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What is the oldest thing that you bought NEW


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15 hours ago, locodos said:

I worked at Sears back in high school.  Sears was in decline, you could just feel it.  But Sears was VERY serious about protecting the perceived value of their tools. Almost cult like I would say.  We had a little old man bring in a hammer that looked like it belonged in a museum for tortured tools.  It was a craftsman (still barely legible on the head) and the handle was worn down from god knows how much use and the head was taped/nailed onto the old wood that was coming apart.  Well we couldn't find it in the catalogs and the old man just wanted another hammer or have it fixed.  The manager asked him how old it was and he said he didn't know, but as a kid he got it for christmas from his dad.  The manager then told him we would of course honor the warranty and he could have any Craftsman hammer he wanted no matter the cost.  He spent about a half hour trying to talk the guy into a really nice "modern" hammer with a fiberglass hand etc...  It was lighter and might be easier for him to use, and after all it would be free.  Nope, the old guy just picked a basic old cheap plain jane hammer.  Usually, we needed to take the old tool, or what was left of it in exchange. (just to be thrown out)  But the manager insisted he keep the old one if he wanted since it was a gift.  That was NOT done for marketing or future sales, the manager was a true believer.  If it was Craftsman, Sears will make it right or better than right.   That was not just corporate talking points, it was a point of pride.  RIP  

I also worked for Sears back in the day (high school into college) in Austin (North Village catalog store, Research Blvd. Paint & Hardware store and Hancock Center). One day an ole boy brings in a mangled Craftsman screwdriver and admitted his dog chewed up the handle.  I told him, sorry, they're guaranteed against work damage, not neglect (or something shitty like that).  He points at our front door and says "See those words above your door?  It says satisfaction guaranteed or your money back."  Our store manager happily gave him a new screwdriver, and I learned a tad about customer service.  I still have a bunch of Craftsman tools that I accumulated with an employee discount from back then.

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12 hours ago, ftf82 said:

HP12C calculator purchased with Xmas money in December of 1983 for college accounting/finance classes. Still use it to this day. Plus a bunch of old vinyl.

Mine is an 11C, bought in 1981. Still use it daily. Really rough around the edges but it will outlive me.

Somebody upthread mentioned tools. My shop is full of handtools that were purchased in the early 60's.

I need to get some pictures but I have lots of vinyl purchased in the 60's, Hendryx, The Who, Cream, Zep, etc.

My son has the 1970 IHC Scout II that I purchased new.

 

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17 hours ago, Superhero said:

I have a hair brush that I bought in 3rd grade and still use it everyday. It’s been almost 40 years and still going strong.

do you have long hair?  why not a comb?

 

oldest thing getting daily use i can think of is my alarm clock i bought in . . . 1995?  my 12 year old uses it now.  my wife wears my old middle school athletic shirts.  my kids are using my old piano books.  

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17 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

oldest thing getting daily use i can think of is my alarm clock i bought in . . . 1995? 

The daily use comment reminded me that I have a plastic bowl I bought at WalMart in 1993 maybe?  8" plain white bowl for maybe $5?  Still eat out of it 2 or 3 times a week.

Not sure the last time I wore those Red Wings...I know I wore them to the mudfest ACL in 2009 and I'm sure I have worn them since, I just can't recall when.

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Fascinating topic.  My Schrade/Old Timer 3-blade Stockman, 1966. In my pocket now. A Frederick Post slide rule from 1969; no, I don’t use it every day, but I damned sure still know how to-just tested myself.  Miscellaneous tools from 1968, when i bought my first motorcycle-Dad didn’t have anything metric.

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When I was a freshman, I bought Priscilla a thong to wear on prom night (thongs were kind of new back then).  She gave it back to me on prom night and I still have it somewhere with cards and letters and stuff from back then.

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I've had my Washburn acoustic guitar since 1994.  It acquired a lot of knocks and dings during college and the rest of my 20s, and it's the 4th best of my 4 acoustics today, but I still use it for alternate tunings and pick it up once or twice a month.

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I just caught the daily use part of the question.  That's a lot harder to think of. 

Boots, belts, and hats come to mind, but none of my daily/frequent stuff is over 25 years old.

I have a Velodyne 12" home theater sub from 99 that gets used daily.  Still sounds and looks great.

 

I figured someone might say their Bible, but probably not around here.

 

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4 hours ago, Elvis said:

 

 

When I was a freshman, I bought Priscilla a thong to wear on prom night (thongs were kind of new back then).  She gave it back to me on prom night and I still have it somewhere with cards and letters and stuff from back then.

I would suggest buying new, not just kind of new.

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10 hours ago, gsoda3 said:

do you have long hair?  why not a comb?

Here is said hairbrush. 


IMG_0362.thumb.jpeg.f6a690aa1a71845a423ffb7e18364b89.jpeg

It’s pretty narrow. I don’t need a comb because the left side is short (#1) all the way to the part. All I need is to brush the long part over to the right. I don’t need to cut a line with a comb, so this brush works just fine.

