Author Topic: Owned it for Life?  (Read 14417 times)

Junior667

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Owned it for Life?
« on: October 31, 2013, 03:13:55 AM »
Just Curious, what kind of everyday items do fellow Mustachians own that have given them exceptional service life? I was given a Casio G-Shock watch as a gift in 1998 and it's still going (with the original band no less) and I wear it everyday!

nikki

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2013, 03:17:21 AM »
Hmm... my hair comb and hair brush are from about 20 years ago. Still going strong :-p

Melody

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2013, 03:40:45 AM »
I have tuppaware my mum bought in the 70s and has since given to me, still being used regularly :)
I also have couches my parents bought second hand 20 odd years ago that still look good (and are now old enough that they're fashionable again!) and a lamp that was my given as a gift to my dad 40-odd years ago which still gets daily use (by me) - I've seen similar ones in retro stores for $300-odd.
I am seeing a scary trend here - all my buy it for life items are from my parents... I can't think of anything I bought that's lasted  this well (the only thing I have purchased that has come close was a surf watch 11 years old and still going strong!) Clearly my parents have BIFL down pat and I should seek their input before making purchases :-)
[Disclaimer - my current frame of mind has not been BIFL as I rent so splashing out on homewares seems silly when I don't have a home, and until 3 years ago was on such a low income (at around the poverty line) this would have been super hard to do.

plantingourpennies

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2013, 04:40:08 AM »
I have some third generation wrenches (standard), along with various other hammers, tape measures and hand tools.

A pocket watch, but it doesn't get daily use.

Tube amplifier/speaker system.

I love the idea of BIFL, but it can be used as an excuse to buy things that are much more expensive! A rolex is BIFL...but so i my mechanical seiko.

Best,
Mr. PoP


crazy jane

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2013, 09:06:18 AM »
My husband is still using the same pair of eyeglass frames he got in college in 1972. The first time he wore them instead of his contacts made me fall even more in love with him.


jba302

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2013, 10:22:58 AM »
I have my great-uncle's pocket watch that I got serviced a couple years ago. I think it's 115 years old now. I would like to use it more but there's a fear component to keeping it in my pocket.

Winter's Tale

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2013, 10:26:30 AM »
The crock pot that originally belonged to my parents.  They received it for their wedding in 1977.  Still going strong!

sloof70

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2013, 10:44:50 AM »
Few moving parts + durable material = FOR-E-VER

I'm too young to say, but I've got a cast iron skillet that I see following me for quite a while.

xingcat

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2013, 10:56:33 AM »
Cast iron pans from my grandmother. She had them for at least 50 years, and I've had them since she passed, about 30 years ago. Keep them seasoned, and they're always good.

Jamesqf

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2013, 11:02:27 AM »
Well, there's the HP-12c financial calculator that I started a thread about here: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/off-topic/tech-product-longevity-hp12c-financial-calculator/  Dates from (per the manual) 1982, and you can still buy the same product new.

When I bought my house about 15 years ago, I also bought all the yard tools, plus a bunch of furniture and kitchen stuff.  (Owner was an older woman moving in with her son, and didn't want to be bothered selling everything in a garage sale.)  Still using a lot of it.  And there's the set of ugly green dishes I was given back in the '70s.  Not used every day, but when I have more than a few people over they're hauled out.

blueeyetea

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2013, 11:19:56 AM »
A pair of scissors my mother bought for me when I was in elementary school.  The handles are covered in pink plastic with a design of a bird where the blades meet.   They're over 40 years old.   My brother, who also received the same kind of scissors at the same time, is amazed  I still have them. 


gimp

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2013, 11:38:22 AM »
I have several camera lenses older than I am, in perfect condition. One is fully mechanical (manual) - from '79 - but two are electronic. Thankfully simple motors and simple microcontrollers basically never die. I also have a microscope from the 40s.

My cast iron pans are young, but will most likely last as long as other people have mentioned.

theSchmett

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2013, 11:49:28 AM »
I think this also becomes a list of things to buy used no?

