1

Empire State Building, New York City

Image: William Wachter

Undoubtedly, the Empire State is the most famous building in New York City. Every year, about 2.5 million people visit it, and it has been featured in countless movies and TV shows. Designed by American architect William F. Lamb, it was inaugurated in 1931.

For forty-one years, the Empire State Building was the tallest skyscraper in the world. The symmetry, limestone façade, huge windows, and the monumental and luxurious lobby are some of its main features. The design of this Art Deco masterpiece is so spectacular and breathtaking that in 1986 it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

2

The Carlyle, Miami Beach

Image: Luis Erives

Miami has the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world. The city has a remarkable collection of around 800 structures built in this style. Visiting the Art Deco district along Collins Avenue, Ocean Drive, and Washington Avenue is like traveling back in time. And perhaps the Carlyle, for its sophisticated combination of horizontals and verticals, is one of the most emblematic.

It was built in 1939 by German-American architect Richard Kiehnel, and its façade has barely changed since then. Its interior, on the other hand, went from hotel rooms to apartments.

3

Boston Avenue United Methodist Church, Tulsa

Image: Quang Vuong

The Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the few examples of an Art Deco church. Beginning in the 1920s, little Tulsa became the oil capital of the U.S., and the sudden influx of resources encouraged investors to build increasingly grandiose buildings. Thus, this church is considered the first ecclesiastical building strictly designed for an emerging automobile culture.

Constructed from Indiana limestone, the church features a steel-frame tower topped with a copper and glass lantern. A seven-pointed star symbolizes seven virtues: patience, purity, knowledge, suffering, kindness, love, and truth. The complex also includes a sanctuary, a small chapel, and offices, while the lobby serves as a social center.

4

Union Terminal, Cincinnati

Image: Fred Copley

Cincinnati Union Terminal in Ohio is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States. Its green terrazzo floors, fine-grained Indiana limestone façade, and vast rotunda adorned with industrial murals by Winold Reiss make the station a true architectural masterpiece. In fact, it is considered the pinnacle work of Alfred T. Fellheimer, who had previously designed Grand Central Terminal in New York.

Unfortunately, Union Terminal began construction in 1928, during one of the worst periods in the country's economic history. The Great Depression was marked by a decline in train travel, and the opulent Union Terminal was considered a white elephant. In 1972, it was finally closed. Years later, however, the building regained its former luster. Today, it is served by Amtrak’s Cardinal line, while the rest of the complex houses several museums.

5

Carbide & Carbon Building, Chicago

Image: Anthony Fomin

The Carbide & Carbon Building, a 37-story skyscraper completed in 1929, is one of Chicago's most striking architectural achievements. A bold example of Art Deco design , the building is clad in black granite and green terra cotta, with genuine gold leaf adorning its tower.

It is so luxurious that the Burnham Brothers architectural firm is said to have designed it to resemble a champagne bottle. In 1996, it was designated a Chicago Landmark, and in 2021, it was renovated and reopened as the Pendry Chicago Hotel.

6

The Guardian Building, Detroit

Image: G + L

This 43-story Art Deco skyscraper is located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Nicknamed the Cathedral of Finance , it was planned by architect Wirt C. Rowland and completed in 1929. Both the interior and exterior feature numerous modern decorative elements, including mosaics, murals, stained glass, and even a historic Tiffany clock.

Forty craftsmen worked on its design and construction, which required granite, stone, terra cotta, and more than two million distinctive "Union Guardian Orange" bricks. In 1989, the Guardian Building was designated a National Historic Landmark.

7

Chrysler Building, New York City

Image: William Wachter

The Chrysler Building in New York City is one of the greatest examples of the Art Deco style in the world. It was designed by architect William Van Alen at the request of industrial magnate Walter Percy Chrysler and completed in 1930.

The building exhibits great attention to detail, featuring many elements that mimic Chrysler automobile pieces, such as the ostentatious ornamentation of the tower. In the lobby, the ceiling mural—once the largest in the United States—was painted by artist Edward Trumbull. Following the building’s automotive theme, it depicts scenes of progress, transportation, and energy.