This puppy is almost 40 years old and still has all its teeth. I’d be davastated if it ever got damaged or lost, but most likely it’ll last until I’m 70. 

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Hmmm, good topic.

My pops bought a Canon AE-1 in 1979 which I inherited in 1994 and still own and shoot with.

I don’t think I have my first cassette (night Ranger), but I do have the first CD I bought with my own money, Living Colour “Vivid” in 1988. I do have some of my folks’ records they bought new in the 60s and 70s.

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We’re been clearing out my parents attic of 45 years worth of junk.  Probably should start a separate thread of Shit I found in my parents attic but I digress.    I did pull out on box labeled David’s Momentos that had all kinds paper and trinkets from my dresser and desk as a kid.

Here’s a receipt I pulled out of one folder for J. Geils Band’s Freeze Frame cassette.  50/50 chance I have that cassette packed away in a closet or my attic for my kids to throw out one day.   Life is a circle.

B9B178DF-4E12-4993-AA92-8D5E498F4541.jpeg

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On 4/25/2023 at 3:47 PM, baboso said:

42 year old clock radio that I bought at Service Merchandise and still use.

 

Yeah, I still have a clock radio that I still use for the beeping alarm (speaker gave it up years ago). Used it in high school back in the early 80s. Although it may have been a gift, I don't recall.

 

I also have a collection of old vinyl LPs that range in age all the way back to the 60s (everything from Beatles to Slayer to Willie Nelson to Beethoven) . Oldest that I actually bought are probably from the early 70s . Now that I think of it, I should give them to my nephew who is a drummer and is into classic rock and collects vinyl.

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1 hour ago, davidg said:

We’re been clearing out my parents attic of 45 years worth of junk.  Probably should start a separate thread of Shit I found in my parents attic but I digress.    I did pull out on box labeled David’s Momentos that had all kinds paper and trinkets from my dresser and desk as a kid.

Here’s a receipt I pulled out of one folder for J. Geils Band’s Freeze Frame cassette.  50/50 chance I have that cassette packed away in a closet or my attic for my kids to throw out one day.   Life is a circle.

B9B178DF-4E12-4993-AA92-8D5E498F4541.jpeg

Holy shit.  I frequented the Stereo and Record Center in Marshall a lot in late 70s/early 80s.

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I have a vinyl album of Disney tunes that I bought with my allowance in 1966 or 1967.  It was a promotional item at one of the gas stations my parents used, and cost a quarter.  I don't play the vinyl record, but I long ago recorded it digitally, and still have several of the songs on my tablet for listening while at work or on the road.

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On 4/25/2023 at 3:47 PM, MissingInAction said:

1999 Roy Williams jersey. 

I wear it to every ou sucks game because it's bright af and I usually sit in the ou sucks section because the tickets are half as much.

 

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So Texas fans know I’m rich when the my sit in my section.  

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Holy shit.  I frequented the Stereo and Record Center in Marshall a lot in late 70s/early 80s.

The one in Tyler still looks like it’s open when I drive but there. Bought a Carver C-1 preamp, M500t amp and Denon DCD-1500II CD player there a few years later before my jr year of college. Still have the amp and preamp but they’ve been boxed up for years.
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I still have my Vic-20 computer from ~1982 and my Apple IIc from 1985. Haven't fired them up in a while.

As far as daily use you can add me to team alarm clock. Bought it new in 1989 at the PX in Orlando for $7. Still going strong after 16 moves and 34 years. 

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On 4/25/2023 at 3:33 PM, gofuckyourself said:

Master of Puppets CD circa 1988. Still floating around somewhere.

Van Halen 1984...on cassette. My mom gave it to 14YO Slorch because it had the baby(angel) on front.  She somehow missed the pack of smokes that may have been covered by the packaging. I now own nothing upon which to play it.  LOL.

Marine Corps dog tags from June 1989.    34 years old, but i wasn't really thinking of shit like that, which don't really function any more.

Fridge in my garage for beer/soda/ etc is 27 years old. Just a plain ole over/under Whirlpool base model.  We have since had 3 other fancypants fridges in the kitchen after it was repurposed.  I haven't liked a damned one of em like I appreciate the beer fridge.

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On 4/26/2023 at 8:48 AM, Native Horn said:

I also worked for Sears back in the day (high school into college) in Austin (North Village catalog store, Research Blvd. Paint & Hardware store and Hancock Center). One day an ole boy brings in a mangled Craftsman screwdriver and admitted his dog chewed up the handle.  I told him, sorry, they're guaranteed against work damage, not neglect (or something shitty like that).  He points at our front door and says "See those words above your door?  It says satisfaction guaranteed or your money back."  Our store manager happily gave him a new screwdriver, and I learned a tad about customer service.  I still have a bunch of Craftsman tools that I accumulated with an employee discount from back then.

Hope you threatened to kick 100% of his ass.  

