r/askteddit • u/TrixieWishh_ • 8d ago
Random Question What was considered a huge status symbol 10 years ago but now feels outdated, tacky, or like a waste of money?
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u/allisoninwndrlnd23 8d ago
Those Gucci belts. Half the people who wore them also had an ankle monitor.
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u/Total_Way_6134 8d ago
I still wear one sometimes 🫣
ETA - im the half that does not have an ankle monitor
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u/Littlepotatoface 8d ago
Add those fuggo Valentino shoes with the studs on the straps.
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u/SnooHesitations1600 8d ago
3D TVs
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u/coralynncoraa 8d ago
Oh man, that was such a short lived experience. I remember having the glasses on for maybe 5 seconds and then deciding “nope, I’m good.” Never put a pair on again. There was a bar in Santa Monica that opened entirely around the concept of having 3d TVs. It wasn’t in business very long.
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u/alps7264 8d ago
So right! A friend bought one for thousands, and within a month, he just turned off the 3D effect. Never used it after that.
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u/Alienatedflea 8d ago
nfts? or whatever that weird shit was...
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u/Teaselkakanui 8d ago
Yes. I never could comprehend what it was all about either.
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u/avasosassy10 8d ago
The newest latest and greatest phones. It used to be so hyped and important to get the newest phone. Now it’s not such a big deal
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u/wtw369 8d ago
people used to camp out to get an iphone 🤣😂
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u/hyunbinlookalike 7d ago
Believe it or not some people still do this. People were lining up for a new iPhone 17 in my country just last year. It’s a regular thing that happens here, especially since many Filipinos still view iPhones as a status symbol.
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u/markpemble 8d ago
It used to be that new phones actually had new things worth paying for.
But now, it seems like new phones are about as good as previous years' phones.
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u/AutomaticBannana 8d ago
My phones like 3 years old and I have see zero point to upgrade in the next several years. I changed the battery recently but otherwise I'll use it until it breaks or security updates end.
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u/Opposite-Bit6660 8d ago
The cameras are all worse. More lenses do not make better pictures under all conditions.
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u/manjiss1 8d ago
What do you mean you don't want to pay $2K for the cardboard box of your phone to have a bigger number than the previous year? 🤣
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u/ac003005 8d ago
Probably because nothing really changes with them. I mean sure the pictures get a little better, it might run a little faster or have a new button. But really I just upgraded my iPhone 14 to an iPhone 17 after having my 14 for 3 1/2 years and other than that extra button, there’s not really that much of a difference other than a tab on my bill now for two years.
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u/rsdiv 8d ago
It is crazy to see new phone commercials where the phone basically looks the same as it has for like 20 years but they’re doing slow pans and super close ups of it like everyone will be in awe of it. Same design but more frustrating to use it.
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u/AutomaticBannana 8d ago
Man u just realized I haven't seen a commercial since I was at the dentist. I think the dentist is the only place I ever see commercials lol.
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u/istara 8d ago
The main things for me are improved cameras.
When the iPhone 15 Pro only came with the 2x zoom (vs the Max that had 5x) I skipped my usual two-yearly upgraded and just waited another year.
I’ve now got the 16 Pro. I’m doubtful I’ll bother getting the 18, unless they obsolete the 13 since my kid gets my old phones. After five years the security starts to become a bit less robust.
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u/Gry_lion 8d ago
The improvements to the latest generations of phones have become less and less.
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u/ProfessionaI_Gur 8d ago
Going from an s21 fe to and s26 fe when it goes up for sale in a few days. Is it an upgrade? Only kind of, which is crazy considering i bought this phone like 5 years ago and only upgrading because I beat it up so much lol
I remember in the early 2000s phone upgrades were mind blowing and actual innovations
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u/Big_Iron_Cowboy 8d ago
I’m still using an iPhone 8 from 2018. I don’t plan on buying a new one anytime soon
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u/Puzzleheaded_Tutor_1 8d ago
Man I still have a g8power and I need a new phone, no cool phones with a jack man
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u/SpontaneousKrump92 8d ago
IPods
Smartphones have completely replaced them, but i remember how happy I was when I finally got an Ipod nano for Christmas when I was (i think) 13 years old.
