It's around this time that we begin to see Back to School sales and circulars advertising everything from fancy pens and notebooks at CVS and Walgreens to dorm room delights from Bed Bath & Beyond. Bed Bath & Beyond even have a We Love College! ad campaign. Next to wedding registries, dorm room decor is probably their biggest money maker!
As much as I hated returning to school after a summer of fun, I didn't mind stocking up on everything from new clothing and shiny notebooks in grammar school to extra long dorm room sheets to new backpacks in high school and college! Here are some of my favorite vintage back-to-school stuff. What did you love best?
Cool 1980s Lunch Boxes
In grade school it was uber important to show up to school gripping a kick-ass lunch box. Be it Smurfs, Snoopy or E.T. -- you didn't want to be stuck with one of those boring, run-of-the-mill, plain lunch boxes.
The Jansport Bag
In high school and college, it was all about the Jansport backpack. I'm not quite sure why. I mean, it was just a backpack, but it was truly an essential in both high school and college. I also loved LL Bean backpacks.
I had that exact Smurfs lunchbox for the longest time! I also had one of the old style tin ones, but I can't remember what was on it.
ReplyDeleteAnd omg Trapper Keepers! I was obsessed! Mine was covered with like 20 pounds of sparkle stickers.
I had that smurf lunch box too! And then to be ironic and hip used it as a purse in high school. I know you're overwhelmed with my coolness...
ReplyDeleteI HAD to HAVE trapper keepers, and there were very few things I really NEEDED like that.
ReplyDeleteI had Holly Hobby, Strawberry Shortcake and that same exact Smurfs lunchbox in grammar school. I also remember having a talent show in 2nd grade. Me and 3 of my friends did a little routine to 3 different songs.
ReplyDeleteLittle Red Corvette by Prince
Puttin On the Ritz by Taco
and Heart Attack by Olivia Newton John
Just thought I'd share that with you!!
Oh yeah, Jansport was the only backpack to carry if you were cool. I had a forest green one.
Thanks for the well wishes. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're making me think back to "back to school" days, and believe it or not, it's a NICE nostalgic feeling. (Probably because I was so YOUNG then...ha ha.)
ReplyDeleteI remember feeling really grown up moving into my college dorm (I was in a dorm for a year, then apartments after that) and shopping for hardware supplies. I still have a "ladies' hammer" that I bought for 99 cents at a surplus place on Broadway.
ReplyDeleteI had that Smurf lunch box!
ReplyDelete_and I would LOVE to have it again now
My mom couldn't afford a Trapper Keeper, so I got the repro, although for the life of me I can't recall the name of it.
ReplyDeleteI had that exact Smurfs pail!!!! I loved Smurfs!
ReplyDeleteI used to have a Benji lunch box which I absolutely loved. Of course, I broke it when I would throw it up in the air and let it hit the ground.
ReplyDeleteThe thermos still worked...
The sun DOES fall differently doesn't it? I feel like I've only subconsciously noticed it before. EVERYBODY had the jansport bags in highschool.
ReplyDeleteMy mom would NEVER buy me a lunch box. I think it's because she would never pack my lunch. Said it was too much trouble and then would give me lunch money instead.
ReplyDeleteBack when Trapper Keepers were popular, the school I worked at band them. They were just too big and bulky and took up too much space in the desks.
Haha! I loved my lunch box and Jansport back pack. Yay!
ReplyDeleteI had to take my lunch in a stupid brown lunch bag! boring....
ReplyDeletethe Jansport backpack is still the think around here for older kids.
nice post!
la la la la la la la la la la la (SMURF THEME)
ReplyDeleteIsn't that 蔡宗新蔡宗新 hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe it when he said 聰明人之所以不會成功，是因為他們缺乏了堅忍的毅力
what the hell is he selling anyway?
I recently bought myself a Hello Kitty lunchbox, just because. As a kid, I had a really cool lunchbox with a 3-D image on it (something girlie, I forget what).
ReplyDeletexoRobyn
Ah now I understand the Trapper Keeper. I heard a reference to one in a movie the other day and I actually knew what they were talking about - all thanks to you Ally. :)
ReplyDeleteThat girl in the ad looks like Aunt Becky from Full House.
During early highschool, military looking canvas backpacks were all the rage and we used to write all over them because we were rebels like that.
Late highschool was more about bags with sport brands like adidas, nike etc
I don't remember EVER having a cool lunch box (I prefer your Smurfs one btw) which is probably why I bought myself a Shag Tiki one last year.
Seen here - http://moon-doggie.blogspot.com/2009/05/fancy-cheap-shag.html
You and your Trapper Keepers Ally!!! BTW...my sister had to go to the school nurse in grade school 'cause some piss ant of a kid hit her in the head with a Strawberry Shortcake metallic lunchbox. Those things were lethal!!!!
ReplyDeleteLOL...I so remember that commercial! And the Smurfs lunchbox, my best friend had that very one!! I love coming to your site, it always brings back such good memories!
ReplyDeleteI loved my trapper keeper. It was white with turquoise diagonal pin stripes.
ReplyDeleteBack to school shopping was the best thing about school. I was addicted to stationary stores.
i can't remember if I had a real Trapper Keeper or another brand. My brother and I had The Rescuers lunch boxes then Tupperware ones before we did the brown bag thing
ReplyDeleteI thought all this time I had a Trapper Keeper only to pull it out and see that it is a DataKeeper. My mom got me a repro! LOL,Mine is green with a beautiful mountain scene and I loved it dearly!Probably bought around 1980.I had a Holly Hobbie and a ET lunchbox.Many others over the years.Boy,I wish I still had those still in as good a shape as my DataKeeper!
ReplyDelete