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On 4/26/2023 at 8:25 AM, Shoxthemonkey said:

Mine is an 11C, bought in 1981. Still use it daily. Really rough around the edges but it will outlive me.

Somebody upthread mentioned tools. My shop is full of handtools that were purchased in the early 60's.

I need to get some pictures but I have lots of vinyl purchased in the 60's, Hendryx, The Who, Cream, Zep, etc.

My son has the 1970 IHC Scout II that I purchased new.

 

IMG_0788.thumb.jpg.2806df686d5e2717fd8211a16c86f6fa.jpg

 

2v7ffb.jpg

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I have a lot of my dad's old tools from his ag class in high school that are still engraved. About a year ago, our garage fridge finally stopped working and it was older than I am. It was the same one I grew up with in our house. My mom still has daily use silver ware that I have claimed when she kicks the bucket that we used when I was growing up. Not fancy, but very thick for silver ware. Will not bend with ice cream. My sister was disappointed when she learned I claimed the set. It is still mostly complete, too. Not bad considering I'm in my fifties.

22 hours ago, Underdog said:

Had to get rid of this bad boy a few years back when moving and found it broken. 
 

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My sister had this and I had the soccer one. We also had a Merlin. Don't still have them so doesn't apply to this thread.

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On 4/28/2023 at 1:44 AM, baboso said:

Holy shit.  I frequented the Stereo and Record Center in Marshall a lot in late 70s/early 80s.

My dad went to high school with the guy that founded Stereo and Record Center. We  always got nice deals on TVs, etc. from the Longview store back in the day.

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There might be something older, but I still have my first "album" purchased with my own cash.  It is Ace Frehley's Solo Kiss Album (1978) on 8-track.  Sadly, no 8-track player currently. 

 

Go forward a couple of years, I got (possibly as a gift) the Flash Gordon Soundtrack on Vinyl (cassette and 8 track, too, later).  Still have the record and have played it recently.

 

After that, it's Mad Magazines (my kid found them at my mom's several years back and rescued them.

 

Then, probably RBI Baseball for the original NES.  Still have the whole NES setup with R.O.B. and a bunch of games. 

 

There's a Rolling Stones t-shirt by 1989.  It's a little tight now, I'd guess.

 

I've got a pair of Converse One Stars (Suede) I bought in 1995.  I wore them to a concert on Tuesday night and probably am going to retire them from "long standing" events.

 

Plenty of Guitars, amps, and pedals after that.  Most bought used, but there are some shiny new ones mixed in.

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Cool shit that I still use, but inherited would also be a cool thread. I have my great-great-great grandmother’s cast iron skillet it is over 150 years old. It makes killer gravy. 
I have the pitcher and cups I drank kool-aid out of as a toddler. 
 

CHIEF

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On 4/27/2023 at 10:23 AM, MAUFRAIS said:

The clock radio ubiquity surprises me.

I am both overly sentimental and a pack rat (you never know when you might need something!!!) while Mrs. Doom is neither. 

We have made several cross-country moves over the years, which would always precipitate a "keep or donate/toss" showdown a week or two before the move. 

My trusty Emerson clock radio which I received as a Christmas gift in 1983 (and which I was really stoked to receive, as it allowed me to clandestinely listen to the Top Five at Nine on the local radio station when I was supposed to be in bed every night) was a casualty of one of these such showdowns when Mrs. Doom made me choose between it (standard red numerals, but no beep/buzzer alarm feature - just radio, which isn't enough to wake me) and the fancier GE one that she had when we first started dating in college, with green numerals and a beeping function. I opted to keep that one because of how it reminds me of the very start of our relationship. It's now keeping time out in the back garage, but it's kind of odd how much I still "miss" my old one, complete with the piece of masking tape on the bottom with my last name on it in my mom's handwriting - wouldn't want some other kid to accidentally take it home from Nerd Summer Camp in 1987 or 1988.

Memory and attachment is funny. 

 

Edited by Prepuce of Doom
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I have a lot of stuff similar to items mentioned

1. Two HP41C calculators - 1984.

2. High school track spikes - unusual item. Nike Americas from 1970s. A pair was offered by Sothby's for something like 4K

3. Any of my record albums from 70's.  I do have the very rare Buckingham Nicks album. Never made it to CD for some contractual issues

4. High school letter jacket

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On 4/25/2023 at 5:43 PM, Jerry Callo said:

Oldest thing I can think of is a watch I purchased from Foley's at Highland Mall - circa 1987.

They would put the best stuff imaginable on sale.  There was a store in Arboretum that would do the same but i can't remember the name. 

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Got rid of a box with a ton of electronics that I’d been holding on to forever this weekend . 1st gen iPod, couple of solar calculators, 3 old off brand tablets, digital picture frame, a Blackberry, a small 10mp camera that was the shit back in the day, and too many cords and cables that I have no idea what they went to and will never need again until next week. Not really relevant to this thread as they weren’t still used, just thought it was weird that the entire box of stuff electronics is now on my phone.

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