Author Topic: Who has the oldest....  (Read 18939 times)

marty998

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Who has the oldest....
« on: April 20, 2014, 05:48:12 PM »
Intent of thread is to post up something you have that is old & out of date, but you are able to still get the best use of and don't need to replace because it works perfectly fine.

Please do not list your spouse.

I don't have much by way of old appliances, because I filled my apartment with shiny new stuff a few years back.

Best I've got is my $99 'dumb' phone purchased 5 years ago that now costs me $30 a year in prepaid vouchers. I can talk and text on it, but because I don't know how to do anything else on it I figured there's no point in getting a "smart" one :). I reckon it'll last for another 10 years, by which time google and apple will be amputating hands and replacing them with phones. Don't laugh, look around, people just cannot put these things down.

I also wear a lot of t-shirts from when I was 12-13. And I still wear a Man United jersey I got when I was 8 in 1994. (Anyone remember when SHARP was the shirt sponsor? don't think they exist anymore)

Some of my furniture is older than me, but that doesn't really count because there's no use by date on wood.

What stuff have you got that has lived long beyond expectations?
« Last Edit: April 20, 2014, 05:50:29 PM by marty998 »

iris lily

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2014, 05:56:24 PM »
DH has cashmere sweaters (that he never wears!) that were custom made for his father, so they are 45+ years old.  He's got a special hoe that is very small and pointed, and I believe that's been around his family for decades. Oh yeah--he's got cactii plants that he's had longer than he's known me, 27+ years.

MayDay

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2014, 06:01:29 PM »
I have some track pants from high school.  Reebok brand.  They are my yard work pants. 

All of our furniture, while new to us, is quite old.  No point in competing on exactly how old, since it actually gets more expensive the older it is (around here at least).  But we furnished all the extra spaces in our house with garage sale and thrift store furniture that is her quality and lower price than new stuff.  The old furniture most likely to die soon is our kitchen table from the 70's.  My dad has repaired half the chairs.  We paid to have to to refinished, and the guy sadly informed us it isn't solid oak, it's plywood!  The refinish took it down to a very thin layer of wood on top, and our industrious children have started taking chunks out of the now too-thin top layer.  I guess 70's furniture is as crappy as 70's houses.  Sad. 

We aren't that old (30's) so I won't win any awards, I am sure. 

Zamboni

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2014, 06:04:06 PM »
I still listen to the radio on a sony boom box that I got 25 years ago.

marty998

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2014, 06:16:07 PM »
One of my mates has a working sega mega drive, and an old CRT TV required to play it.

DollarBill

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #5 on: April 20, 2014, 06:18:58 PM »
Quote
The refinish took it down to a very thin layer of wood on top, and our industrious children have started taking chunks out of the now too-thin top layer.

Get a table cloth and your back in business :)

big_owl

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2014, 06:42:36 PM »
I have a turtle that I've had since I was 7yo, so 27yrs.  He's probably 35+ yrs old.  He's small, eats only about a single chicken breast's worth of food all year, and I can leave him for several weeks unattended without issue.  I'd say he is very mustachean compared to a dog or cat.  I have about $5k invested in his aquarium so that part wasn't very frugal but it was a one-time expense.  I've gotten my money's worth out of Franklin.

I also have a 1969 Honda trail 90 that I restored last winter that looks like new.  Gets over 100mpg but will only do 45mph downhill with a tailwind.  Good around town, unfortunately not the local highway.

sleepyguy

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2014, 07:35:03 PM »
I use these 2 items on a daily basis... sometimes I get a weird look on my commute when I pull out my MP3 player... haha!

