3 Things That Are Disappearing Forever

Everyday items we take for granted will soon be obsolete.

Ten or so years ago, thousands of Blockbuster Video stores were renting DVDs and VHS tapes, and selling popcorn. Now? Poof, gone, nothing. Netflix.

Not everything disappears so quickly or completely, but new tech and consumer choices will spell the end for other items as well. Here are three.

Keys, at least in the sense of a piece of cut brass, are going away. Your smart phone will take their place when it comes to getting into your house, and your car. Yes, there are security hazards, but also huge security gains.

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You’ll be happy to see the end of blackouts, no? As both customers and utilities add batteries and solar panels to the grid, we’ll all enjoy more reliable power.

Paper books are sticking around, but big, heavy textbooks are not. By the end of this decade digital formats will yield more bang for the buck and will displace physical books for assigned reading on college campuses.

Take a look at seven more things that will soon disappear forever.

David Muhlbaum
Former Senior Online Editor

In his former role as Senior Online Editor, David edited and wrote a wide range of content for Kiplinger.com. With more than 20 years of experience with Kiplinger, David worked on numerous Kiplinger publications, including The Kiplinger Letter and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. He co-hosted  Your Money's Worth, Kiplinger's podcast and helped develop the Economic Forecasts feature.