8

Eastern Columbia Building, Los Angeles

Image: Jordan Rubin

Located in downtown Los Angeles, this emblematic 1930s building features a striking turquoise terra cotta exterior. The Eastern Columbia Building was designed by renowned architect Claud Beelman, who also created several of the city’s notable Art Deco structures. At the time of its construction, the building was so unique that the city allowed it to exceed the maximum height limit.

Its unique color, majestic vertical lines, iconic clock, and golden ornamentation attracted Hollywood moguls and stars from the beginning. It was first used as office space and was later converted into luxury apartments. In 1985, the Eastern Columbia Building was declared a Historic-Cultural Monument.

9

Circle Tower, Indianapolis

Image: Alejandro, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The construction of a 14-story skyscraper in Indianapolis was a major news event in the early 20th century. "Circle Tower Is Rising," declared the Indianapolis Times in 1929. Circle Tower stands as a magnificent example of Art Deco architecture.

Built of ornately carved granite and limestone and decorated with Egyptian figures, Circle Tower has a unique, trapezoidal shape. This unusual silhouette was promoted as an icon of luxurious office space. The interior, on the other hand, features marble and terrazzo floors, bronze elevator doors, geometric flowers, zigzags, and concentric swirls. Details in the lavishly marble-clad lobby exude elegance.

10

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles

Image: David Vives

The Griffith Observatory is one of Los Angeles’ most important cultural attractions. This Art Deco icon opened in 1935 and was designed with a revolutionary idea in mind: the cosmos should be accessible to everyone, not just astronomers.

Built of reinforced concrete on a 3,015-acre site donated by Colonel Griffith J. Griffith, it is a blend of modern design and Greek and Beaux-Arts influences. The building's most emblematic feature? The planetarium in the central dome!

1

The cowboy hat on the bed

Image: Olivier Piquer

For a proper cowboy, a hat is as important as their horse or saddle. This means that there’s a protocol around this garment that needs to be followed, one important rule being that a hat should never be placed on top of a bed.

Why? There are several explanations, including the idea of bad spirits living in your hair, the old custom of placing a deceased person’s hat on top of their coffin, or the more practical reasoning of wanting to avoid lice. No matter the origin, no respectable cowboy would place his hat on the bed unless he wanted to attract misfortune his way.

2

The Appalachian woods

Image: Elijah Mears

The Appalachian Mountains are filled with myths and legends, and certain rules are passed down and followed by nearly everyone, even those most skeptical about the supernatural. Many of these rules concern the woods and how one should behave in them : don’t go into the woods from dusk till dawn, don’t leave the marked trail, ignore any unknown voice calling you, and don’t look too closely into the trees.

While these rules could be explained by the simple reason of the woods being the hiding place of bandits in the past, and a difficult place to navigate in the dark, they have also been regarded as a place filled with spirits and supernatural beings, which no one wants to come across.

3

Seeing Mothman

Image: James Wainscoat

A local cryptid celebrity in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, the Mothman has allegedly been sighted several times since the 1960s. Many legends and beliefs have formed around his figure, one of them being that coming across the Mothman is a sign of an impending tragedy .

This belief gained strength after several reported sightings occurred just before the collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967. Since then, the Mothman has been considered a harbinger of doom and a bad omen.

4

A mirror to ward off the devil

Image: Denny Müller

Louisianans have many myths and beliefs, especially those rooted in Cajun culture. Influences from French Acadia, Spain, and Western Africa have been incorporated into popular wisdom in a distinctly unique way.

One Cajun custom advises the use of a mirror to repel M’su Diable or "Mr. Devil." M’su Diable is known for being very vain, so he will never waste the opportunity to admire himself. If you hang a mirror in the porch, next to the door, he will stay there all night instead of entering the house, and the sunrise will scare him off.

5

Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Eve

Image: Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu

Each holiday has certain foods associated with it, many of which are considered non-negotiable. For many Southern households, New Year’s Eve is synonymous with black-eyed peas, which are said to attract good luck and prosperity for the coming year.