Villanelle

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #14 on: October 31, 2013, 11:53:48 AM »
I have a lot of my grandmother's old cookware.  It isn't fancy (no cast iron, etc.), but it works perfectly well.  IDK exactly how old it is, but considering the pots are harvest gold, I am guessing those are circa 1970s.  Also, things like spatulas, mixing bowls, etc. are clearly very old, based on their color and styling, but they work just fine.

sneeds

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #15 on: October 31, 2013, 01:56:07 PM »
I was just talking with my mom the other day about how she still uses the toaster that her mom used. It's probably from the 1940's, it works great and gets used all the time. I've never been able to find a good toaster during my adult life. Every one I've ever bought turns out to be a cheaply made piece of crap.

Random

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #16 on: October 31, 2013, 06:21:39 PM »
I am waiting for the old joke about still using my grandfather's axe, the handle has been replaced four times and the head replaced twice.

I do have some hand tools bought at antique stores that I use. 

22 year old cuisine art gets nearly daily use - that might be my longest serving, regularly used plug in device with moving parts.

Cst iron pans and a number of knives that are used constantly and are 25+ years old

Spork

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #17 on: October 31, 2013, 06:33:17 PM »
I was just talking with my mom the other day about how she still uses the toaster that her mom used. It's probably from the 1940's, it works great and gets used all the time. I've never been able to find a good toaster during my adult life. Every one I've ever bought turns out to be a cheaply made piece of crap.

If you google, you'll find there are a ton of "old toaster nuts" out there.

Argyle

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #18 on: October 31, 2013, 08:00:36 PM »
It's the Sunbeam toasters that last forever.  The ones where the slots are perpendicular to the toaster.  There are a lot of them on eBay.  Mine was a wedding present to my parents in 1946.  I also use a waffle iron given to them at the same time.

Pretty much everything from that era or before is still going.  My family keeps everything, and we have a ton of stuff from that era.  Hand mixer (non-electric), pots and pans, meat grinders, and of course furniture.  Non-upholstered furniture lasts for centuries if it's sturdily made.  I'd never buy that stuff new when the old stuff lasts so well.  My washer and dryer, on the other hand, are new -- they're from 1992.

C. K.

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #19 on: October 31, 2013, 08:04:35 PM »
Bought a Zuca. Haven't bought much luggage, but this has been the best. It's only been four years, but any other wheeled carry-on I've owned would have been ripped up by now. It's even been on safari with me.

Easy to handle due to the roller blade wheels. Can sit on the top when waiting in long airport lines. It's a bit heavy to lift once packed, but it can fit in the overhead compartment.

Love this little bag.
--CK

MrsPete

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #20 on: November 03, 2013, 02:56:57 PM »
I have tuppaware my mum bought in the 70s and has since given to me, still being used regularly :)
FYI: Tupperware comes with a lifetime warranty.  If you have a piece that's worn out, you can return it to the company for a replacement.  Personally, I don't own a single piece of actual Tupperware, so I haven't used this guarantee. 

Cast iron pans from my grandmother. She had them for at least 50 years, and I've had them since she passed, about 30 years ago. Keep them seasoned, and they're always good.
Yeah, I have cast iron items that belonged to my grandmother's grandmother -- and I don't know whether they were new to her or not.  I figure they date back to just after the Civil War.  My favorite is the one my grandmother says is called a "spider".  It's short and fat like a witch's cauldron, and it stands on little legs.  She says that her grandmother used it to cook dried beans:  She'd set it on the edge of the fireplace, and she'd pull out a few coals to set under it.  When they began to die, she'd brush them away and replace them with fresh coals.  I was always fascinated by the idea.  As long as good cast iron is treated with care, it'll last forever. 

If you're buying cast iron, never buy anything without the Lodge name brand.  It's a forever purchase, so it's worth getting the right stuff.  Also, if you ever need to replace a lid, Lodge brand will be available to you.

22 year old cuisine art gets nearly daily use - that might be my longest serving, regularly used plug in device with moving parts.
Yes, I have several small appliances that're very old:

A full-sized Cuisinart food processor that's older than my 23-year marriage; I used to have a side business as a baker, so this thing's been used a great deal. 
A small no-name food processor that I had in college, so that's close to 30 years old.
A hand mixer that's 20-ish.

Norrie

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #21 on: November 03, 2013, 03:25:10 PM »
My dad received a white gold Rolex watch from his parents for his high school graduation in 1962, and worked beautifully until last year. Now it needs some work on it. One jewelry store quoted $800 to fix it. Um, no.

