How Did You Know Someone Was ‘Rich’ Growing Up?

For some of you it was the first time you went to a friend's house that had a monster satellite dish grabbing signals from outer space. 

For others, it might've been the first time you saw a friend's dad driving around town in a (leased) Porsche. Or maybe you had a friend living in a monster 3,000 sq. ft. brick two-story featuring four bedrooms and 2 ½ baths — and a pool in the backyard. 

What was crystal clear in your head is that there were clear signs of wealth, and you'll never forget it. 

In the 1970s, adding an in-ground pool—often costing five figures—was the ultimate suburban status symbol.(Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images)

According to data from National Spa and Pool Institute, in 1984, Americans bought a staggering number of pools and spas. Inground pool construction was up nearly 10% year-over-year and baby boomers were finally enjoying the fruits of the Ronald Reagan era. 

Real estate was booming. New home construction was up. Americans were beginning to flaunt money and Gen X kids were starting to get a look at what real wealth looked like. 

Meanwhile, inside the homes with pools, dads might've had a rear-projection TV that was retailing for $1,500-$4,000 at the time. 

A $4,000 TV in 1986 would be $11,800 these days. 

If your friend had a rear projection TV in his house, his family was wealthy. It wasn't a figment of your imagination. 

Now, a 98" TCL TV from Best Buy can be purchased for $1,500. 

What will Generation Alpha kids see as serious wealth? Will it be a Tesla in the driveway? Will it be 5,000 sq. ft. homes? Will it be friends who travel to the Mediterranean for vacation instead of Clearwater Beach?

Will it be friends who have Bitcoin? 

2065 is right around the corner. 

OutKick Readers Remember What They Considered A Sign Of Wealth When They Were Kids

— Michael L. writes: 

Growing up late 70’s and 80’s, all of my friends and I had the Atari game system.  Then our one friend got Intellivision.  Its graphics were incredible compared to what we had, so I asked my dad for one too.  Nope!  We were not in that tax bracket.

— Chris in Nebraska remembers: 

Off the top of my head....

-Finished Basements

-In-ground pools

-The old school Big Screen TVs that were both gigantic and heavy as all get out. Add on to that is if the family had an old school gigantic satellite dish where you could get every channel under the sun but it took the dish 5 minutes to beam it in.

Last one is a deep cut and really only relevant if you played a lot of video games as a kid. There was a Japanese gaming system called a Neo Geo that came out in 1990 that was head and shoulders better graphics wise than the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo. The rub was that is was something like $700! Back in 1990! I only knew two kids that had it when I was growing up. As you could guess, both kids had loaded parents.

— Cody M. fired off this memory: 

I read Screencaps this morning about the indicators of wealth and had to chime in. I don't know if anyone else thought this, but if your driveway had a glass-adjustable basketball hoop, you were well off.

— Thomas V. in North Carolina emails: 

I did notice other families with cable something my parents weren't interested in until much later.

But the big sign was as high school freshman at a private school just outside of L.A. was the cars. I road a bus in each day. Juniors and Seniors could get parking on campus. Plenty of used cars especially VW Bugs, but wealthy kids would drive in new cars, the Suzuki Samurai was getting fashionable and we even had an occasional Porsche.

— Andy from Knoxville has a clear memory of wealth: 

When you walked into a kid's house and he had the USS Flagg G.I. Joe aircraft carrier, you knew the family had money.  Picture included for reference. That isn't me, just some lucky kid on Christmas morning who's parents decided to make it rain for his happiness.

— Michael C. in Utah shares: 

I am Gen X and grew up in a suburb of Cleveland.   The answer is central air conditioning in the house.   Sure, some families had a window unit for a room, but only one neighbor I knew had central air conditioning for the entire house.   We would go inside there on a hot humid day and bask in the luxury.