Growing up in the 1980s, there was always that one kid who seemed to have everything. Their stuff wasn’t just cool—it was the stuff of dreams, the kind of things we saw on commercials and imagined under the Christmas tree. Here are the top things rich kids had in the 80s that the rest of us wanted so badly we could almost taste the envy.
1. A Fully Loaded Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 wasn’t just a gaming console—it was a golden ticket to another world. While many of us played knock-off Pong consoles or visited arcades, rich kids had the Atari right in their living room, complete with a stack of cartridges. Space Invaders? Pac-Man? Yes, please. It wasn’t just a toy—it was the future.
2. A Walkman and a Cassette Collection
A Sony Walkman in the 80s was the ultimate status symbol. If you had one, you weren’t just listening to music—you were curating your personal soundtrack. Rich kids not only had the Walkman; they also had all the latest cassettes to go with it. The rest of us made do with bulky knock-offs or our parents’ radios.
3. Designer Jeans
Jordache, Guess, and Calvin Klein jeans were practically a uniform for the well-off crowd. While most of us wore whatever our parents found on sale, rich kids strolled into school with perfectly faded, tight designer denim, complete with that signature logo stitched into the back pocket.
4. An Actual BMX Bike
Sure, you had a bike, but it wasn’t a BMX. The rich kids had top-of-the-line BMX bikes with flashy decals, pegs for stunts, and maybe even mag wheels. While the rest of us were pedaling hand-me-downs with squeaky brakes, they were jumping ramps and doing wheelies in style.
5. A High-End Stereo System
Rich kids didn’t just listen to music—they experienced it. Their rooms were decked out with giant tower speakers, a premium turntable, a cassette deck, and even a fancy equalizer to fine-tune their favorite hits. While the rest of us had boomboxes or shared a family console in the living room, they were cranking up Thriller on a system worth more than our bikes.
6. A Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
When the NES launched in 1985, it became the ultimate rich-kid toy. Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and The Legend of Zelda? They had it all. Meanwhile, the rest of us were squinting at our neighbor’s TV, hoping they’d hand over the second controller.
7. A Swatch Watch (or Ten)
Swatch watches were bright, bold, and unapologetically 80s. The rich kids didn’t just have one; they had a collection. They’d stack them on their wrists or match them to their outfits, while the rest of us rocked whatever timepiece we could dig out of a cereal box.
8. A Personal Phone in Their Bedroom
Having a phone in your bedroom wasn’t just cool—it was practically royalty. Rich kids had their own phone lines, complete with colorful phones or even a Garfield-shaped one. The rest of us were stuck waiting for our turn on the family rotary in the kitchen.
9. A Full Star Wars Toy Collection
Every kid wanted Star Wars toys in the 80s, but rich kids had everything. The Millennium Falcon, Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, the AT-AT, and action figures that looked like they’d just stepped off the movie set. Meanwhile, the rest of us played with loose figurines and made do with cardboard spaceships.
10. A Fully Stocked Barbie Dreamhouse
For those of us who played with Barbies, the Dreamhouse was the pinnacle of Barbie luxury. Rich kids didn’t just have the house—they had the convertible, the pool, and all the furniture to boot. Your Barbie just hung out in shoebox houses and dreamed.
11. An Actual Home Computer
Having a Commodore 64, Apple II, or IBM PC in the house was like having a glimpse into a sci-fi future. Rich kids had these machines for “schoolwork,” but really, they were gaming or printing banners on dot-matrix printers. The rest of us only got to see computers in the school lab.
12. Roller Skates with Lights
Rich kids had the roller skates that lit up, sparkled, and moved like they were pulled out of a disco dream. They were skating to the tune of “Xanadu,” while the rest of us tried to stay upright on our scuffed hand-me-downs.
13. A Cabbage Patch Kid (In Mint Condition)
Sure, some of us eventually got a Cabbage Patch Kid, but rich kids had the ones that came fresh from the store—no waiting lists, no scalpers. They had the fancy clothes and maybe even the twin dolls. It was the stuff of 80s Christmas envy.
14. A Motorized Power Wheels Jeep
Power Wheels weren’t just a toy—they were a moving piece of jealousy-inducing machinery. Watching a rich kid roll up in their Power Wheels Jeep or Corvette made us all wish we could trade our pedal cars for something with a “real” engine.
Rich kids of the 80s were like walking catalogs of all the stuff we wanted most. Looking back now, some of these things seem quaint, but at the time, they were the height of luxury and coolness. What’s incredible is how vividly we still remember them—proof that those long-ago Christmas lists and schoolyard envies are timeless.
