I have some coins from the mid 1800's. I use tools from the 1930's often.
Your Oldest Things?
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I've got an old Ferguson 2 furrow plow without coulters so its about as useful for plowing as a bag of hammers... I should sell it. It would be from the 40's I believe. We also found a pair of drag harrows on a rock pile at our place that seem to be from the horse drawn era around here which could be maybe 100 years old now, those are used once in a while though. I don't really collect old stuff I can't use...
I'm a collector, but I'm a collector who likes to have his stuff work and be useable.
I've owned lots of watches made from 1850-1900, and have regularly carried quite a few of them. My oldest is an English Verge Fusee in a sterling pair case hallmarked to 1781. It runs, but is a terrible timekeeper and I don't have the inclination to learn to repair fusee chains should it break. Virtually all American watches are detached lever escapements(watch technoogy evolved and matured a lot in the first half of the 19th century) and high grade American pieces from the 1860s, properly maintained, are good enough timekeepers that they could easily get COSC certification if COSC were inclined to allow them.
I have plenty of guns from the 1890s and early 1900s that get shot. Off the top of my head, I have a Winchester 1897 from about 1902 and an S&W Model of 1899 from 1901. I have owned my fair share of teens to 1950s S&Ws.
A week or two back, I was carrying a hard rubber Parker "Big Red" pen from the early 1920s, although my hard rubber pens rarely leave my desk since they're delicate(but feel very nice in your hand) and honestly I find the nibs not particularly good. I do use 1930s fountain pens somewhat more often since I find that decade made a big difference in just overall user experience and nib quality.
I love my 1970s film Nikons, and the F2 in particular. I have several Nikon Fs stretching back to the early 60s, but they're kind of clunky to use. I do use lenses from that early on. My main Hasselblad is a 500C body from 1960. I've owned and used a fair few pre-WWII cameras, but most post-WWII optics are coated and I like the higher contrast and just overall general look I get from coated lenses regardless of who made them.
I could point to other things, but that just comes to mind immediately-not counting the 50 year old car I drive regularly.
I've owned lots of watches made from 1850-1900, and have regularly carried quite a few of them. My oldest is an English Verge Fusee in a sterling pair case hallmarked to 1781. It runs, but is a terrible timekeeper and I don't have the inclination to learn to repair fusee chains should it break. Virtually all American watches are detached lever escapements(watch technoogy evolved and matured a lot in the first half of the 19th century) and high grade American pieces from the 1860s, properly maintained, are good enough timekeepers that they could easily get COSC certification if COSC were inclined to allow them.
I have plenty of guns from the 1890s and early 1900s that get shot. Off the top of my head, I have a Winchester 1897 from about 1902 and an S&W Model of 1899 from 1901. I have owned my fair share of teens to 1950s S&Ws.
A week or two back, I was carrying a hard rubber Parker "Big Red" pen from the early 1920s, although my hard rubber pens rarely leave my desk since they're delicate(but feel very nice in your hand) and honestly I find the nibs not particularly good. I do use 1930s fountain pens somewhat more often since I find that decade made a big difference in just overall user experience and nib quality.
I love my 1970s film Nikons, and the F2 in particular. I have several Nikon Fs stretching back to the early 60s, but they're kind of clunky to use. I do use lenses from that early on. My main Hasselblad is a 500C body from 1960. I've owned and used a fair few pre-WWII cameras, but most post-WWII optics are coated and I like the higher contrast and just overall general look I get from coated lenses regardless of who made them.
I could point to other things, but that just comes to mind immediately-not counting the 50 year old car I drive regularly.
My oldest thing would be my 1924 Conn C Melody saxophone. It's high tone, and I use an alto mouthpiece on it...so it's not really playable with any other instruments, unless they all tune to you, which is unlikely. But it is good for what the C Melody was made for, playing the treble clef on piano music, or I can play sax music I have for my alto. A lovely sax, and has a nice tone....apparently Conn is the only good sounding C Melody.
But it's useless now as you need good teeth for an embouchure...and I now have a top plate, and missing bottom teeth.
But it's useless now as you need good teeth for an embouchure...and I now have a top plate, and missing bottom teeth.
I bought this back in Boy Scouts, around 7th grade. She has been by my side (literally) my whole life.
My Grandpa gave me my first gun in 1968, a J.C Higgins Model 30 Semi-Auto Rifle with retractable sling. Not sure who made it but it was sold thru Sears.
Many posts are "inherited" which was not allowed by the OP. I have lots of stuff I have inherited from my family, but what item did you buy yourself that you still have?
