Trapper keepers were banned at some schools. Now they're on sale!

The original Trapper Keeper is currently on sale, which is pretty guaranteed to be triggering a certain kind of feeling in a lot of Millennials. The retro Trapper Keepers at Walmart are throwing us straight back into the ‘80s, with some serious “Stranger Things” vibes that have us hearing Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" in our over-ear headphones. 

The styles are all about $2 off right now, and while sure, they might be targeted for kids, there’s no harm getting in on these yourself. You can choose between several versions, including a slightly garish animal print that looks like certain teachers’ windbreakers back in the day, a trippy scene involving what looks like neural connections over a mountain ridge with a sunset, or a geometric motif that’s reminiscent of an early experiment with 3D modeling. There’s also a retro version featuring a car (giving us some “Drive” memories), a neon cheetah, and one with a salad of patterns that includes checkerboard, magenta animal print, and some squiggly shapes and triangles. Does the aesthetic make sense now? No. Would it have then? Who knows? That’s part of the fun of it. 

Inside, they retain their elegant organizational simplicity. A one-inch ring binder keeps folders, which are three-hole-punched already, nice and organized, with side pockets that easily hold papers securely while letting you take them in and out without much tugging. You can also fit some loose worksheets or blank notebook paper under the clipboard clip in the back — everything will stay in one place thanks to the velcro closure on the outside. There’s also one more inside pocket that’s great for keeping assignments or hand-outs within reach. 

All of these could well have been on Walmart’s shelves back in the day too, and that’s part of the fun of it. They usually hover around $13, so catching them for less than $11 is a bargain we can pretty much justify an impulse buy with, whether you’re picking up a Trapper Keeper for you as you head back to school, or one for your kid.