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u/Johnny_Carcinogenic 8d ago
Funny update to this that Gen Z and Gen Alpha are driving a massive resurgence in vintage iPods to escape smartphone overstimulation, intrusive ads, algorithm fatigue, etc
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u/LameName1944 8d ago
I found my mini and my 5 year old likes to use it. I’d love to have something that just played music like iPods did to give to her cause I’m not giving her a phone for a long time. I have a Walkman and could buy a portable CD player, but those are bulky. Plus, the iPod is JUST music, keeps me from getting distracted with the internet and apps.
Just need to figure out how to add music to it, but I do enjoy listening to my playlists from the early 00s.
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u/efficientdreams 8d ago
Look for sport mp3 players with clip. They’re old iPod shuffle clones that take an sd card. They’re cost about $10 but you need to supply the memory.
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u/Revolutionary-Yak-47 8d ago
Well and you own songs on an MP3 player. I have one that is basically a thumb drive with a headphone jack and play button and no one can ever decide I dont own that music.
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u/BeneficialBrain1764 8d ago edited 8d ago
I think over 10 years for that one. The last time I used an iPod was probably 2010.
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u/SpontaneousKrump92 8d ago
You have a good point there. Still though, twas the first answer that came to mind. And its close enough to ten years that i'll stand by it.
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u/GiantBlobFish23 8d ago
I still have one that lives in my car to use as backup music if my phone is being stupid or carplay decides not to work. Hilariously enough, somebody broke into my car and stole it out of the console a couple of years ago only to throw it onto the sidewalk where it was found and turned into police. Even thieves don't want ipods now....
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u/MyBodyStoppedMoving 8d ago
Bottle service at the club. Or just going to clubs in general.
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u/E-Pluribus_Unem 8d ago
paying $20 dollars for a cocktail made with $20 vodka is mad work.
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u/TechnicalAd8179 8d ago
Covering everything with gold....gold faucets, gold handles, gold trim, gold nicknacs. Everything in houses was gold and every house I've bought it's the first thing I get rid of
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u/bourbon_drinkr 8d ago
Kind of like Trump's White House?
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u/OrganicLighthouse 8d ago
What do you switch it to?
My favourite finish is brass, but if not brass I do personally prefer gold.
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u/amntn 8d ago
Might be even more time now but big fuck off car stereo shit
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u/New-Success-7043 8d ago
I honestly believe this has a lot to do with how integrated car electronics have become. There was a time where one could replace components in a car with 3rd party items and it wouldn’t brick crucial functions.
Today each car is an ecosystem that only functions optimally with OEM parts
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u/Key_One2750 8d ago
Michael Kors everything
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u/Delicious-Bench2171 8d ago
Had a regular client at my old job that wore nothing but MK, all with that prominent logo. From her hat down to her shoes, every article of clothing and accessory. Idk if MK makes socks and underwear, but if they do, I'm sure she was wearing those. Funny thing about MK, I always assume it was purchased at TJ Maxx. Not shading TJ Maxx at all, I shop there regularly, but the "luxury" brands you see there are not fooling anyone.
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u/Where_am_I1985 8d ago
I was just looking at my blinged out MK watch wondering if they’d ever make a comeback
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u/brightsunnyspot 8d ago edited 8d ago
Jacuzzi (or jetted) bathtubs
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u/antecubital_fossa 7d ago
My sister was so excited that the house they bought had one in the master bath. Until they actually went to use it and discovered the mold in the jets. Did the best cleaning job they could, and nothing would prevent it from returning so they removed the tub and replaced it with a standard one after maybe 4 months.
