11 Things That Always Ended Up in the Bargain Bin
Here's a look at 11 products and trends that almost always ended up gathering dust in bargain bins.
- Alyana Aguja
- 3 min read
Bargain bins have long been the final stop for products that failed to live up to the hype. From outdated tech like HD-DVDs and Zunes to overproduced fads like Beanie Babies and Shrek merchandise, stores were left slashing prices to clear shelves. These forgotten items reveal how quickly pop culture shifts, turning once-coveted goods into clearance clutter.
1. HD-DVDs
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When the format war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD ended in 2008, HD-DVD quickly became obsolete. Retailers were left with massive inventories of now-useless discs that nobody wanted. Entire bins were filled with discounted HD-DVDs, often priced at just a dollar.
2. Movie Tie-In Video Games
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From E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on Atari to rushed adaptations of blockbuster films, movie tie-in games were notorious for being poorly made. Gamers quickly learned they rarely lived up to the hype. These titles usually ended up in clearance sections within months of release.
3. Holiday-Themed CDs
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Every December, stores stocked new collections of Christmas compilations by unknown or fading artists. By January, these CDs had no market value. Shoppers would later find stacks of them marked down heavily in bargain bins.
4. Beanie Babies
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Once a red-hot collectible craze in the 1990s, Beanie Babies lost their luster when overproduction killed their value. Many stores were left with piles of unsold plush toys. Eventually, they wound up discounted in bins, no longer the “rare treasures” they were hyped to be.
5. The Zune
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Microsoft’s Zune MP3 player launched in 2006 to compete with the iPod but never gained traction. With clunky marketing and limited appeal, sales flopped. Clearance bins across electronics stores became filled with unsold Zunes.
6. Shrek Merchandise
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The first Shrek movie sparked a flood of merchandise, from toys to clothing. When demand fizzled, stores were left with unsold ogre-themed products. Many ended up marked down in bargain bins, becoming more of a novelty than a collectible.
7. Movie Novelizations
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Before streaming and instant rewatches, studios often released book versions of blockbuster movies. These novelizations rarely had lasting appeal once the film left theaters. Discount bins were often the final resting place for stacks of them.
8. Dreamcast Games
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Sega’s Dreamcast console was beloved by fans but quickly lost out to the PlayStation 2. Retailers were left with extra copies of games that few people were buying. Many titles, even good ones, wound up at steep discounts in bargain bins.
9. Wii Accessories
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The Nintendo Wii’s success led to a flood of third-party accessories, from plastic tennis rackets to motion gun shells. Most of these cheaply made add-ons offered no real gameplay value. Within a year or two, bins were stuffed with them at clearance prices.
10. VHS Tapes
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As DVDs replaced VHS in the early 2000s, stores were stuck with outdated stock. Movie lovers could often find bins full of old tapes for just cents on the dollar. What once was the height of home entertainment became obsolete and bargain fodder.
11. Celebrity Perfumes
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Pop stars and actors frequently launched perfumes, hoping to cash in on their fame. Oversaturation in the market led to many being heavily discounted when fans lost interest. Bargain bins became the graveyard of dozens of forgotten celebrity fragrances.