Longest owned continuously used item in your home?

[WhiteTrashCash]

I just realized that I've been using the same laundry basket in my home since 1997, so 23 years of continuous use. What item in your home has been continuously used the longest?

[mspym]

We have a cheese-slicer from the 70s that my husband's parents bought new and my husband took from home when he left for college/flatting in the 90s. So that's coming up 50 years of continuous usage. My one is a bedside lamp that my mum gave me that she acquired in the late 70s but was probably secondhand when she bought it [the base screams mid-century modern] so at least 45 years, most likely 60+.

[Metalcat]

I have a halogen Ikea desk lamp that I stole from a guy in high school in 1997. I don't know how long he had had it by that point, probably a few years.

I've used it every single day since I stole it because I've always used it for getting ready in the morning, and my makeup and hair routine used to be rather intensive, so it was on A LOT, but the damn thing is still going and still on the original bulb.

I have some nearly 100 year old hair forks that got a ton of use when I had long hair, but they're metal with no moving parts, so I'm actually more impressed by the Ikea lamp.

[Weisass]

We have a cuisinart pro classic food processor that my husband took with him to college in 1998. Before that it belonged to his mother (She upgraded when he took the old one) and it has to be at least 30 years old. It is still going strong and is well used.

[NotJen]

I just realized that I've been using the same laundry basket in my home since 1997, so 23 years of continuous use. What item in your home has been continuously used the longest?

I stole my laundry basket from my mom when I moved out in 1999.  I am not sure when she got it, but probably early/mid 90s.  Still going strong.  I get a kick out of visiting my brother and seeing his family using the same basket (it's a unique style/color), because I didn't realize he'd also stolen one until a few years ago.  And my sister probably doesn't even know she got left out of this laundry-basket-stealing game.

[nancy33]

I have my grandmothers mothers dresser and I am over 50 years old. I also have her binoculars and magnifying glass And scissors. 
I have some pots and pans my parents owned since before I was born that are slowly beginning to break. It is funny now when old things break my husband and I initially get upset then we stop and think “well we have been using it for over 30 years now” ha ha This just happened with our air compressor.

[nobody]

A set of Revere Ware pots that are around 40 years old.  All of the pots and lids are still in excellent working condition and I expect them to last past my expiration date.

[Evgenia]

Fun question! We have a cast iron pan and furniture from family that has been used continuously for 100+ years (dining table; a chair I had reupholstered; coffee and end tables). There's also my dearly departed MIL's 1967 Kenmore sewing machine, so well made in Japan. It's a dream. I had a bean grinder my younger brother gave me in high school (quite possibly the most thoughtful gift he's ever given me), for 25 years. It finally died last year and I actually cried. The worst is probably that I am 43 and got rid of some college-era underwear a few months ago (I know, I know).

[Sailor Sam]

A fun thread.

I have a desk that was given to my mom in the 60’s. It came from a garage sale, so I don’t actually know how old it is.

I’ve also got a hair that my father made in highschool ship class in 1962.

[CupcakeGuru]

I have an 80 year old folding dining table and a set of glass lamps that were my grandmothers. She bought all of them used.

[cool7hand]

My father's 1940s Flexible Flyer snow sled. We might only use it a few times a year, but they just don't make them like that anymore. Literally. We bought a modern flexible flyer to race the two, and it despite our efforts to salvage it, the modern one only lasted five seasons.

[deborah]

In 1873, my great great grandparents bought a brass bed. It’s been continuously used ever since. Some time ago I inherited it, when my parents downsized. Apart from when I had it fixed, I think it’s been used each day since it was bought.

[keepingfocus]

I still use a Breville sandwich toaster that was a gift when I went to university in 1990, and our dining table is a 1940s one that belonged to my grandparents.

[zoro]

Our wall clock is a Samuel Terry Pillar and Scroll clock that my wife inherited from her parents, it has been in their family for 7 generations, since it was made in mass in 1823. The cogs are made of wood as it was cheaper than metal at the time. It still keeps perfect time, I just put the time forward on it this morning.