My husband has a guitar amp that he got when he was 18. He's 49 now and still loves it.

I'm trying to think of something that I've had for a long time. I've got a set of sheets that I used, and now our daughter uses on her bed. I'll have to think on it to figure out more.

I'm a hugely sentimental person, so my goal is to always buy things that will last forever, because I hate parting with them when they break/wear out.

Daleth

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #22 on: November 03, 2013, 04:51:44 PM »
Several years ago we bought a big solid oak dining table at an antique store after moving out of a semi-furnished rental--after the move we went for well over a year without a dining table while we searched antique stores and Craigslist for one that we would want to keep for the rest of our lives. It's 150-ish years old and I see no reason it won't last another 150 years, so it compares very favorably with Ikea/Pottery Barn/Ethan Allen furniture in that respect! Also, it's incredibly cool looking (lots of elaborate carvings), is ingeniously crafted without a single nail or screw, expands to be over twelve feet long (we have the space and the number of relatives/friends to make use of this), and is so well made that even fully expanded you could still park a car on it without breaking anything.

I'm not gonna lie, it was really expensive--it and six chairs cost $3200 and change--but on the Ethan Allen website I'm looking at a similarly sized but much less substantial/durable table that only expands to be six and a half feet long and has nowhere near the character of ours, and it's $1799 plus sales tax and delivery, so probably $2200-ish (and that doesn't include any chairs):
http://www.ethanallen.com/156743B.html?start=3&q=cameron%20table

Our attitude towards this purchase was basically, (1) we want quality and want to be "green" so we're either buying "made in USA" or antique; (2) we want serious durability, so veneers are out and it has to be very sturdily made; (3) it needs to be a normal size but very expandable; and (4) all the tables that fit that description are outrageously expensive, so if we're going to spend anything like that much, we're going to wait until a really, really cool table comes along, and in the meantime eat our dinner off the coffee table that we got on Overstock.com for under $100.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2013, 05:00:56 PM by Daleth »

MoneyLifeandMore

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #23 on: November 03, 2013, 07:55:12 PM »
I have some dishes my dad used when he first had his own home. He gave them to a friend and then he ended up getting them back right before I moved into my first post college place so I got the pleasure of using the dishes. I'd say they've lasted a very long time! A couple of pieces are missing from getting chipped or cracked, but most of the set is still there.

frpeebles

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #24 on: November 03, 2013, 11:20:59 PM »
My 1993 Toyota MR2 Turbo, while not mustachian in operating costs, has been as reliable as a wood burning stove. I was only 6 when it was built. I've had quite a bit of legal and not so legal fun with it, drove across the country a couple times, my mileage has ranged from a low of ~4mpg to a high of 32. I once got less than 50 miles out of a set of rear tires. That was a good day. Enough of a mustachian boner-killer make MMM impotent and filled with rage but I'm glad I did it. Good memories.

It's rarely driven these days as I have a Insight for general driving. The cost of continuing to own the MR2 is sufficiently low, the market value so low and it's sentimental value so high (it was a gift from my Mother in case I died in a surgery with 50/50 odds) that I do not plan on selling it.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2013, 11:27:03 PM by frpeebles »

ace1224

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #25 on: November 04, 2013, 05:36:25 AM »
i have a pair of Rainbow flip flops that i bought new 12 years ago and they are still going strong.  best 45 bucks i spent on shoes ever

Rural

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #26 on: November 04, 2013, 06:07:10 AM »
i have a pair of Rainbow flip flops that i bought new 12 years ago and they are still going strong.  best 45 bucks i spent on shoes ever

You've reminded me of my 20-year-old Doc Martens. They haven't seen a lot of wear in about a decade, but they were my daily shoes for the 10 years before that. They're still in good shape.

davisgang90

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #27 on: November 04, 2013, 10:19:57 AM »
I've got an L.L.Bean Flying Tiger leather jacket I bought in 1989.  I've sent it back twice for new zippers (free).  Still going strong!

My father in law bought many solid wood furniture pieces in the 60's and 70's when everyone wanted new plastic stuff.  He refinished them and saved a ton.  My wife and I have received several pieces as gifts over the years. 

