bowls were eponymous with family life, and if you were lucky your mom had five of these stacked up in the cupboard. Yes, everything just tasted so much better from this bowl.
Some would say you're on the wrong side of 30 if you still have one of these bowls in your house, but we can't help but think that you're definitely on the RIGHT side of 30.
Do You Remember?
If you played with Lincoln Logs when you were younger, you're definitely over 30. Of course, they do still make these - but they're just not the same as the originals, and only those born in the 20th century will remember the original box and the original look of these logs. They were perfect for building your own log cabin, and most sets even came complete with extra doors, chimneys, windows, and more.
We don't want to give Lincoln Logs too much praise, but we're pretty sure that this toy prepared us for what home ownership is like. After all, there's always something falling down.
The Shoe Store Experience
Today, shoe stores are full of every kind of shoe you could possibly want or need. But if you're over 30, do you miss the old days? Shoe stores were once full of so much personality, and customer service was next level! As soon as you walked in, a retail worker would offer to measure your feet - and although the metal shoe sizer was extremely weird and uncomfortable, we miss it today.
If you ever had your shoes measured by a salesman, they probably told you their life story throughout the process. You knew everything about his wife, his kids, and his car, right?
Paper in the Mouth Never Hurt Anyone
Can anyone else feel some wet paper on their tongue right now? Yes, this picture is bringing back some serious memories. Before the days of ice cream tubs and plastic push pops, our favorite desserts were instead inside of a toilet paper roll - and we had to push them out of the paper to eat them. But in the process, we always got toilet paper around our mouths. We kind of liked it, though.
If you also loved these push pops, we can all categorically agree that the orange sherbet was the best flavor, can't we? You just had to eat it quickly, so it didn't melt all over your hands.
Time for a Vintage Christmas Tree
Most people buy new Christmas ornaments every single year, but take this picture as a sign to decorate your tree using vintage Christmas ornaments this year! You might even have some of these vintage decorations in your attic. After all, most families had them. They came in a brittle cardboard box, and the designs rarely changed - which meant that most families had a similar-looking tree when you were younger.
And if you have been given these ornaments as a hand-me-down from your grandma, you should seriously count yourself lucky. People will pay thousands to add these vintage items to their collections!
Oh, the Osterizer
If your mom made you a smoothie or milkshake in one of these things, then you've lived a good life! We know that modern blenders have fancy buttons and look a bit prettier than this, but nothing compares to the Osterizer. Its buttons were clunky and it took up way too much counter space, but it was the peak of innovation back in the day. And it's no wonder so many people had one.
Does anyone still have one of these in their house? If so, we know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who will take it off your hands...
The Perfect Christmas Present
If you're over 30 years old, there's a high chance that when you were a kid you weren't asking for a ring light to film your TikToks or an electric scooter for Christmas. You were probably asking for one of these, instead! This was a whole book full of Life-Savers and could be found in the grocery store in the run-up to the holiday period. And as you can imagine, it flew off the shelves.
From the classic mint flavor to the grape, this book of hard candy was one of the best presents that money could buy. And most kids got them from at least one family member every year.
Are You Old as Dirt?
We hate to break it to you, but you're pretty old if you know what this is. That's because the younger generation now relies on Spotify, wireless headphones, and the ability to change the settings of their music with the push of a touch-screen. But back in the day, record players were all the rage, and this picture was something that music lovers had to deal with on a daily basis.
In fact, some of you reading this right now might have had a record player with a 78 marking! It was always fun to move the dial and completely change the sound of your music.
Time to Peel off the Dry Stuff
No day at school would have been complete without using glue of some kind, and if you're over 30, you probably recognize these bottles. Most schools had mucilage glue, and there was nothing better than seeing a bubble of glue squeezing out the top. Actually, scrap that, there was something better than that! After all, gluing your fingers together and then peeling off the dry stuff was always so much fun.
If you did this and also ran around your classroom screaming "Look, I'm a lizard!" then you definitely did your school years right. Even if you didn't learn a whole lot.
The Best Batman & Robin
Over the years, there have been so many different Batman's and Robin's. We've had George Clooney and Chris O'Donnell, Robert Lowery and Johnny Duncan, and more. But if you grew up in the 1960s, you'll know that these two were the best. Burt Ward and Adam West completely changed the game when they appeared in the Batman TV show, and they were the icons of most people's childhoods. They were awesome!
It was a sad day when we learned that Adam West passed away in 2017, so it's only fitting that we scream "Holy knitting needles, Batman!" every time we think about him.