While it’s a popular belief, this custom has distinctly historical origins. After the Civil War, black-eyed peas became a staple food across the South and saved more than one family from starvation. Today, they are often paired with collard greens, which are said to represent dollar bills.

6

Rocking an empty chair

Image: Robin Jonathan Deutsch

Irish and Scottish settlers brought with them a deeply rooted belief: you shouldn’t rock an empty cradle, cause you might wake the spirits. Across the South and the Appalachians, this belief transformed over time and became attached to another object: the rocking chair.

Often placed on porches or near the fire, a rocking chair moving on its own was believed to be occupied by a supernatural being . If someone rocked an empty chair, the spirits might consider this an invitation into the house.

7

The color of the porch

Image: Thomas Park

If you like the look of Southern front porches, you may have noticed that they often feature a pale blue ceiling. The use of haint blue—a collection of pale blue-green shades —is not an aesthetic choice, but a spirit-warding custom stemming from the enslaved Gullah Geechee people.

By painting the ceiling (and sometimes doors, windows, and shutters) blue, spirits might confuse it with the sky and pass through it, or with water, and avoid it. Over time, the tradition of haint blue— haint being an alternative spelling of _haunt_—spread throughout the South.

8

Bananas on a boat

Image: Ian Talmacs

Bananas are a pretty convenient fruit: they’re tasty, nutritious, and come naturally prepackaged. But don’t try saying that to Alaskan fishermen. They’ll tell you that bananas should never be brought on a boat, or no fish will be caught.

There are two possible origins of this belief. Some say the aversion to bananas stems from the old ships that carried this fruit—they sailed as fast as possible to prevent the cargo from spoiling, which disturbed the water and scared away fish. Others say that overripe bananas attract fruit flies and were believed to cause other food to spoil.

9

The tail of the cow

Image: Screenroad

Florida has historically been the state most prone to hurricanes, which has led to the development of superstitions and beliefs around the subject. A common belief involves cows, or more specifically, their tails.

If a cow holds its tail straight up, many Floridians say it means a hurricane is on the way . There are many scientific reasons for cows to hold their tail upright, and none have to do with weather prediction, but as far as we know, Floridians have not been proven wrong yet.

10

Whistling at night

Image: Lukas Robertson

Many cultures across the world refrain from whistling at night to avoid attracting spirits and malevolent beings. For Hawaiians, it is not just any spirit**. A whistle after dark might attract the** Huakaʻi pō or Nightmarchers , the ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors.

If you happen to come across them, your only hope is to lie on your stomach and avoid looking at them as a sign of respect. If you are lucky enough to be a descendant of a warrior, they will recognize you and protect you. But just to be on the safe side, it’s best to leave the whistling for daytime.

1

Star Wars Action Figures

Those little plastic heroes from a galaxy far, far away weren't just toys: they were pure magic in your hands. Whether you had Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, or the hard-to-find Boba Fett, these 3.75-inch figures from Kenner turned your bedroom floor into epic space battles.

Fast forward to today, and collectors are paying top dollar for these nostalgic treasures. A mint-condition figure still in its original packaging can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars . Even loose figures in decent shape can bring in $20 to $100 each, depending on the character. The rarest pieces, like the vinyl-caped Jawa or the rocket-firing Boba Fett prototype, have sold for tens of thousands at auction.

2

Cabbage Patch Kids

The madness of 1983 is hard to forget—parents literally fighting in toy store aisles to grab one of these wrinkly-faced dolls for Christmas. With their yarn hair, chubby cheeks, and unique names, these dolls weren't just toys; they were family members who went everywhere with you.

Original Cabbage Patch Kids from the early '80s, especially the ones made by Coleco, are now highly sought after by collectors. Dolls in excellent condition with their original boxes and paperwork can sell for $100 to $500 , while rare editions or special characters can go for much more.

3

Atari 2600 Game Cartridges

This chunky, black console with the wood paneling was the coolest thing you could own in the late '70s and early '80s. Games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Pitfall! kept you glued to the TV for hours, even though the graphics were basically colored blocks moving around the screen.