[LaineyAZ]

...
I’ve also got a hair that my father made in highschool ship class in 1962.

A what?

[bbqbonelesswing]

Our kitchen gear has been around the longest and in most constant use. The crock pot, pans and knives will outlive us all.

Aside from that, books have a long lifespan in our family. Classics get carried from house to house, lent out, returned, and the process repeats as new folks grow up. I have quite a few on the bookshelf that belonged to my parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents.

[Dicey]

...
I’ve also got a chair that my father made in highschool shop class in 1962.

A what?

I think that's the correct translation. That second typo is actually pretty funny. If indeed it is a typo, Sailor Sam, sir.

[Christof]

Some of our furniture is from the 60ties. Our breakfast plates are from the 70ties, some of our glasses from the 60ties. We still have the vacuum cleaner we bought 1999. There are a number of things that are older but are not constantly used, especially books and old watches.

[Sailor Sam]

...
I’ve also got a chair that my father made in highschool shop class in 1962.

A what?

I think that's the correct translation. That second typo is actually pretty funny. If indeed it is a typo, Sailor Sam, sir.

Alas, I was drunk at the time.

[Imma]

My dining room chairs were made by my grandfather in 1945 as a gift to his parents. When they passed, my grandparents used them and when they passed they ended up in my house. They are still solid and comfortable and will probably outlive me.

My cutlery came from my grandparents' wedding in 1955. They only had 1 set, they couldn't afford a "good" set, but their daily set still looks very good and has hardly any scratches.

My laundry basket belonged to my aunt before she died and I think it's from the early 90s.

I also have a table from my great grandparents' wedding in 1926, it was in their parlour and wasn't used much, my parents used it as a kitchen table for a couple of decades, then was in my living room for a long time, it's now in my office and doesn't get used daily anymore. It's gorgeous and was handmade in art nouveau style.

[SomethingFishy]

My parents were gifted a toaster oven for their wedding in 1972. My boyfriend got it when they divorced in 2003. I couldn't let the toaster oven get away, so I married the boyfriend. Toaster oven still gets used daily.

[ToTheMoon]

We like vintage stuff, so have quite a few items around that get used in our day to day that are from the 50's and 60's - but in the true spirit of this thread, I would have to say my black leather belt which my mom purchased for me when I was starting the seventh grade. I still only own this one belt, and I turned 40 this year!

I also have a 20+ year old Dakine backpack that I got my groceries with back in the ski bum days, and I still get groceries with it now. Also, my beloved Starbucks stainless steel mug with a carabiner handle. Daily use for over two decades now. I laughed the first time I realized my mug was older than the kid serving me coffee!

Wow, this thread just made me feel old. 😆

[MilesTeg]

Not sure it counts as "continuous use" but I have tools passed from my great grandfather to my grandfather to my father to me that are still in my toolbox and used when needed. Old Montgomery Ward and OG Craftsman high quality tools that will last many more lifetimes.

[OtherJen]

I’m always a bit envious of all of you who inherited so many cool, useful things from family!

Our fancy Cuisinart food processor is 19 years old and still going strong. I think the vacuum was a wedding present 17.5 years ago. That still sees heavy use. Otherwise, we have the wooden desk that my parents bought for me when I was a high schooler in the mid 1990s, a small wooden kitchen table that they bought at the same time and handed to us a few years ago, a dresser from husband’s aunt and uncle, and a nightstand from his grandparents. Both of the latter pieces are at least 40 years old, I think.

[powskier]

Cuisinart from 1978. Used about 4 to 5 times a week minimum.

[UnleashHell]

I have a tin / bottle opener that was my grandmothers. She got it from her mother. I have no idea how long its been in use but I'd guess its from at least the 1950's - possible before that.

[tygertygertyger]

Fun thread! Our coffee table is from a set that my grandparents bought right after they got married. Hard to say it was in "continuous" use since it was stored in their basement for a long time, but I really like the style so we refinished it.

Oh wait, my boyfriend also has his great-grandfather's wool blanket from 1914 or something. It's still in good shape and we use it while camping in cool weather.