Time to Lik-A-Stik
Although it's now considered to be a vintage item, there was nothing cooler than a Fun Dip. Whoever came up with the idea of dipping a candy stick into powdered sherbet deserves a medal of honor, because it was absolutely delicious and fun at the same time! Of course, there was never enough stick-to-powder ratio - which was especially upsetting for those who loved the stick more than the powder.
Apparently, you can still get this vintage candy elsewhere around the world if you look hard enough. They're called Double Dip, and are basically the exact same! So, keep your eyes peeled.
Candy or Decoration?
If you're over 30 years old, you'll instantly recognize this bowl. It always came out of the kitchen cupboards during the holiday season, and it was always full of brightly colored hard candy to match the festive period. But we all know there was a catch, right? Although the candy was delicious, nobody could ever eat this stuff! It was always stuck together in one rock-hard clump, and impossible to break.
But what caused it all to stick together? Well, either the humidity was too high, the dog licked it, or a toddler licked it! Because of this, it was just safer to avoid it altogether.
The Ultimate Age Indicator
If you ever want to know if someone is around the same age as you, just look at their arm. If they have a permanent scar, they definitely received the smallpox vaccine around the same time as you! Its unique shape made it seem as though a circular chunk had been taken from your arm, and it was a whole ordeal when you went to have the vaccine. You probably even got a sugar cube.
Today, this scar is known as the ultimate age indicator. That's because smallpox was eradicated in the 1980s, which meant that the vaccine was ultimately phased back out as it was no longer needed.
An Impressive Piece of Furniture
They don't make them like they used to. Sure, record players may be going through a second coming at the moment. But while Gen Z is buying stand-alone record players to play their modern music, only those over 30 years old will recognize one of these. These cabinet record players were an impressive and sturdy piece of furniture, and had so many different uses! From a music player to storage space and rotary phone holder, it did it all.
Some people may have even had a TV screen in their record player cabinet, too. It was the ultimate piece of furniture, and one that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Always These Colors
We all know Tupperware, right? Even the youth of today know Tupperware, but there's no doubt about the fact that they buy clear plastic boxes that have absolutely no character to them. But back in the day, these vintage Tupperware containers were all the rage! They always came in these bright colors, and you probably remember your granny using them to store her flour and her sugar. They were iconic.
If you're lucky, your gran might have passed these containers down to you - and they're probably as good as new. After all, they were super tough and hardy. Not like the cheap stuff you can buy today.
How Did You Open This?
Hands up if you can hear the sound this container made when it was opened? We're going to bet that most people over 30 years old can hear it as clear as day, as Nestle Quick was a huge part of most people's childhood. Sure, it was delicious and a treat to have on a hot summer's day - but the most exciting part of this product was trying to open it.
So, how did you open it? If you grabbed a spoon and used the bottom end to pry it open, you mastered the art of the milkshake - chocolate or not!
The Big Decision
In today's day and age, diners and restaurants normally just play random music through the speakers - but that wasn't always the case. There was once a time when diners could choose a song to fill the whole restaurant thanks to the mini jukeboxes found at each table! Of course, this was pretty stressful and a big decision to make. You might have loved the song, but would the rest of the diner?
Although you might find the odd diner that still has these, most of them have since been removed. Instead, we have to listen to loud TikToks coming from the table of youths next to us.
The Sweet Sweet Sound of Popcorn
If you're older than 30, there's a high chance that your mom bought Jiffy Pop. Or, if funds were tight, she might have bought TV Time! Either way, there was nothing like hearing the sweet sweet sound of popping popcorn coming from the stove, and the smell of the popcorn was also pretty amazing too. This popcorn was normally reserved for sleepovers or movie nights, but it was always well worth the wait.
Popcorn isn't really made like this anymore, but apparently, you can still buy it! Although now it's probably considered to be a vintage item and the old-fashioned version of popcorn.
Perfect for a Summer's Day
If you always wanted to go with your mom to the grocery store, it probably wasn't because you wanted to help her with the grocery shopping. It's probably because you wanted to convince her to put one (or four) of these fruit logs in the shopping cart! After all, these things were perfect for a summer's day - even though they did taste like super concentrated fruit juice. They were yummy.
But if you thought these fruit logs were gone forever, we have good news for you! These are still around and can still be found in grocery stores today. That's your summer sorted.