One of those $900.00 ones ?Nice! Much better than being killed by a toilet seat from outer space!
Hmm... Not inherited kind of excludes my grandfather's 1920 viola, though it is in good condition and I took some lessons on it. I guess the next thing would be my 1921 Westinghouse Radiola III radio. Found it at a flea market. The rare WD-11 tube had burned out, but somebody modified the dead tube with a FET in the base of it, so the radio is functional. If I ever find a working WD-11 tube it could be easily swapped.
I was 9 before I was 10.
As far as things I have bought, not much. My vehicles are probably the oldest things I own in consistent use. My Ranger was originally owned by my parents, but I did pay them money for it, so maybe that skirts the inherited part. My Explorer is a recent purchase, but very original and has only had worn out parts replaced. I can't think of anything else 1997 or older, or even 2002 or older, that I use on a regular basis. Well, I guess my 1960 house, but of course a whole lot of it has been replaced.
As far as just household things, my alarm clock is probably from around 2002-04 or so (high school), and I still set it nightly. I almost always get up well before it, but set it for my latest time to get ready for work just in case. I hate the sound of it, and it gets me out of bed immediately if necessary, so it's a good backup and has just become part of my routine. I don't like using my phone as an alarm for some reason.
As far as just household things, my alarm clock is probably from around 2002-04 or so (high school), and I still set it nightly. I almost always get up well before it, but set it for my latest time to get ready for work just in case. I hate the sound of it, and it gets me out of bed immediately if necessary, so it's a good backup and has just become part of my routine. I don't like using my phone as an alarm for some reason.
It can't be Inherited and it can't be used any longer. So it could be bought, found, stolen, or have been given as a gift? It must not be useable any longer? What about my 15th century Chinese pottery? I bought it and only a cretin or a philistine would use it for a functional purpose.
I read still usable as not usable somehow.
I guess that would go to the circa early 1960s Jeep v-belt I have that's still in the sleeve. Probably wouldn't use it, among the oldest things I have, and was not inherited. I got it around 2004-5 in shop class in high school, we were either cleaning out old junk or the teacher may have brought it in (he'd give away all kinds of old parts).
The list of requirements is prefaced by "not." So yes, "not useable" is a requirement. Everything is useable somehow, even if not for its originally intended purpose. Somebody please name one thing that you believe can not be used for anything, and I'll show you what can be done with it.
My 29 Ford coupe, although it shouldn't count as it's somewhat modernized
Apart from that, maybe our mechanical elephant (built in the 40's)
Apart from that, maybe our mechanical elephant (built in the 40's)
So the question is what's my oldest broken thing?
I have a VHS tape I bought when I was 10. I no longer have a VCR so it's not useable at this moment, but that can be fixed with money.
I have a roll of unexposed Kodachrome from the late 90s. Can't get that processed anymore.
I have a Bachelors of Arts from 1998 that hasn't seen much use.
There's a rusted out fender from the 1930s in the woods in my back yard, but I own the property jointly with my wife. House also came with a 1800s era livestock yoke.
I have a VHS tape I bought when I was 10. I no longer have a VCR so it's not useable at this moment, but that can be fixed with money.
I have a roll of unexposed Kodachrome from the late 90s. Can't get that processed anymore.
I have a Bachelors of Arts from 1998 that hasn't seen much use.
There's a rusted out fender from the 1930s in the woods in my back yard, but I own the property jointly with my wife. House also came with a 1800s era livestock yoke.
Just found maybe my 2nd oldest thing, a WWII US Navy pocket watch. I've never worn a wrist watch, and got this in the '70's for a watch to carry. Our local clock/watch repair place used to sell them for $25. I just wound it, and it seems to go. Not useful now because I carry a pocket phone instead of a pocket watch.
The "not still useable" makes it harder.
Probably the oldest thing I have is a few Morgan silver dollars from 1880/1890's, but technically they are still useable as legal tender (although only as $1, not the ~$24 silver value they actually have) so those don't count.
The "not owned jointly" part makes this impossible to post anything, since everything I own is also owned by my wife.
Probably the oldest thing I have is a few Morgan silver dollars from 1880/1890's, but technically they are still useable as legal tender (although only as $1, not the ~$24 silver value they actually have) so those don't count.
The "not owned jointly" part makes this impossible to post anything, since everything I own is also owned by my wife.
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The oldest is a 1837 penny. I am sure nobody would decline this as part of payment, so I consider it usable.. A few of my old coins have "necklace" holes in them. People must have had a lot of time on their hands back then. My next oldest is my underwear......
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