[Sandi_k]

Cool to read everyone's responses. ;) Our list:

Things we inherited:

- DH has many tools and a table saw from his grandfather in our basement.

- DH has a lamp from his grandparents' home that is ~ 100 years old; a chair that belonged to his great-grandfather. Neither are used daily, but they are in use.

Things we bought new ourselves:

- An Ikea coffee table, two end tables, and a TV stand in 1995. Still use them daily.

- Bedroom furniture, bought with wedding money, in 1998. Also plastic lawn chairs (from a Sears GC!), and an Oster beehive blender.

- Dining room chairs, bought two at a time, for cash, in 1994.

- A coffee grinder, bought with graduation money, in 1990.

- And the winner: A kitty condo, bought for my now-gone tuxedoed tom cat Zappa - in 1988.

[Rusted Rose]

When this type of question has come up, I often think of my blue-and-white porcelain Japanese tea set that I mail-ordered when I was maybe 12 and still have in perfect condition decades later, but I wouldn't say it's in continuous *use* exactly. More like occasional.

I think most likely the thing that fits the scenario is my bedside alarm clock that's from the 70s and was my mom's. I started using it in high school and so it became mine.

I also consider the 70s black leather jacket I got from Urban Outfitters in the late 90s when they still had a "vintage" section. Cost 7 dollars! I just relined it this year and happy to, what an amazing value. Still a big fave.

Oh, and there's the Braun coffee grinder I bought in 2001. Has been in continuous use since then. Not as old as the things without actual moving parts so I'm rather happy with that value as well.

[phildonnia]

When I was young and poor, in 1995, I got a microwave oven.  It was a "floor model", with a big scratch across the top, so I got a nice discount on it. 

Still here.  It has outlasted two dishwashers, two garbage disposals, three toaster ovens, two range tops, a regular oven, and and bread maker.

A few months ago, one of the door switches malfunctioned and had to be replaced.  Guess it's good for another 25 years now.

[Nate R]

Does my 99 year old clawfoot tub count?

[NumberJohnny5]

Does my 99 year old clawfoot tub count?

Do you bathe regularly?

[Cranky]

Oh, gosh. I have quite a few kitchen things that were originally my grandma’s, so they are from the 1920s/30s. I have her wedding silverware, so I think that’s from 1920.

I have some bedroom furniture that my parents bought in 1948. My dd has the two dressers but I’ve got the nightstand.

I’ve got a bunch of things that I acquired in 1977, including my original model spouse. ;-)

[Loretta]

I’m 42 and I have a couple quilts in use made by my great-grandmother who died in 1984. 

[August26th]

We’ve used our Braun coffee grinder every day for the past 20 years and it’s still going strong. I “inherited” it by marriage, so I don’t know how old it truly is.

[Dave1442397]

My cereal bowl and spoon. I took them with me when I left home in 1990. My mother said she bought those bowls in the late '60s, so I've been using it for at least 50 years.

[Systems101]

My favorite is probably my coffee table in my living room.  There's a nice 2" long gouge on one side, put there by my mom when she was a child.  Since it was acquired second-hand and refinished, I'm not even sure anyone alive knows how old it is...

I also have a small ladle I use for pancakes (& gravy for special meals) that's at least 50 years old, possibly more.

[pressure9pa]

Not that these turn heads around here, but ...

Washer and dryer that my wife (then girlfriend) bought used in 2000.
Microwave that I found in 2001, but probably comes from the 1980's.  (knob, not digital)
Pushmower received as a housewarming gift in 2003.
Several misc tools that were my grandfather's - he died in 1992 and wasn't exactly in tool-acquisition mode his last 20 years. 
Chest freezer from the 1990's
And several shirts from 1996-2002

[Sugaree]

I live in my grandparents' house.  When I moved in, it was nearly fully furnished (everything that other family members didn't want).  My HVAC unit has a manufacturer's sticker from 1989.  The washer/dryer is probably early 90s (though the dryer is literally being held together by duct tape at the moment).  There are lamps that are probably 1960/1970s era or earlier. 

[kay02]

I have a stovetop pressure cooker my grandma gave me that dates back to the 50s.  Still works great!

