'You Found A Time Machine': Woman Finds Her JCPenney Purse From 1994 and Unlocks an Accidental Time Capsule The contents went untouched for almost 30 years.
By Emily Rella
Our biggest sale — Get unlimited access to Entrepreneur.com at an unbeatable price. Use code SAVE50 at checkout.*
Claim Offer*Offer only available to new subscribers
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Thrifting and vintage shopping can be an exciting feat, giving people a tangible way to step back into the past and get a first-hand look at history.
Now, one TikToker is going viral for finding a purse from her tween years — and what's inside has the internet in sentimental stitches.
"I found this purse in my mom's attic that hasn't been used since 1994," she wrote in the video that's been viewed over 240,000 times. "It's been up there for almost 30 years and I wasn't sure what 13-year-old me left in there to find!"
The woman begins by pulling out old notes, photos, and handwritten birthday party invitations (truly a relic of the past) and even an old jolly rancher wrapper from an Arizona brand bag that she said was from JCPenney.
@wedontwannagrowup So, I found this bag (surely from JCPenney) when we went through my mom's attic. It's been up there for almost 30 years and I wasn't sure what 13 year old me left in there to find! #1994 #90s #90saccesories #90steen #90stiktok #treasure #90smemories #90snostalgia #throwback #flashback #wedontwannagrowup #fyp #foryou ♬ Stay (I Missed You) - Lisa Loeb
She then finds a Taco Bell sugar packet with an antique design and an envelope from Walmart that contained photos printed from a disposable camera from when the TikToker was in middle school, of course donning a perm and a Goofy shirt.
There was also a ball from McDonald's original ball pits of the 90s.
One commenter even pointed out that there was an old-fashioned movie stub to see the 1994 hit "Forrest Gump."
"You found a Time Machine," one person wrote in awe.
"This actually made me grieve my childhood," another lamented. "Wish I could go back."
The TikToker also posted a follow-up video showcasing a 1994 JCPenney catalog, which was rife with floral prints and oversized shorts.
@wedontwannagrowup The Girls section of the JC Penney's 1994 Spring/Summer Catalog! #1994 #jcpenney #jcpenneycatalog #90s #90sfashion #90sstyle #90sclothing #ilovethe90s #90sgirl #90shair #nostalgia #throwback #flashback #wedontwannagrowup #fyp #foryou ♬ The Sign (Long Version) - Ace of Base
The TikToker ironically runs a podcast called "We Don't Wanna Grow Up" which muses on pop culture from the past few decades.