Rio S10 (2004) takes AA battery :)

Thinkpad R61 (2006)

Co-workers ask me why I don't upgrade (I'm an IT tech as profession).  "But they work so well!"
« Last Edit: April 20, 2014, 07:43:03 PM by sleepyguy »

RMD

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2014, 07:35:23 PM »
I regularly wear a sweatshirt that was my Aunts in college.  So that would put it around 1955 or so...and make it 59ish years old?  Most comfortable sweatshirt ever.

kkbmustang

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #9 on: April 20, 2014, 07:38:33 PM »
I have a t-shirt from 1986 that I got in 9th grade from my junior high school in Saudi Arabia. Awesome sleep shirt.

Also have a couple of jackets/dresses my husband's grandmother bought from Neiman Marcus in the '50s.

Freckles

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #10 on: April 20, 2014, 07:47:48 PM »
I have a Hamilton blender that I bought at a yard sale about 20 years ago.  Based on its beautiful mustard-yellow color, I think it was probably 15-20 years old when I bought it.  The motor is still going strong, although the buttons are a little cranky about working at times.  No matter, I just keep pushing until they work.

Rural

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #11 on: April 20, 2014, 08:17:01 PM »
Harvest Gold stove from the 70's.


Nokia bar phone that I bought new in 2005 for my cell.


Backhoe from 1969.


Cast iron pan from the 1940s at the newest.


Working TRS-80. (Not that it does much.)

Daley

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2014, 08:22:51 PM »
Working TRS-80.

*respect knuckles*

Old Sunbeam electric griddle that goes back to the 1960's, should probably replace the electric cord soon.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2014, 08:28:45 PM »
Bayonets from 1876. One I purchased as a kid, another found stuffed in the back of a drawer in the house we bought. Made in the same factory. Talk about weird.

happy

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2014, 08:52:49 PM »
Grandmas old lounge set, and hall stand from the 1920's.  1960s Commonwealth govt wooden office chairs, bought in a govt sale for $2 each in the 1980s. 1970s iron, no steam ( to be fair I just keep this as a spare). Various kitchen utensils from the 1960s. Fridge 1995. Towels, tablecloths and other bed linens from 1960 and later. (Called retro or vintage now). Corded drill from 1980s. (now all cordless). Sander 1980s. Paint roller/ pan etc from 1980s. Electrolux vacuum cleaner from 1980 now finally defunct after decades of service/repair. Last house had a dishwasher from the 1970s which we were able to keep repairing.

Lots of old stuff, the more I think about it. Firstly coz I'm old and secondly some of it is hand-me-downs from my parents when I was setting up house. Stuff that old doesn't break.

I did get given an old 1960s sandwich maker and the plastic liner started coming off on the sandwiches once I put it back into service. Tossed it, decided the risk of toxicity wasn't worth it and went back to the cast-iron jaffle iron. (just as old)

Primm

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #15 on: April 20, 2014, 09:17:44 PM »
I got a microwave from my grandparents for my 21st birthday. I'm still using it. Last month I turned 45.

TheRedHead

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #16 on: April 20, 2014, 09:24:54 PM »
We have a bottle opener that belonged to my husbands grandmother. Took us quite a while to figure out what the heck it was! I love that thing. It will eventually break but it makes me happy.

My husband has my grandfathers suits. They were all custom made for my grandfather and when he retired, he offered them to my husband. We just had to have them tailored a little and they are perfect.

I have a lot of furniture from great grandparent and grandparents but since I've had it reupholstered and/or refinished I'm not sure that counts. I much prefer to inherit pieces than buy something.
« Last Edit: April 20, 2014, 09:27:59 PM by TheRedHead »

Amanda

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #17 on: April 20, 2014, 09:25:21 PM »
I have a copy of Plutarch's Lives from 1769...it reads just as good as new!

Russ

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #18 on: April 20, 2014, 09:29:50 PM »
I have some yogurt in my fridge that's about 6 months old



I've been eating it and feeding it new milk weekly though :-)

Another Reader

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #19 on: April 20, 2014, 09:39:29 PM »
1939 Kenmore vacuum cleaner my aunt received as a wedding present and passed down to my parents when they got married.  Presciently designed in the shape of a bomb.  My guess the factory was easily converted to making bomb casings for WWII.  Still runs.

