CuriositiesOCT 22, 2021

50 Nostalgic Things From The 2000s

Miglė, Justė Kairytė - Barkauskienė and Emma A. Smith

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Since I haven't had the luck to be born and to grow up in The United States of America, or any other Western country, but rather an occupation-torn post-Soviet state that has just regained its freedom, I've never actually seen or touched half of the things on this list. And, yet, looking at all these Poo-chi dogs, Polly Pockets, and things like phone charms, I feel a massive wave of 2000s nostalgia!

That's probably because we, as kids, were glued to our screens whenever they showed something like Dawson's Creek or even Hannah Montana, absorbing not only how the characters looked and talked but also the things they had. It was almost like having them yourself! Though speaking of the nostalgic series we used to get during the early 2000s, we'd more often get something as old as The Little House On The Prairie or Doctor Quinn rather than the newest episode of, say, Phineas & Ferb.

Nevertheless, I can definitely feel the importance and the impact of the decade on our lives and the early 2000s nostalgia we all collectively feel. Things were changing ever so quickly. Straight from oblivion, we went to the Western civilization and its pop culture with half-naked ladies, boy bands, electronic toys, TV series, and even portable phones (those definitely came out of some witch's brew)! Also, the sense of liberation - both literal freedom regained by my homeland and the one given to us by the ever-expanding World Wide Web - was just overwhelming. So many new cultural experiences and opportunities were never present. Starting, of course, with 2000s nostalgia toys and ending with poking someone on Facebook, this decade was moving into the future at a breakneck pace.

But, without any more of my essayistic babble, let's dive a few decades back and reminisce on the things that we all loved dearly when growing up. From Tamagotchis to pencils with cartridges, and from the old Cartoon Network to flare jeans, you'll find many things that'll remind you of your careless youth. So, share these things from your childhood early 2000s nostalgia list with someone susceptible to the same kind of feelings that you are, and tell us which of these items, pop stars, or games you miss the most!

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#1 Remember Watching The Pipes Screensaver?

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#2 Burning The Sickest CDs In The Neighborhood

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#3 Flipping Through These As A Kid Trying To Find Your Favourite Bands Poster

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Before there were the 2000s, the '90s Paved the Way for Iconic Toys

To find out more about where this 2000s nostalgia is all coming from and what games from our early days we have long forgotten, we reached out to Qudsia Shakeel, the content manager at Moonpig, who recently found out the most iconic gifts of the last 50 years.

It turns out that just before the early 2000s, it was the golden age for toys we consider iconic today. “The '90s were an especially iconic time for toys. Technological advancements presented new opportunities for toys to be much more interactive, making for a truly exciting time for the toy industry,” Qudsia told us. Moreover, she added that “there is a great sense of nostalgia brought back by these toys, the Gameboy and Furbies are seen to be true icons of the decade.”

"The 2000s saw no slowing down in the momentum of great toy production. Those who grew up in the naughties would remember some of the true gems of the era, including the Teksta Robotic Puppy and Beyblades. Not to mention the infamous Tamagochi, which saw children across the world cherishing their very own virtual pet," Qudsia commented. According to her, a combination of new technology and quirky crazes made the early 2000s a standout time for toys.

#4 The Magic That Was The Scholastic Book Fair

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#5 When I Was 9 Years Old My Dad Was Deployed To Baghdad, Iraq. I Gave Him These Yu-Gi-Oh Cards To Keep Him Safe. They've Been In His Wallet For 12 Years

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#6 The Smell Of Opening A Brand New Can Of Play Doh

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Why are the 2000s so Nostalgic?

Early 2000s was the time of our childhoods, and if you were to ask anybody how they feel about their childhoods, the answer would always be the same - nostalgic! Yes, it's as simple as that. Now, Moonpig, a brand that specializes in gifts, has seen a huge surge in interest in 2000s nostalgia aesthetic and nostalgic gifts lately. “We are unsurprised to see a number of Gameboy cards and retro gifts being purchased today,” Qudsia said. And that’s mostly because we, Millennials, are exactly the age of starting to feel nostalgic about the good ole days and want something to remember the times by.

#7 These TV Carts Always Meant Class Was Going To Be Fun When The Teacher Rolled One In

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#8 I Found An Old Pic Of Me Playing Computer Games. As It Turns Out I Haven't Changed Very Much

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#9 Pencils With Cartridges

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What were the most Wanted Toys in the 2000s?

So, which 2000s nostalgia toys are we talking about, exactly? Well, you probably remember Furby, a chatty furry ball that became a must-have for children all over the world. In 1998, Furby released its first model consisting of 48 colors and 22 special editions. The same year, a whopping 1.8 million Furbies were sold, and the toy was translated into 24 different languages.

Furby paved the way for other robotic toys of the 2000s that became incredibly popular. Like, the famous Teksta the Robotic Puppy. This little doggo started a huge craze in the early 2000s when kids realized they could literally fulfill their dream of having a pet, minus all the hassle. Parents were also excited with the idea, so over 7 million robotic puppies were sold in the first year. As a result, the Robotic Puppy became one of the most popular birthday gifts of the new century.

Tamagotchi, a virtual pet, is basically a symbol of the 2000s nostalgia. After its launch in 2005, children would carry it everywhere they went, attaching it to their belts and backpacks, in order to be always ready to take care of their pet whenever it needed them. Feeding, training, and playing were part of the journey of raising a Tamagotchi, but in turn, it would grow and… not much else! Yet, many millennials still remember it with great nostalgia.

If you want to delve on the past for a little while longer, check out further submissions on our list. Besides serving well for a walk down memory lane, all of these items are a great inspiration for a nostalgia 2000s-themed party if you were planning on staging one!