[life_travel]

We were just talking about it the other day at home... My husband said the old lid that I've been using every day with various frying pans is his grandfather's! His grandfather died before 1996 when we met , so it's roughly 60-70 years old.

Also a funny one . Some may find it strange he he.
We still use the bed sheet that my husband had with his ex-wife, we met 25 years ago, it's such a good quality ( but getting thin now) that it pretty much outlasted any cheaper ones that I usually buy :)

[Just Joe]

There are some really stylish, durable and affordable things to pick from if a person is not committed to buying new.

We have a few things from our family. Garage tools, kitchen tools, etc. We also have a number of vintage items we've collected over the years that we love.

[spaghetti1awk]

My first year of college, I got a purple plastic bowl for mixing up cookie dough in. It was a gift from a new friend in the dorms who thought it might help me make them more cookies. It worked. I have moved it with me 11 times since then in the intervening 22 years, and I use it at least once a week (some weeks it's almost daily!).

[Freedom2016]

Digital alarm clock from my childhood, circa 1986 or thereabouts. The numbers are 3 inches tall, biggest I've ever seen on a clock...perfect for someone with 20/200 vision.

Why it lives on my perfect-vision-spouse's nightstand instead of mine is a mystery, however.

[WhiteTrashCash]

These are some really great answers so far. I like all the family heirlooms passed down through generations. When something worked, it just worked and items were made to last.

To add to the conversation, my oldest electronic doodad I still regularly use is a 14 year old iPod that I’ve only needed to repair once. It still works perfectly fine and I regularly use it in my car and on trips. It’s considered extremely old-fashioned these days because you need to download songs and videos onto it and it offers no WiFi connectivity or streaming capability. It’s outlasted the original iTunes service that was created to service it.

I know that MMM is against the purchase of iPods, but I think keeping it for 14 years made it worthwhile financially, especially since it was a gift to begin with. I’ve only needed to repair it once which I did with assistance from the iFixIt website and parts I bought from eBay.

[Fomerly known as something]

Wore my Patagonia capiline long sleeve shirt I bought in 1996 on my run today.  I’m also currently sitting on a chair (reupholstered) that was in my parents house in 1982.

[Goldielocks]

Old things used daily:
1.  Butter dish, that was on my grandfather's table in Europe when he was a boy.  It only came into my life about 8 years ago, and I don't know if it was in storage for a long time.  I estimate 1930's vintage.

2.  Furniture that the same grandpa made in the 1960's. Continuously used.  Plus a small telephone table from the 1950's.  Its top is just big enough for a rotary phone, as it was placed in the central hall of the house.

3.  My 3 pot set and one 6" chef knife my mom bought me when I moved out in 1991.  I have used these every day, and only bought 1 other pot to supplement the set since.  They are "good" quality but not "best" quality.

4.  The cast iron pan my DH got as a tourist gift in a gold rush museum town circa 1984.

Items not used daily, but will stick around, used a few times a year:
A dickie wool neckscarf from my cross country ski days, from 1977, back when I wore corded knickers and long socks to ski in. Ok, the scarf used to be my dad's and I outgrew the knickers after a year.  It is warm and works well.   the red hand knit scarf from my aunt in 1982.  It is my only true winter scarf (if you live in N.Dakota, you will understand what that means).

[Sugaree]

Battered and well-used metal measuring cup, wide-mouth and regular funnels from my mother. May very well have come to her from another older relative, I'm not sure. At least 60 years old. I foster neonatal kittens and use these items regularly when measuring and mixing formula. Every time I use them I feel the connection to my Mom, I think she'd be proud.

That reminds me, I have my grandmother's cast iron skillets.  One of them was her mother's, I think.  I have gone to great lengths to keep those away from scavenging family members.

[tj]

I think my alarm clock is from the 90s.

[HotTubes]

A set of Revere Ware pots that are around 40 years old.  All of the pots and lids are still in excellent working condition and I expect them to last past my expiration date.

Ha!  I immediately thought "our Revere ware"

My set is older than most of the people who work in my office.