11 Hilariously Random Childhood Keepsakes Millennials Are Hoarding—And Why Astrology Says They’ll Never Let Go!
Added on September 24, 2025 inASTROLOGY CARDS
Popular
Numerology Meets Netflix: Get Your Daily Dose of Cosmic Cinema Suggestions Powered By Our AI Astrologer. Find The Show Or Movie You Were Meant To See!
Ever catch yourself clutching an old Beanie Baby or dusting off that ancient video game console, wondering if it’s just nostalgia—or a full-blown time machine to your childhood? Millennials, those cosmic creatures born during the Mercury retrograde of the ’80s and ’90s, often find themselves tangled in memories as if their past selves sent a celestial SOS. It’s not just about hoarding random relics—it’s about holding onto anchors when adulthood’s storm hits hard. Sure, you gotta look forward and all that jazz, but sometimes a Polaroid photo or a clunky flip phone whispers the comforting truth: you’re still that kid who laughed a little too loud at Saturday cartoons and cranked up the Walkman till your ears begged for mercy. So, why do these oddball treasures feel like oxygen in a world that’s always rushing ahead? Let’s dive into 11 quirky things millennials just can’t let go—because, hey, who says growing up means erasing your past? LEARN MORE.
To try and stay connected to their childhood and all things nostalgia, millennials will hold onto random things that were once a huge part of the era they grew up in. Some of these things act as tangible memories from the past that millennials cling to in times when they miss what they once had or need to remember who they were.
While it is important not to get so lost in the past that they forget to appreciate the present and look forward to the future, in times of need, being able to escape to the past can feel like a breath of fresh air. Millennials know they have to move on into adulthood and embrace it, but they also know never to forget what made them into who they are.
robtek / Shutterstock
Most millennials who can’t let go of their childhood will keep things like old video game consoles that they used to use. They may keep something like this to relive memories that brought them immense happiness when they were younger, and to maintain the emotional connection they feel to the period of time they grew up in.
Some millennials, who have children, may also decide that they want to share their childhood experiences with their own kids, so keeping things that even younger generations may be interested in will allow them to do so.
Advertisement
Page Light Studios / Shutterstock
Millennials holding onto nostalgic items, like old board games, could be a sign that they are unable to let go of something for more serious reasons than just to keep happy memories. More current stressful circumstances lead to most millennials trying to hold onto the past.
“Millennials are more stressed and sleep-deprived than any other generation, and money is largely to blame,” according to a survey taken by Talker Research on behalf of Boiron, a world leader in homeopathic medicines. The stress of money causes millennials to cling to a time when they felt very few stressors at all, and board games allow them that nostalgic escape.
Advertisement
The Image Party / Shutterstock
In an attempt to feel comforted and secure in times of chaos, millennials may keep old nostalgic toys from their childhood, like Beanie Babies. When life gets overwhelming and adulting gets scary, they find a sense of calmness in looking back on things that once caused them a lot of joy.
Keeping these childhood objects can also help someone feel connected to their past self. Trying to hold on to their self-identity and manage the emotions that come with getting older and embarking on a new era are all reasons millennials may hold on to these toys.
Advertisement
Patrick Hatt / Shutterstock
Keeping old collectible card packs can be a way that some millennials choose to hold on to their childhood memories. Saving memorabilia, which are things that are worthy of remembrance or usually collected because they are associated with a certain interest, can help someone remember what was significant to them throughout their childhood.
Collectible card packs can act as a reminder of their interest and are a tangible thing that acts as the childhood memory itself. Reminiscing can become more real and can make individuals feel even closer to their younger selves when there is a tangible thing of significance involved.
Advertisement
AS project / Shutterstock
Millennials will sometimes cling to the past through objects that not only peaked in their era but also consist of even more memories within. Keeping old Polaroid or disposable cameras not only allows millennials to relive the nostalgic way they captured moments while younger, but the photos that still live within these cameras act as a constant reminder of their memories.
It seems as though millennials are not the only ones who want to experience the past era. These types of cameras have also been revived by younger generations, who also find their nostalgic way of capturing photos appealing.
Advertisement
Eakrin Rasadonyindee / Shutterstock
Not only will millennials hold onto VHS tapes and DVDs so that they always have a piece of their childhood to look back on, but they may also feel that the movie culture of the ’80s and early ’90s outshines the cinema of the current generation. To almost travel back in time to an era they preferred, they will use these things that are symbolic of that era.
Instead of having to repurchase the movies they loved by subscribing to a streaming service, some millennials would also view it as a smarter financial decision just to keep and utilize their old VHS tapes and DVDs. So not only is it fostering the connection they have with their childhood, but it is also saving them money.
Advertisement
The Image Party / Shutterstock
Sometimes, millennials will keep certain things for purely no other reason than to keep old memories from their childhood. Keeping a yearbook has no other purpose besides being a look back into the past, which is why millennials will still have them even into their adulthood, but by looking into the past, they can reflect on the present.
Whether looking back into the past creates a sense of personal growth, is a way to escape the present for a while, or just simply to remember significant periods of time, allows millennials to see how far they have come and determine which era of their lives they feel most in tune with.
Advertisement
Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock
Millennials may have a desire to hold onto childhood books so that they can share them with their children and experience the comfort that comes with re-reading them. If the books were something their parents once read to them, they likely connect them with emotionally comforting moments in their childhood.
In times where the present feels too overwhelming, reminiscing on a simpler time by reading their past beloved stories and remembering safe moments can help them overcome their current struggles.
Advertisement
Wachiwit / Shutterstock
Nothing can take someone back to the past like a song. A lot of millennials who can’t let go of their childhood will keep old CD players and Walkmans that are filled with all the nostalgic songs they listened to growing up.
When they hear a certain song, it is as if they are transported to a certain moment in time, and they can again feel all the emotions they felt in that moment. When they need a little emotional pick-me-up, they can resort to their old CDs and Walkmans to make them feel a little bit better.
Advertisement
Vera Aksionava / Shutterstock
Most millennials grew up with the classic flip phone. Those who can’t let go of their childhood most likely still have at least one lying around their house.
While most millennials probably keep their old phones for nostalgic purposes, they also may enjoy the ability to physically see changes in time, especially concerning technology. When they pull out their newest iPhone and place it beside their old flip phone, they are able to see how advanced the world has become.
Advertisement
MorphoBio / Shutterstock
Keeping nostalgic clothing that they wore while growing up allows millennials to reflect on the personal transformations they have undergone throughout their lives. Even if they have the intention of wearing certain pieces again, they still cling to the deep memories that are connected to the clothes.
It is important to embrace their newfound style while also being able to appreciate the fashion decisions they made throughout other stages of their life.
Most things that millennials choose to keep help them feel closer to their childhood memories and allow them to feel a sense of nostalgia when they miss the old times and the people with whom they used to be surrounded.
Kamryn Idol is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in media and journalism who covers lifestyle, relationship, family, and wellness topics.
Advertisement
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
This will close in 0 seconds
This will close in 0 seconds
){kind=link}