Cast iron pans from the 1920's to the 1940's.  Not exactly sure when my grandmother acquired all of them.

A grid style potato masher from the 1950's.  These are not sold any longer and the new ones don't work as well.  They occasionally show up on E-bay.

Japanese doll brought back from Japan by one of my uncles in the late 1940's.  Supposedly it's much older.

Wooden file cabinet used in the Panama Exposition of 1915. 

An original IBM personal computer.

Jamesqf

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #20 on: April 20, 2014, 11:14:37 PM »
Best I've got is my $99 'dumb' phone purchased 5 years ago...

Got that beat, or had up until I dropped the land line a couple of years ago.  Got a 60-vintage Harvest Gold wall phone, with dial.  Worked just fine.  Don't know how old the dumb cell phone is - Samsung T404g, if Daley or anyone wants to chip in.

Oldest tech thing that I use regularly is an HP12c financial calculator.  Mine dates from 1983 - or at least that's the date on the manual.  It was given to me sometime in the early '90s, so I don't know for sure.  Interestingly enough, the same calculator is still sold today.

Most used computer is a T61 ThinkPad from maybe 2006 or 07.  I have a couple of newer machines (towers with fairly recent GPU boards) but they only get booted up to test compute-intensive stuff ('cause they suck down about a KWatt or so at full load).  For geneal use, the T61 does everything I need.

And I'm still driving an '88 Toyota pickup for hauling & back road driving.

marty998

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #21 on: April 21, 2014, 01:03:33 AM »
I didn't pretend to set the bar high Jamesqf!

But applause to you and all else on this thread. I hope in 20 years time I still have the same fridge that cools, car that runs, washing machine that spins, microwave that radiates and phone that texts.

...

Ok maybe I might upgrade to an iPhone v1 by then.

Squirrel away

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #22 on: April 21, 2014, 01:32:00 AM »
My hubbie has a lot of tops from the 90s when we met.

I don't really have anything that old as I madly declutter every so often. I do have my teddy bear from 33 years ago and she still works.:) ETA actually she is more like 35 years old.

« Last Edit: April 21, 2014, 01:33:45 AM by Londoner38 »

RetiredAt63

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #23 on: April 21, 2014, 06:16:11 AM »
 I do have my teddy bear from 33 years ago and she still works.:) ETA actually she is more like 35 years old.
I had my Teddy Bear from when I was 6, until the latest puppy killed it (she is now 7 and lucky to be alive).

Lots of old stuff here.  My grandparents' bedroom furniture from when they were first married (late 1800's).  My grandmother's cast-iron frying pan (not sure age, but from before 1955, because that is when I first remember seeing it, and it looked well-used then).  Other furniture from the 1940's and 50's.

In this house, the appliances came with it, except for the fridge, so they are all over 5 years old - may well be much older, the house was built in 2000 and they may be the original ones.  I know I have had the oven fixed.

ketchup

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #24 on: April 21, 2014, 06:27:01 AM »
Presto 204 pressure cooker from sometime between (by my cursory research) 1953 and 1978, originally belonged to my grandparents.  Made us some wonderful chicken bone broth yesterday.

TomTX

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #25 on: April 21, 2014, 06:30:25 AM »
Working TRS-80.

*respect knuckles*

Old Sunbeam electric griddle that goes back to the 1960's, should probably replace the electric cord soon.

Absolutely. Old power cords are a lead exposure hazard. Yes, lead. In the insulation. Not a big deal unless you chew on it, or it gets brittle enough that it starts crumbling/flaking.

iris lily

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #26 on: April 21, 2014, 06:36:17 AM »
I got a microwave from my grandparents for my 21st birthday. I'm still using it. Last month I turned 45.

I am jealous that you have one of those old microwaves, those things last forever.

samburger

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #27 on: April 21, 2014, 06:48:30 AM »
I have a copy of Plutarch's Lives from 1769...it reads just as good as new!

