School Supply Lists - Then And Now

So this thing called the back to school supply list... Is it just me or does it grow in length every year? I know budget cuts are all the rage but this crap is out of control. I need a 2nd job just to pay for it all. The list is so large that now, schools designate an extra day to come in and drop everything off! I may be slow but even I realize that is jacked up. Take my son's list for example. He is in the 5th grade mind you and his school requires him to bring headphones with a case and a 4 inch cord, a graphing calculator, a pair of 7 inch long pointed scissors (weapons, anyone?), a back pack preferably with wheels to haul all the crap, 4 dozen pencils, 400 sheets of graphing paper, and wait for it....baby wipes. This is only the tip of the iceberg. I will spare you all the details of crayons, rulers, 50 million glue sticks, protractors and flair pens. When it comes buying supplies I'm one of those worthless moms who boycotts even the mere mention of back to school until the last week before school starts. I put it off until the point when bins are empty, save a lone eraser or two, and you have to pay full price for leftovers. So, I head over to Goodwill to pick up what is considered to be the rejects of supplies in terms of comp books already written in, 1/2 empty boxes of crayons and markers (surely they don't need ALL the colors, right??) and opened packs of paper. I make every teacher cringe when they see me show up to deliver the goods. 30 years ago (oh have mercy, I'm in denial I was even alive then) we had supply lists on a much smaller level. It was a time we could choose our own colors, themes and designs but the list remained consistent. This was mine from middle school in (ahem) 1984: 1 Trapper Keeper (with your own choice of cover, in my case Rob Lowe) 2 Pee Chee Folders. They were kick ass because you could write all your fave bands on them with a gel pen. Duran Duran? Yes, please. 1 lunch box (Yes, I still had a themed Little House on the Prairie one because I was and forever will be a LHOTP junkie) 1 set of 5 dividers 1 pack of paper 2 Eraser Mate pens. 2 pencils 2 paper grocery bags to make into book covers 1 Backpack of your choice (cue Rob Lowe again) All that being said.... if I, for one moment, ever see a Rob Lowe (circa 80's Rob Lowe, not West Wing old Rob Lowe) Trapper Keeper show up in school supplies you can bet I'll be first in line to buy it, even if it is in June. The sad thing is I will probably find it in an antique with a sign that says, "Vintage 80's School Supplies"