There Was Never Enough Filings
If you want to know the epitome of an '80s kid problem, then look no further. Although we loved this magnetic drawing set, there's no doubt about the fact that it had its flaws. That's because there were never enough filings to draw exactly what you wanted! We had imaginative minds back then, after all. But despite that, this vintage toy was on all of our Christmas present lists, and we loved it.
This thing kept us busy for hours, but its glory has been lost as the world has moved on and technology has improved. Who needs this when kids have iPads now?
The Nostalgia Is Real
Hands up if your grandma still has a ceramic Christmas tree and still puts it up every single year? But the big question is; do the electrics still work? If they do, you're sitting on a serious goldmine, and we bet the nostalgia is real every time you look at it. That's because these ceramic Christmas trees were all the rage back in the '60s and '70s. It seemed as though everyone had one!
They're not exactly the most fashionable things today, but this vintage item has a special place in our hearts. And they probably do for you, too, if you're over 30.
"We're Out of Buns"
There was nothing quite like a hot dog for lunch during the summertime. And while we all know that the 'correct' way to eat a hot dog is in a proper hot dog bun, that didn't always happen back in the day. Although hot dogs in a jar could withstand years in the pantry, the same couldn't be said for the hot dog buns - which meant that our moms would often have to improvise.
Bread slices are basically the same right? All we had to do was fold over the bread and we had our own makeshift burger bun. It was as simple as that.
This Produced the Best Fried Chicken
If you're familiar with this skillet, you're also probably familiar with some of the best fried chicken this world has ever seen. Yes, this skillet was pretty huge and took a lot longer to heat, but there's no doubt about the fact that the design was much better than some of the modern pans and skillets we have today! Our grandma cooked the best food on these things, and it's bringing back some serious memories.
While this may be one of the most vintage items on this list, it's also hitting us right in the nostalgia. Oh, what we would give to have one of these now!
1 Cent Went a Long Way
Nowadays, you can't get a lot for one cent. Everything has become so much more expensive, and now we come to think of it, can you even buy candy from gumball machines anymore? Although they were probably pretty unhygienic, we got a lot for our money from these things. In fact, we used to get a handful of gum for just one cent, and we loved taking our allowance to fill up our pockets.
If you bought some of this stuff, though, you'll know that the flavor lasted about three minutes before it just tasted like you were chewing rubber. But it was still worth it!
Simple Toys Were the Most Fun
When you were younger, how many times did you beg to go to the toy store? Although you could buy some pretty expensive and impressive toys from these toy stores, many of you who are over 30 may have come to realize that some of the best toys were the most simple toys. You know, like these floating toy soldiers! Most people got these in their Christmas stockings, and they were awesome.
Does anyone remember when you could buy these things in fireworks? Then, when the fireworks would shoot off, you'd be able to watch the soldiers float on down. Fun times.
The Haircut Chair
If you're over 30 years old, you might remember these step stool chairs. These were a staple in most houses, as they doubled up as a practical chair and a step stool at the same time. How else are you going to reach the top shelf?! But if you remember these stools from when you were younger, there's a high chance that they were used for something else entirely in your house.
Yes, many a child had their hair cut by their mom or their dad on these chairs - and it actually worked perfectly. You'd sit on the bottom step of the stool, while your parent would sit on the chair with the scissors!
Time to Get Things Started
If you cast your mind back to the late 1970s, you might remember an iconic television episode that changed the course of history. Yes, we're of course talking about when rock legend Alice Cooper appeared on The Muppets! Although he was an unlikely addition to the children's show, it was pretty entertaining - and the perfect Halloween episode to spook us out. Remember School's Out Live? This episode was so fun.
Although so many celebrities have guest-starred on The Muppets since Alice made his debut, we think most people over 30 would agree that he was one of the best guest stars of all time.
The Gum That Goes Squirt
Sure, we know that gum isn't a new invention. It wasn't even a new invention back in the 1970s. But that doesn't mean that we weren't super excited when Freshen-Up made its way into grocery stores that decade. That's because this wasn't just any ordinary gum - this yummy stuff had a liquid center! Plus, it came in all kinds of weird and wonderful flavors, including cinnamon and bubble gum.
Hands up if cinnamon was your favorite flavor? We don't blame you. It's basically impossible to find this stuff anymore, so hopefully this picture keeps those fond memories of the gum alive.
That Artificial Flavor, Though
When you think of Hawaiian juice today, you probably think of POG. But back in the day, this vintage item was all anyone could talk about. Hawaiian Punch was a staple at most parties, although we don't know how it could be called a fruit punch. If you look at the can, it says it was made with just 10% fruit juice! But that wasn't the only problem. It was also a nightmare to get into.