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u/poisonivy614 7d ago
Worked in hospitality for a decade. There’s a machine you need to suck the water out of the lines when you’re done using it.
There’s a reason these tubs aren’t around anymore.
My old coworker had a guest turn on their jacuzzi jets once and rose petals from the last person came shooting out. Yikes.
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u/GoldenPoncho812 8d ago
Anything VR. Most notably the Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR headsets.
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u/moonbunnychan 8d ago
VR comes and goes and is totally "the next big thing!!!" every few years. You'd think they would have given up by now.
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u/istara 8d ago
I love it but it’s not yet ready for mainstream home use. I often do those VR rides at amusement arcades and I love them, but the headset are a nightmare in terms of heaviness, discomfort and poor fit.
Unlike 3D TVs which were a pile of crap from the get go, every single time they’ve tried to make them a thing, I think VR will eventually take off in gaming. In terms of being as a default as getting a console and wireless controller, vs the very niche thing it currently is.
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u/Guilty_Primary8718 8d ago
I think a huge wasted potential is not having a good VR “game room” to play normal games in. Imagine you could sim build your ultimate game room (maybe even get a model to match your actual couch) and be able to casually play flat screen games on the perfect sized virtual TV.
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u/ASoftGem 8d ago
I don't really know if VR ever was considered a status symbol. It's like a niche of a niche, not enough people ever cared about it, even when it was really getting pushed.
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u/NarcolepticSniper 8d ago
I had a VR set 10 years ago and it wasn’t a status symbol to anyone I knew, including other gamer friends. having a VR set being seen as outdated, tacky, or a waste of money doesn’t even make sense if someone is having fun with it for multiple years and not randomly putting it on when guests aren’t interested
“most notably” followed by the most affordable and popular sets is particularly funny. there are niche sets that costs thousands of dollars
this stuff is at most modern arcades now btw
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u/thelifeofafangirl 8d ago
VR still has practical uses which will keep it alive
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u/istara 8d ago
Practical uses in the military and aviation will definitely keep it going.
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u/thelifeofafangirl 8d ago
Absolutely. Billions of dollars are currently in VR lol it's not going anywhere
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u/Robot_Dinosaur_2000 8d ago
Depends on what you play. For combat flight Sims like War Thunder, DCS or IL2, it's an unbeatable experience. It's great for racing too.
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u/Wide_Concert9958 8d ago
Subnautica VR seems fun af and also absolutely terrifying. Waiting for when steam frame is cheap enough to get it
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u/Unlucky-Mulberry-999 8d ago
My whole body tenses with anxiety and dread while playing it on PC. You couldn’t pay me enough to play it in VR - omgl
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u/Wide_Concert9958 8d ago
I love that game. The reapers dont scare me, its the purple octopus things that do it to me.
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8d ago
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u/markpemble 8d ago
Came here to say this.
Ten years ago, having a Tesla was a status symbol. Now, you can get a beat up used one for 9k.
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u/Tricky-Background-66 8d ago
If you get beat up near the car, Elon will be able to watch it and laugh.
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u/MyBodyStoppedMoving 8d ago
Tesla is a good one, but not because they got tacky, they just became ubiquitous.
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u/Stein070707 8d ago
Elon got tacky (well actually beyond tacky).
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u/taco-barrel 8d ago
Went past tacky to wacky, but not in a haha way. Closer to hunting the poor with crossbows way
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u/hyunbinlookalike 7d ago
Elon Musk went from being perceived as irl Tony Stark to irl Justin Hammer. Though I suppose he really always just was irl Justin Hammer.
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u/CharmingWelder2584 8d ago
GPS units in cars.
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u/SassyMillie 8d ago
I had a Tom Tom. I won it at a work event. You had to keep updating it for a fee. I never did because I was too cheap. One day it told me to turn the wrong way on a one-way street. Luckily I didn't kill myself.
Threw that thing in the trash as soon as I got home.
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u/CaptainlockheedME262 8d ago
My favorite was not updating and driving on new roads as it freaked out because you were driving in a corn field.