I'm following in his footsteps, I just picked up an antique secretary desk at Goodwill for a steal that I can remove the current ugly paint and make it purdy again.  I bought a huge wooden 7 drawer desk previously for about $30.  It will be awesome when refinished.

Daleth

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #28 on: November 04, 2013, 11:22:32 AM »
i have a pair of Rainbow flip flops that i bought new 12 years ago and they are still going strong.  best 45 bucks i spent on shoes ever

You've reminded me of my 20-year-old Doc Martens. They haven't seen a lot of wear in about a decade, but they were my daily shoes for the 10 years before that. They're still in good shape.

Oh yeah!!! I have some 15-year-old Docs. I also had an older pair of Docs that I owned for 5 years and then sold to a vintage store in the US for $30, whereas I'd bought them in England for the equivalent of about $37. Paying seven bucks to own a pair of Docs for five years, and then passing them on to a new wearer, seems good to me!

gimp

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #29 on: November 04, 2013, 03:06:13 PM »
Quote
If you're buying cast iron, never buy anything without the Lodge name brand.  It's a forever purchase, so it's worth getting the right stuff.  Also, if you ever need to replace a lid, Lodge brand will be available to you.

Eh. One correction I'd like to suggest.

Griswold and Wagner.

They are both out of business now, but you can still find their cast irons. They made milled ones, which I think are superior to modern Lodge ones. They cost used more than Lodge costs new, because of collectors (whether they're worth it is debatable, but I'd say for a small price increase, yes).

Other than that, you're right. A lot of cast iron comes from China. Nothing against the Chinese, of course, but their manufacturing is simply not made to last. They use substandard iron and substandard processing and casting. Lodge's tolerances are way stricter. I've been served well by lodge. Though some day I might grab my pans and mill them myself.

Woodshark

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #30 on: November 04, 2013, 04:28:44 PM »
When I graduated technical college I moved out on my own. Most of my furniture and other needed items came from garage sales. One such item was a GE clock radio with the split type of numbers that are in the round and flip down every minute.  After all these years it's still by my bed.  Now I graduated when I was maybe 22, now I'm 53. That's over 31 years with a little tiny motor running 24/7 to turn other little plastic gears that rotate a rolodex of numbers so that every 60 seconds it flips down and shows another minute has past.  Plus, it was used when I got it so no telling how old it was already! This is not digital or LCD, it's all moving parts. Every month or so I mentally marvel on the fact that it is all mechanical and it still works and keeps perfect time.  Hell, it's almost steampunk at this point.

Catbert

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #31 on: November 05, 2013, 12:33:23 PM »
Kitchen stuff mostly...some pots and pans my 1st husband had which were likely purchased in the 1960s, dittoseveral large Tupperware containers, canning jars bought at a garage sale from the 1976 bi-centennial, Corningware casseroles with blue flower designs (60s, early 70s?), wine glasses and salad bowl bought with Green Stamps in 1972. 

Hmmm...boy I sound old!  Does anyone even know what Green Stamps are anymore?

shadowmoss

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #32 on: November 05, 2013, 01:31:23 PM »
I just started reusing the Indian blanket that my Mom got me with Green Stamps when I was about 10.  I'm in my late 50's, and the blanket is almost threadbare, but I still love using it.

CWAL

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #33 on: November 05, 2013, 04:28:49 PM »
1987 240DL Volvo Sedan.

Best car ever. xD

Myrmida

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #34 on: November 06, 2013, 08:26:43 AM »
The pots and crockery I got when I moved out for the first time.  Some gorgeous wooden living room furniture that I pre-inherited from my parents when they downsized - I grew up with this stuff.  My brother got the dining room suite.  The egg beaters that have the fake wood paneling on the side.  I also pre-inherited my parents really sturdy kitchen cutlery (my dad has a huge problem with cutlery that is so flimsy the tines on the forks will bend easily).

ArcticaMT6

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #35 on: November 06, 2013, 08:38:53 AM »
I've got a hand plane from the late 1800's, and another from very early 1900's. An old Disston saw as well. Lots of older tools.