If you remember, you needed a 'Church Key' can opener to even get into this fruit punch, and you needed to make sure that you punched both holes. Otherwise, it went everywhere.
Get Those Quarters Out
Everyone has a cell phone nowadays; even young kids! So, it's never been easier for kids to ask their parents to pick them up or send them some money to get another toy from the toy store. But before cell phones came around, phone boxes came in pretty handy. Sure, they cost money, but that didn't mean that kids had to shell out their allowance on making a phone call.
Who else sent a collect call to their parents to let them know that they were ready to be picked up? Of course, they refused the charges - but they still knew it was time to jump in the car!
To Eat the Wax or Not Eat the Wax?
One of the biggest problems we faced as a kid was what to do with these things. Sure, we knew that we weren't supposed to eat the wax and should instead focus on drinking the juice inside - but there was something about the wax that was so inviting! And we're going to assume that a lot of you reading this ate the wax at least once. Or maybe even more than that.
Although there was barely any juice inside these things, they were still super yummy. But they're considered a vintage item today, so you probably won't find them in your local grocery store.
Top Tip: Don't Get Burnt
Let's be honest; we can all smell this picture. Although hair dryers have become modernized over the years, you might remember this thing. And if you do, you're old! You might have called it an astronaut helmet or maybe a brain sucker, but you probably remember seeing your mom or nan sitting with this bonnet on the top of her head. Then, she sat hooked up for 30 minutes while her hair dried!
If you ever used this thing yourself, you'll know that it was pretty hot and intense. And trying not to get burnt was an incredibly difficult task - and sometimes, we failed.
The Best of the Best
Yes, we know you can still buy Hostess fruit and pudding pies. But have you had one recently? If you have, you'll know that they're not the same as the vintage versions you could find back in the day. We made sure our moms stocked up on these every time she went to the grocery store, and got the whole selection of different flavors in the process. After all, there were so many!
Whether you thought chocolate was the best or whether you were more inclined to choose lemon, you'll know that these fruit pies were the only things worth eating for dessert.
Every Grandma's House Ever
Let's be honest; this could be anyone's grandma's house. Back in the 1970s, there seemed to be a common theme with every grandma's house in the world. These houses had bright and bold wallpaper, they had decorated light switches, and they had this huge can opener attached to the wall! It was like a prerequisite for any grandma to have all of these things - and if she didn't, you were seriously missing out.
If you're lucky enough to still have your grandma, and she still lives in the same house, she might still have these things in her home. If she does, don't ever let her decorate!
Can You Remember How to Make Them?
If you loved Fruitstripe gum, you probably made a fair few of these when you were younger. In fact, many people went to the grocery store to stock up on as much gum as they could just so that they could add to their makeshift necklace! You may have even had a competition with your friends to see who could fold up enough wrappers to make the longest necklace. Did you win?
More importantly, would you remember how to make these today? If you did, we'd love you to give us a tutorial because we think these amazing necklaces are well overdue for a vintage comeback!
The Vintage Crock-Pot
You probably don't need us to tell you that crock-pots are still around. In fact, it seems as though crock-pots are going through a revival at the moment, as the younger generation seems to be embracing the efficiency and usefulness of this slow cooker. But will anything ever come close to the Rival Crock-Pot? We think not. This slow cooker was in every house during the 1970s, and for good reason.
You can probably smell the wafts of stew coming through your screen right now, or is that the smell of nostalgia? Either way, it smells utterly delicious, and now we're hungry.
When Wendy's Was Yellow
If you're still an avid visitor of Wendy's, you'll know that the packaging is red and white. But this wasn't always the case. Before the 1990s, Wendy's made its mark with its yellow and red packaging - and those of you over 30 will probably remember these colors from your childhood. And so we guess the biggest question you need to answer is; are you Wendy's yellow packaging years old?
While there's nothing wrong with the new color, this yellow just hit us with some serious nostalgia. We remember those days of wasting time in Wendy's after school, you know?
The "Expensive" Toy
When you went to the toy store, there were a few different sections. There were the reasonably priced toys that most could afford, and then there were the expensive toys. And if you grew up in the vintage Scalextric era, you'll know that this particular toy was part of the "expensive" category. So, if you had one of these, you should count yourself very lucky! Everyone wanted one of these sets, after all.
Most of the kids who were lucky enough to get this toy got it for Christmas, and they didn't get much else. But they didn't really want anything else, anyway. This was all you needed, right?