15 Former Luxury Items That Are Now Worthless
What was once deemed a luxury item can quickly lose its appeal and value over time. This phenomenon has been observed throughout history, prompting us to engage with the BuzzFeed Community (https://www.buzzfeed.com/ravenishak/luxury-items-from-20-years-ago) on an intriguing question: "Is there a luxury item from the past that you now consider to be utterly worthless?" Here’s a compilation of their responses:
"The Sony Walkman that played cassettes and had FM radio. Back in 1985, I bought four of them for my brothers and myself, each costing around $400. I still have mine today."
—Anonymous, 65, male, South Jersey"Digital cameras: Some were priced as low as $100. Unlike modern cloud storage, you don’t have to worry about hackers or AI compromising family photos with these devices."
"I vividly remember my first year in university (2003), where I excitedly spent £15 at the campus library on a 128MB memory stick. I couldn’t believe how much data I could transfer from my floppy disks onto it, leaving me in awe of the available space!"
—laurarosek (https://www.buzzfeed.com/laurarosek)See AlsoThe Heated Rivalry Fleece: A Must-Have for Fans!Celebrating the Life of Elizabeth Wicks: A Tribute to a Joyful SpiritSamantha Irvin on AEW Future, Juice Robinson's Health, TNT Title Open Challenge | Wrestling NewsTime Out Market Vancouver: A Culinary Extravaganza with Top Chefs and Restaurants"Portable DVD players were all the rage back then! I desperately wanted one as a child, but now they’re practically obsolete, integrated into new cars or replaced by phones and tablets."
"3D TVs: what happened there?"
—Anonymous, 46, woman, Philly"The Texas Instruments graphing calculator was ridiculously overpriced for a middle-class student, often used for just one class...ever!"
"I recently purchased an all-in-one desktop computer for a modest price. It’s hard to believe how costly each individual component used to be when my parents got one for our home long ago. We found a lovely desk with display shelves at a thrift store for just $250; the receipt we discovered said it was $659.99 back in 2004."
—paperdecker12 (https://www.buzzfeed.com/paperdecker12)"Anything marketed as a 'limited edition collectible'—like Hummels, Lladro figurines, Precious Moments items, decorative plates, or Thomas Kinkade art—are practically worthless these days. You can hardly give them away!"
"Pianos seem to be falling out of favor; I often see people offering them for free on Facebook Marketplace!"
—Anonymous"My husband insisted on getting one of those fancy new Magellan GPS devices. On our way to my mother’s house, it failed to recognize our usual route, as if a major road didn’t exist. Halfway into our journey, it commanded us to turn right immediately, which would have sent us plunging into the Susquehanna River. We promptly returned it to its box and never used it again!"
"Lionel trains used to command a high price tag for both pre-war and post-war models three decades ago. However, today’s children show little interest, and many men of my generation who cherished them as kids are sadly passing away."
—Anonymous, 67, male, Northern Virginia"Automatic bread makers were once so popular but now seem to gather dust."
"I still own my impressive 18-year-old 60-inch HD plasma Sharp Aquos television. Originally priced at $3000, I bought it as an open-box item for $600. Despite its age, I’m continually surprised by how well it displays 4K content!"
—Anonymous"I adored my 2005 Razr phone! There was something incredibly satisfying about flipping it closed after a call. I distinctly remember throwing it against my dorm room’s brick wall, and it survived unscathed—something most modern phones wouldn’t manage!"
"Anyone remember Beanie Babies?"
—Betherick85 (https://www.buzzfeed.com/betherick85)
"At my ER, we receive trash bags full of them, which we sanitize and distribute to young patients."
—wanderingstorm (https://www.buzzfeed.com/wanderingstorm)
So, do you have a luxury item from years gone by that you now regard as worthless junk? We invite you to share your thoughts in the comments below or through the anonymous form provided!