I have a Plutarch from 1567. It's not what I'd call a reading copy!

GuitarStv

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #28 on: April 21, 2014, 07:00:12 AM »
I regularly use fifty or sixty year old guitar amps.  Old electronics are built very robustly, and easy to fix yourself when things go wrong.

We've been using a microwave from the 80s regularly for at least 12 years.  I think my dad bought it in the 80s, and used it until he gave it to me. . . it has faux wood paneling on the side and top.

Much of my underwear is in the 10 - 15 year range.

The water heater in our house is pushing 24 years old.

mrsggrowsveg

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #29 on: April 21, 2014, 07:26:50 AM »
I still wear some clothes that were my parent's back in the 70's.  Most of our farm outbuildings are over 100 years old and still standing because of the excellent stone construction.  We have a high chair that was my mom's when she was a baby. 

MayDay

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #30 on: April 21, 2014, 07:30:12 AM »
Quote
The refinish took it down to a very thin layer of wood on top, and our industrious children have started taking chunks out of the now too-thin top layer.

Get a table cloth and your back in business :)

I would be washing it daily or more with all kid food mess and art project mess. They do glue at least twice a day and it never stays on the paper.

Freedom2016

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #31 on: April 21, 2014, 08:47:52 AM »
I have a Micronta alarm clock that I've had since junior high, which I hope lasts forever. Its digital display is huge (2.5" numbers), which is good for me b/c I'm blind as a bat.

We also have a bassinet that my mother slept in as a baby. She was the youngest of 6 and her siblings almost certainly used it to, so it's got to be 80+ years old.

Amanda

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #32 on: April 21, 2014, 09:01:33 AM »
I have a copy of Plutarch's Lives from 1769...it reads just as good as new!

I have a Plutarch from 1567. It's not what I'd call a reading copy!

Nice! No, my 1769 is not exactly my reading copy...but I do occasionally pick it up to read a few pages because I love the feel of it!

zachd

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #33 on: April 21, 2014, 12:35:50 PM »

The oldest thing we actively use is probably our house... it was build in 1948.  It's held up pretty well.  It would be nice to update the wiring but it is difficult and expensive to have that done.  Some aspects are updated but a lot of the light fixtures are original as is the bath tub faucets.  Our friend says they really don't make them like they used to when he fixed them once. Windows are all old style casement windows.  A lot of people replace them but our house is pretty efficient energy wise so we haven't and we like them also.

Our oven that came with the house is also pretty old, probably from the 50s.. we use it almost every day and don't like electric ovens.

Jamesqf

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #34 on: April 21, 2014, 12:37:56 PM »
But applause to you and all else on this thread. I hope in 20 years time I still have the same fridge that cools, car that runs, washing machine that spins, microwave that radiates and phone that texts.

Not the refrigerator: newer ones are so much more efficient.  Plus hereabouts the power company would pay you like $50 for your old one.  But that's half of my general rule for replacing stuff: either the old one broke, or the new one will do a significantly better job.

soccerluvof4

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #35 on: April 21, 2014, 12:51:22 PM »
Baby pictures of me in frame. Still great decorations and nearly 50 years old. Priceless!  :-)

luigi49

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #36 on: April 21, 2014, 01:36:37 PM »
I have a 70's turntable
70's saw
walkman
late 80 stereo system
slr camera
sony 8x camera (dead)




I have a lot of old things because I hang on to them but also have a lot of new things. 

greaper007

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #37 on: April 21, 2014, 01:41:13 PM »
I have a singer sewing machine from the early 50s.     Heavy metal construction, should outlast the nuclear apocalypse.