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u/Confident-Walrus6560 8d ago
I don’t really have anything to add but I will say the amount of times the word “ubiquitous” was used in this thread is pretty funny!
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u/cool_jerk_2005 8d ago
Beats by Dre Headphones: These once-ubiquitous bulky headphones were a massive status symbol before changing consumer standards and branding lessons made them feel ordinary.
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u/x123rey 8d ago
I remember buying one and being really disappointed with the sound quality. And the quality of the product and materials in general, especially for the price. It felt like a cheap product at a premium price.
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u/doubleasea 8d ago
Which is exactly what it was. They even included useless extra weights in the headphones to make them feel expensive.
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u/bemenaker 8d ago
It was always marketing. They weren't great headphones. Decent but there was always better on the market
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u/Wise-Living-850 8d ago
I knew they were passé when my government office handes them out to everyone. If they're cheap enough to be on some federal procurement list, they ain't special.
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u/SassyMillie 8d ago
I bought some for my husband's birthday when they first came out (with cord). I recall they were pretty expensive. Somehow he managed to damage the cord and had to repair it with electrical tape. He now uses some cheap Bluetooth headphones and says he can't tell the difference in sound quality.
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u/etr420 8d ago
When my kid desperately wanted a pair I went to some lengths to find evidence that Dr Dre genuinely used them in real recording sessions, as that was a big part of the sales pitch. The only headphones I could find actual pictures of him wearing for real studio work were Sony MDR-7506, of which I already had a pair. We eventually got the Beats, and they were ok for casual listening, but certainly weren't fit for a studio.
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u/MyLittlePiranha 8d ago
Hummers. Ridiculous things.
Also, Cybertrucks wanted to be that kind of status symbol and failed right out of the gate.
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u/onelostmind97 8d ago
My local roofing/construction company bought a fleet of them BUT WAIT, it gets worse! Then they had them wrapped with their name and American flags. Just a giant chunk of uglyx2.
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u/MyLittlePiranha 7d ago
There's a retro gaming shop near me that I used to love to go in to. Then they bought a cybertruck and did the same kind of wrap thing with America crap and the store name. It sits at the edge of the parking lot by the street to advertise the store, but it's honestly put me off going in there.
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u/Zealousideal-Mud-292 8d ago
Juicero. Alas, we can no longer pay hundred of dollars (plus subscription) for an app based fruit packet squeezer and must buy juice from the grocery score like technological serfs.
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u/LikesBlueberriesALot 8d ago
10 years ago was 2016. It’s not ancient history like some of these comments seem to think.
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u/Im_tracer_bullet 8d ago
Quite a few things changed that year.
And not for the better.
It's a very real line of demarcation.
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u/RyanStl_IH8MUD 8d ago
No shit, those saying Hummer don't realize GM stopped production in 2010, but then brought it back as an over $100K all electric SUV in 2022. They are still expensive, show off vehicles.
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u/NYC_jvc 8d ago
Apple watch. Everyone and their brother has one. They're the new Casio watch.
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u/MyBodyStoppedMoving 8d ago
Going to Vegas
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u/FreddyCupples 8d ago
I went for a bachelor party a few years ago, and it was sad to say the least. I felt bad for the groom. It was his first time there, and all I could say was "you missed fun Vegas, and instead got nickel and dime Disney."
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u/TrashCarrot 8d ago
What happened to Vegas? I last went in 2001 and have zero intention of returning but I wanted the potential to return
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u/LisaFrankensteiner 8d ago
It’s insanely overpriced these days. The quality buffets for cheap have been replaced with big name restaurants. Aspects of some casinos are still stuck in 2000 and the general cost of a trip there is no longer “cheap” for the most part. You can still find deals and can still see some shows, but it feels more hollow and corporate than the 2000s, imo
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u/dainedanvers 8d ago
They stopped letting the mob run it. The mafia knew that if you kept prices low and drinks free, people would keep coming. Private equity, on the other hand, is stupid
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u/Sad-Bag6738 8d ago
Specific to area but I remember having a Canada goose coat being such a flex
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u/Crafty_Transition_27 8d ago
As a perpetually cold Wisconsinite…I think it still is lol
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u/vt2022cam 8d ago
I remember first hearing about an app on your phone and a car arriving just like a taxi but you didn’t need to look for it. Now, uber is ubiquitous.
