11 Essentials on Michigan 80’s Kid Back-to-School Shopping List
While I took 3 years of French in high school, I couldn't order a baguette and vente coffee in Paris. I was in advanced placement English for 4 years but still rely on spellcheck for spelling and grammar mistakes I make no matter how many times it corrects me. Though the academic lessons I was taught in school in Michigan may not be at the forefront of my mind (or anywhere in there), I vividly remember looking forward to returning to class after the summer, if only for the back-to-school shopping trip.
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Clothes shopping was fine, but what I really enjoyed was getting the back-to-school supplies I'd need for the coming year. I'm not talking about the list the teachers would send as a mid-July buzz kill; I'm talking about the list every '80s Michigan kid had so they could be cool.
The Pure Michigan '80s Kid Back-to-School Supplies Shopping List
The '80s in Michigan were a much different time. We had just miniaturized the home stereo system into a portable 20-pound 'boom box' and placed a calculator on a wristwatch. Televisions were becoming more compact but still weighed as much as a Buick and were suspended from school ceilings with a bracket and a seatbelt.
In the '80s, our school supplies said as much about who we were as our clothes did. Were you into sports, music, or cartoons? There was a way to express that with a picture or graphic on a folder, pencil, or lunchbox. Here's a nostalgic look at what Michigan's '80s kids needed to get back to school.
11 Essentials on Michigan 80's Kid Back-to-School Shopping List
Gallery Credit: Scott Clow
KEEP READING: Check out these totally awesome '80s toys
Gallery Credit: Angela Underwood
Here are the top 25 hits of the ‘80s based on their overall popularity.