Spork

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #38 on: April 21, 2014, 01:58:45 PM »

Let's see...  I'm sure I'll miss a bunch
* Singer sewing machine from the 50s
* 1951 Chambers stove
* 1970s table saw
* 1975 Triumph TR6/1981 Chevy Pickup (neither of these is a daily driver, which makes them pretty nonmustacian)
* lots of cast iron pans and aluminum pans from the 1900-1950 range
* waffle maker from the 50s

RMD

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #39 on: April 21, 2014, 03:34:29 PM »
Sewing machine!  I have both my grandmothers 1940s Singer and my great-grandmothers from 1878.  Ggma's is a treadle...still works and has the accessory box.  I'm not coordinated enough to work the treadle and the fabric, though!

NV Teacher

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #40 on: April 21, 2014, 04:44:30 PM »
I have the steamer trunk my great grand parents brought when they came to America in the late 1800's.  I use it to store extra bedding.

TreeTired

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #41 on: April 21, 2014, 04:52:59 PM »
Our piano is 97 years old. We bought some good Pakistani carpets new 30 yrs ago that are in great shape.

Tempe

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #42 on: April 21, 2014, 05:16:08 PM »
I have a very comfortable shirt my father bought from one of those touristy shops in Montana. It was gifted to my mom, then ended up in my aunts household with my uncle wearing it, and at some point I remained the final owner. I think the shirt is 20+ years old. It is ending up with some holes, but it is great for around the house.  A couple years ago my stepdad bought me a similar shirt in Montana and it is just as comfy :) I expect it to last a while.
My other favourite thing is some older steel scissors my stepdad gave me, they were extremely sharp with the tips sharp enough to stab into things. They work great for cutting open boxes. They are so sharp I probably would have gotten into trouble if I ever brought them to class while in highschool.

2527

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #43 on: April 21, 2014, 05:41:34 PM »
I have what appears to be a lifetime's supply of black t-shirts that were part of my uniform when I retired from military 7 years ago.  Also, jogging shorts that are apparently indestructible.

And a 16-year old Honda bought new…16 years ago. 

Argyle

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #44 on: April 21, 2014, 07:25:03 PM »
Toaster from 1946, waffle iron from the 1950s.  Both work perfectly.  Stove from ~1950.  Sturdy kitchen gear generally lasts forever.  Most of my kitchen gear is my mother's or my grandmother's (my grandmother was born in 1886).

Ian

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #45 on: April 21, 2014, 07:29:51 PM »
My grandfather gave me an old electric razor of his that's still working. Admittedly, I haven't been completely clean-shaven in a while, but I'm impressed by its longevity.

deborah

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #46 on: April 21, 2014, 07:45:39 PM »
Fun thread!

When I threw out some tea towels (any with more than 3 holes), my mother gave me some that my grandmother bought before WW2.

I have a hexadecimal calculator that I bought in 1980 that still works.

socaso

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #47 on: April 21, 2014, 07:46:24 PM »
I have my grandfather's favorite lounge chair. It was bought in the late 40's after WWII and reupholstered several times by my grandmother. I had it reupholstered when it came to me after my grandfather's passing. It's a love it or hate it kind of chair. Everyone in the family was glad someone wanted it because my grandfather was so fond of it but my grandmother hated it and my husband does too. I still say it is the most comfortable chair in the world to read in.

OldDogNewTrick

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #48 on: April 21, 2014, 08:55:41 PM »
My husband has some sort of civil war era musket which must be tamped down before shooting. I have my grandmother's Limoges dresser set from the turn of the century. Most of our furniture is walnut and from the 20's - 30's Jacobean style. Hubby has a set of very old wood working tools given him by his father. Pre-electric drills, etc. Carnival glass collection. And our stereo speakers.... from the early 70's and much better than digital... they are as big as end tables.

Bookworm

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Re: Who has the oldest....
« Reply #49 on: April 22, 2014, 01:31:13 AM »
The oldest item we still use is a Coleman camping stove that my grandparents bought when my mother was in kindergarten in 1956. My grandfather converted it sometime in the 1970s to use propane. It still works perfectly.

I also still use the same alarm clock I've used since middle school (mid-1980s), but that's far less impressive.