Growing up in the 80's you may remember when......

1. In 1980 you could buy a new home for an average of $68,714.00, but by 1989 the prices increased to an average of $120,000.
2. In 1980 you could buy a gallon of gas for $1.19 and by 1989 you would spend only $0.97 per gallon.
3. The average income in 1980 was $19,170.00, and by 1989 the average income increased to $27,210.00.
4. In the 80's, the average cost for new cars was anywhere from $7,500 to $15,900.00.
5. The hands free Mobile Phone for automobiles made it's debut, and you could get one for about $788.00.
6. Milk was $0.89 for a half gallon and Cheer laundry soap was $1.59.
7. Bubble Eez bubble gum came in a small egg carton style containers where you would have 6 ball shaped pieces of gum. The gum was so popular at one time that it couldn't be found in stores. It was later learned that traces of cocaine were found on the gum and it was quickly banned from homes. I, in particular, still remember the TV commercials and the jingle... even to this day. And yes, I chewed the gum.
8. In the 80's we saw the collapse of traditional communism and the end of the cold war.
9. Famine in Ethiopia was brought to our attention via television and with the aid of The Live Aid concert. We also saw the worldwide attention of "Hands Across America" where the song "We Are the World" was popularized. I, myself, was apart of the Hands Across America demonstration and will never forget it.
10. Post-It Notes were introduced.
11. Video Game Systems were popluar items in households in the 80's. Video game arcades also became big. Pac Man, Space Invaders, Pong, and Dig Dug were popular video games.
12. MTV made it's debut.
13. Padded shoulders, big hair, bold makeup, guess jeans, denim jackets, umbro shorts, banana clips, baggy sweaters, and bright colors were the fashion statements of most of the 80's.
14. Famous stars of the 80's included: Michael J. Fox, Eddie Murphy, Tom Cruise, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore, Arnold Schwartzenager, Harrison Ford, Drew Barrymore, and Princess Diana just to name a few.
15. Iconic movies and television shows included: ET, Back to the Future, Pretty in Pink, Mork & Mindy, Moonlighting, The Golden Girls, Miami Vice, Night Rider, Happy Days, Silver Spoons, Cheers, Little House on the Prairie, The Cosby Show, Married with Children, The Simpsons, and Phil Donahue just to name some.
16. Music was eclectic and saw a variety of artists like: Madonna, Chicago, The Police, Whitney Houston, Culture Club, George Michael, Micheal Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Guns N Roses, Winger, Slaughter, Motley Crue, Poison, Metallica, and my fav: The New Kids on the Block.
17. In the 80's, you saw toy crazes like: The Cabbage Patch Dolls, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Garbage Pail Kids collectors cards, GI Joes, Star Wars figurines, Transformers, He-Man, The Smurfs, and Trivial Pursuit became a new board game that would soon grow to be the most played board game ever.
18. In the 80's, roller skating rinks were the place to be on a weekend, drive in movie theatres were hot date locations, and concerts were real popluar. You saw records in the beginning of the decade and then CD's towards the ends.
19. Coca-Cola and Pepsi came in long necked bottles with a pop off top.. and nothing ever tasted so good as pop out of a glass bottle!

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