Today, common titles might only fetch $5 to $20, but rare games can sell for hundreds or even thousands . The holy grail is "Air Raid," one of the rarest games ever made, which has sold for over $30,000.

4

Strawberry Shortcake Dolls

Strawberry Shortcake burst onto the scene in 1980 with her red hair, freckles, and signature striped stockings. Soon she had a whole crew of fruity friends like Blueberry Muffin, Raspberry Tart, and Huckleberry Pie.

These scented dolls from the original Kenner line are now collectible gems. Mint-condition dolls in their original packaging can sell for $50 to $200, depending on the character . Even loose dolls in good shape with their original outfits can bring in $20 to $50 each, especially if they still have a hint of that fruity smell.

5

Hot Wheels and Matchbox Cars

Your collection probably sprawled across your bedroom floor in an elaborate city of orange tracks, loop-de-loops, and imaginary highways. Hot Wheels from Mattel and Matchbox cars from Lesney were the must-have toys for any kid who loved vehicles.

A single rare Hot Wheels car, like a 1968 "Cheetah" base Python or certain Redline editions, can sell for $100 to $1,000 or more . Even common models in excellent condition with their original packaging can fetch $10 to $50.

6

Transformers

"More than meets the eye!" That wasn't just a catchy tagline—it was the truth. Transformers were toys that did double duty: a cool robot that could morph into a vehicle, cassette player, or dinosaur with just a few twists and clicks.

Original Generation 1 Transformers from the mid-'80s are now hot collectibles. Figures in good condition with all their parts intact can sell for $50 to $200, while rare characters or complete sets in original packaging can go for much more . Optimus Prime in his original box can fetch $500 to $1,000 or higher.

7

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

The 1980s reboot of G.I. Joe brought the action figure down from 12 inches to a more manageable 3.75 inches, and kids went wild for them. Snake Eyes, Duke, Cobra Commander, and Storm Shadow became instant icons. These figures came with tons of accessories—guns, backpacks, helmets—that were ridiculously easy to lose.

Today's collectors are willing to pay good money for these patriotic warriors. Complete figures with all their original accessories can sell for $15 to $100 each, depending on rarity. Mint-on-card figures (still sealed in packaging) are where the real value lies, often fetching $50 to $300 or more for rare characters . The U.S.S. Flagg, if complete in its box, can sell for over $1,000.

8

My Little Pony

These colorful little horses with brushable manes and tails captured hearts when they debuted in 1983. Each pony had its own name, personality, and unique symbol on its flank.

Original Generation 1 ponies from the '80s are now beloved collectibles among a dedicated fanbase. Common ponies in good condition can sell for $10 to $30 each, while rare ponies, especially those from early releases or special editions, can go for $100 to $500 .

9

Rubik's Cube

The Rubik's Cube became a sensation in 1980, and suddenly everyone was twisting and turning those colorful squares, trying to get each side to match. Some kids could solve it in minutes; most of us just peeled off the stickers and stuck them back on in the right places (come on, you know you did it).

Original Rubik's Cubes from the early '80s, especially early editions made in Hungary, have become collectible. While standard cubes aren't worth a fortune, vintage ones in pristine condition with original packaging can sell for $50 to $150 . Special editions, like the original wooden prototype or cubes signed by inventor Ernő Rubik, are worth much more.

10

Care Bears

These huggable bears with symbols on their bellies taught us about feelings and friendship. Each Care Bear represented a different emotion or value: Tenderheart Bear had a heart, Grumpy Bear had a rain cloud, and Cheer Bear had a rainbow. The stuffed animals, along with the TV shows and movies, made Care Bears a phenomenon.

Vintage Care Bears from the original 1983 Kenner line are now sought-after collectibles. Plush bears in excellent condition with their original tags can sell for $30 to $100, while rare bears or special editions can go higher. Complete sets, limited editions like the birthday bears, or bears with rare belly badges are particularly prized.