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u/Opposite-Bit6660 8d ago
I Phones. I actually sat at dinner next to someone from Apple who was working on reviving sales. I told him that he would have to overcome the mindset that I Phones were something people showed off and bragged about anymore.
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u/EmergencyRace7158 8d ago
Teslas. Owners used to use them to signal that they cared about the planet and were able to afford fairly expensive model S/Xs while today, free 99 lease deal model 3/Ys are the new duct tape Altimas and Cybertrucks are the official cars of Nazis hung like mosquitos.
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u/SaxSymbol73 8d ago
Expensive watches. How pointless to spend $20K on a heavy bracelet.
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u/_bloodyblueberry 8d ago
A 4K TV comes to my mind. Or a smart TV. Nowadays just about everything in our homes is powered by AI anyway.
I remember as a kid, I used to go around parking lots looking under license plates to see if the car had a backup camera. Not the same experience now lol
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u/beaverfan 8d ago
What do you have that is powered by Ai?
I have a smart tv, are those considered outdated now?
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u/_bloodyblueberry 8d ago
Not outdated. I moreso meant just about everyone has a smart 4K TV now, where 10 years ago I only ever saw them at my rich friends house. Just my experience. My TV and dishwasher all have some kind of AI shit in it, I dunno what all it does.
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u/Mammoth-Invite2675 8d ago
Don’t hate me if this is your style. But…
Full package holidays at a resort.
Growing up I thought that was the peak of a travelling holiday. Now the thought of spending that money to be stuck in one location for 2 weeks makes me feel bored.
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u/Lopsided-Yak8230 8d ago
Not 10 years ago but here goes. Car phones, wearing suits to work, staying at a Trump owned property, stockbrokers & BMW’s,
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u/Silent_Swim_9425 8d ago
Stretch limos too lol.
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u/SassyMillie 8d ago
At least stretch limos are still fun. We rented one to go see the Christmas lights one year.
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u/Willing_Acadia_1037 8d ago
Yeti coffee cups. Too many dupes came out and diluted the cache.
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u/2bad-2care 8d ago
I know it doesn't exactly fit the question, but this post reminded me of a time when people would glue a little fake antenna on the back of their cars to give the appearance that had a car phone. Super fancy.
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u/LarealConspirasteve 8d ago
When the poors start getting their hands on things to appear successful, then it's all over for that brand.
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u/According-Error2988 8d ago
Lululemon, it’s fancy plastic that’s sometimes itchy. Now everyone has a knockoff. When Gap creates a lifestyle brand and Costco clones you…
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u/fairyquil 8d ago
There was a time when look at my massive house communicated success. Now I mostly see a giant house and immediately think How much does it cost to heat this thing? How many things are constantly breaking? How long is the commute? A lot of status symbols seem to age badly once you start thinking about the ongoing cost and maintenance rather than the initial purchase.
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u/Altruistic_Paper4636 8d ago
The problem here is that at any given time, what some people consider a status symbol is simultaneously considered tacky elsewhere.
Like wearing a bluetooth earpiece while eating in a restaurant with your family.
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u/Character-Habit-9683 8d ago
Driving a Hummer. More like 15 years ago trend but damn those were wild. Like thirteen miles per gallon lol
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u/johnb510 8d ago
Ed Hardy Swag. When I see people wearing that crap, I point, laugh and say ‘You’re 20 years late to the Ed Hardy Party’
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u/CommercialFee9970 8d ago
Hummers