MoneyCat

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #36 on: November 08, 2013, 01:04:16 PM »
My oldest continuous household item is a laundry basket I've been using since I bought it as a freshman in college in 1996.  I also have a coffee mug and beer glass that I purchased in 2001 that are still in great shape and going strong.  These might not seem like a big deal, but I have lived on my own since I was 17 and these are the longest-existing durable goods in my possession.  They've survived a lot of hardship and a lot of moving over the years.  Most of my current possessions were only purchased over the past few years as I finally was able to join the middle class.

geekette

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #37 on: November 08, 2013, 07:14:36 PM »
We still use the under sink kitchen trash can we bought as newlyweds for our first house in '85.  Of all the things to hang on to...

grantmeaname

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #38 on: November 10, 2013, 02:49:55 PM »
A real properly cared for chef's knife. Mine's by LamsonSharp and made here in the USA.

Allen Edmonds. I'm their second owners and they're still ridiculously nice.

Velveeta. No, eww, just kidding.

pbkmaine

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #39 on: November 10, 2013, 04:40:37 PM »
Ditto on the HP-12c. I bought mine in 1978. I have a KitchenAid mixer that is 25 years old and still works great. And some old Coach bags. Not the trendy ones. The original kind, made of the same leather used for baseball gloves. I polish them from time to time, and they are soft and have a lovely patina. My grandmother's cut class water pitcher. Frye boots.

Mumintheburbs

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #40 on: November 10, 2013, 05:45:49 PM »
I have some bake wear from my grandmother that has been in use since 1950. I have still got the first set of saucepans I bought when I moved out of home in 1997. They were not expensive but look as though they'll last forever. Also my kids still play with a wind-up Fisher Price musical clock that my husband played with in the 70s. It was made in the UK with the clock parts made in Switzerland.

Hotstreak

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #41 on: November 10, 2013, 09:24:36 PM »
I have a 4 drawer dresser that was originally owned by my great grandfather and passed down over the years.  I've had it for about 25 years now.  No idea how old it is, but it was moved out west due to the dust bowl in the 1930's, so at least that old!

Also have a compact camp stove from the early 70's that was gifted to me when the original owner broke down and bought something he doesn't need his glasses to start.

Junior667

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #42 on: November 11, 2013, 05:31:01 AM »
Also have a compact camp stove from the early 70's that was gifted to me when the original owner broke down and bought something he doesn't need his glasses to start.

I have a nice one of those too, late 60's early 70's I guess, made by Sears. Bought a conversion kit to use propane since the Boy Scouts banned liquid fuel. I also have Coleman lanterns from the same time period. Can't convert those but they still work great.

No Name Guy

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #43 on: November 11, 2013, 12:56:36 PM »
 - Shovel, rake and lawn mower - all 15+ years old.  The shovel (typical blade shape when new, not the square type) is getting a flat / squared off spot on the tip of it where it's wearing down a bit.

 - Rocking chair from the parents - I remember it going back at least to the early 70's

Rural

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #44 on: November 11, 2013, 06:18:05 PM »
Singer sewing machine from 1928. It's a treadle, so it also uses no electricity.

My grandmother's cast-iron skillet. It may have been her mothers; much of her cast iron was. If so, it's at least a hundred years old, and if not, it's 80.

My saucepans were wedding gifts to my parents, so they're 50 years old.

Things I've bought: just last night, I realized our alarm clock is eleven years old. Our vehicles are older than that.

My stove is a lovely harvest gold, made that way back when harvest gold was not meant ironically. It works quite well, though, so it stays until it doesn't. That would have been mid-70s, so it's pushing 40.

Our primary chest of drawers was bought new to furnish my nursery just before I was born. It's painted black now, but there are some chips where the yellow is starting to show through (didn't know baby's gender before birth, you know).

The secondary (smaller)chest of drawers is of unknown age since we adopted it from where it had been left behind in a house we were renting, but it's got a lot of inlay veneer and Bakelite handles.

Our washer and dryer are over ten years old with mostly mechanical parts, not electronic, so they're possible to repair (I've done it).

The toilet in our bathroom is recycled from the first house my father built, the one I grew up in. It was the original there, so it's ~35 years old.




capital

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Re: Owned it for Life?
« Reply #45 on: November 11, 2013, 09:32:11 PM »
Probably the oldest thing I own and make regular use of is my grandfather's cable cutters, stamped USMC and probably from WWII. They were made by "The Standard Product Co."