Back-to-School Essentials from Back in the Day

School supplies, much like any fashion, change with the times. Some items are necessities, and will always be around, others only live in our memories. Here are a few of our favorites from when we were "back-to-schooling".

  

Color-coded notebooks and folders for each class!

(We all know English is blue, Science is green, Math is red, and History is orange!)

Bonus points if they are Mead 5-Star (this is the Cadillac of school notebooks)

24 - pack of your favorite mechanical pencils 

Why bother reloading a mechanical pencil when you have 23 more ready on deck.

JanSport backpack, with a leather bottom

Not exactly the pinnacle of durability, but that leather bottom sure made us think so, and boy oh boy did it look great!

Mr. Sketch scented markers.

The black one smelling like licorice is especially memorable.

Pencil grip.

These squishy attachments did nothing to enhance the writing experience.

Essentially a piece of flair for your Ticonderoga No. 2.

Sixty-four pack of Crayola crayons

This is the one with the crayon sharpener, dull crayons were a thing of the past.

Eraser caps

Nobody wanted to be caught rocking the stock pencil eraser.

We'd wear these babys down till they were nothing but a headband on your pencil.

Gel Pens

Felt tip, ball point, nah. Gel pens were en vogue, plus the available colors put the competition to shame.

Trapper Keeper

Some of us had them, some of us wanted them, but there was no in between.

This little hold-all was the holy grail of back-to-school flex.