8. Rolex

Where It Was Sold: Business/Office Supply Stores, Zephyr American
Organization: Zephyr American
Initial Cost: $5–$8*
Invented in the middle of the 1950s, the Rolodex really took off in the 1960s, emerging as a sort of “practical fad.” This rotating card file was created by Danish engineers and used to hold contact information, company information, and other things.

Rolodex ©Wikimedia/Arnold Reinhold
Zephyr American was a catch-all business supplies company that also produced other useful devices, such as the Clipodex, Swivodex, Punchodex hole punch, and more. Unbelievably, as of 2023, Rolodex card files are still produced.