What item have you owned the longest?

[Dan Druff]

I am not referring to antiques or other things that you bought/inherited that were already old.

I am talking about things you received a long time ago, and still have/use today.

For me, it's a GE alarm clock. I received it at the beginning of 1980 for my 8th birthday. My grandmother bought it for me.



It still works today, and it sits on my nighttable.

This is amazing because it was in constant use 24/7 for almost 31 years, before I finally took it "offline" in late 2010. About a month ago, I put it back, and it now tells me the time when I first wake up in the morning, just as it did when Jimmy Carter was still President.

It showed no sign of deterioration until a few years ago, when the radio part of the clock-radio started to go. Now the radio barely works, but it still functions perfectly as an alarm clock.

Gotta give GE credit. How many other electronic devices do you know that can run 30+ years without service (or even being turned off) and still function?

[bukowski72]

That story is pretty incredible to me. My mother refused to buy any GE products after she worked for them.

She worked in a department who's job was to make sure GE products like alarm clocks, radios and other appliances would break after a few years. They didn't want them lasting too long. We were probably one of the few households in America that never contained any GE products.

[gut]

I am not referring to antiques or other things that you bought/inherited that were already old.

I am talking about things you received a long time ago, and still have/use today.

For me, it's a GE alarm clock. I received it at the beginning of 1980 for my 8th birthday. My grandmother bought it for me.



It still works today, and it sits on my nighttable.

This is amazing because it was in constant use 24/7 for almost 31 years, before I finally took it "offline" in late 2010. About a month ago, I put it back, and it now tells me the time when I first wake up in the morning, just as it did when Jimmy Carter was still President.

It showed no sign of deterioration until a few years ago, when the radio part of the clock-radio started to go. Now the radio barely works, but it still functions perfectly as an alarm clock.

Gotta give GE credit. How many other electronic devices do you know that can run 30+ years without service (or even being turned off) and still function?

Ha! My folks had the same one, which eventually became mine when I was in middle school. I kept it into my mid-twenties I think. Can't actually remember what I ever did with it, but it never stopped working for me either.

My current oldest electronic device, actually, might be my current "alarm clock". It's my cell phone, 3 times removed, so-to-say. I think it was my functional cell phone from 2004-2006, then has been my alarm ever since.

Actually, now that I look at what I'm typing on, I've kept the same keyboard through a few desktops. I think this keyboard ( a basic Dell) has been with me since 2001.

[chinamaniac]

I am not referring to antiques or other things that you bought/inherited that were already old.

I am talking about things you received a long time ago, and still have/use today.

For me, it's a GE alarm clock. I received it at the beginning of 1980 for my 8th birthday. My grandmother bought it for me.



It still works today, and it sits on my nighttable.

This is amazing because it was in constant use 24/7 for almost 31 years, before I finally took it "offline" in late 2010. About a month ago, I put it back, and it now tells me the time when I first wake up in the morning, just as it did when Jimmy Carter was still President.

It showed no sign of deterioration until a few years ago, when the radio part of the clock-radio started to go. Now the radio barely works, but it still functions perfectly as an alarm clock.

Gotta give GE credit. How many other electronic devices do you know that can run 30+ years without service (or even being turned off) and still function?

I have an alarm clock as well from like 1988 that still works, will have to check the brand

[408Mike]

I have a stuffed Snoopy (yes the peanuts Snoopy) that also has a radio built into it, my mom got it for me when I was a couple months old and it sat in my bedroom closet top shelf for over 25 years. I would take it down occasionally to try and use the radio (has never worked so far as I know) and try to remember fond times, it's actually still very white with no stains of any kind, amazing shape all things considered.

Also my step-dad has an old alarm/radio that dates back to the early 70's which he's used my entire life and still works perfectly to this day. I tend to think #1 older generations take care of things better as they have a better understanding of the value of money (and view credit very differently than the "throw it away, finance a new one") than newer generations, and #2 older devices were much simpler and had less parts to go wrong than today's electronics. Hell I remember when cell phones were just replacing pagers and all of a sudden the newest one HAD A CAMERA BUILT IN! From right around that time cell phones have seemed real shitty and I blame this on form taking precedent over function. I've still never bought a phone for any reason than call quality and battery life, what else is there? It's not a damn CAMERA ffs!

So yeah, those two reasons are my guess why some older products last longer than today.

[Hockey Guy]

Gotta agree on an alarm clock. I've used the same alarm clock since I was married in 1987. It was my wife's before that so it may be even older than Druff's. Also think it's also a GE & still works perfectly.

Second oldest thing in my house is probably my freezer. I've had it since 1986 when I moved into an apartment with my future wife & also never had any issues with it. The freezer I mean, not the wife.

[General Bonkers]

I have a push mower that I bought in 85 when I built my first house, only use it for trim work around trees but it still runs good.

[Jefferson]

I've owned a pair of vintage 1980's Dexter leather boat shoes since 1999

They have recently become trendy once again.

[WillieMcFML]

my virginity

[mulva]

for some reason or other, quite a few people don't seem to replace alarm clock radios with newer ones.

[Hockey Guy]

for some reason or other, quite a few people don't seem to replace alarm clock radios with newer ones.

Why would you replace something that works perfectly fine. It's not like there have been unbelievable advances in alarm clock/radio development.

[Wiganer]

My Dyson cleaner is still going strong after 17 years.

[Yebsite]

my breast bud...

[DRK Star]

clearly, I have owned 408 the longest

[4Dragons]

I am not referring to antiques or other things that you bought/inherited that were already old.

I am talking about things you received a long time ago, and still have/use today.

For me, it's a GE alarm clock. I received it at the beginning of 1980 for my 8th birthday. My grandmother bought it for me.



It still works today, and it sits on my nighttable.

This is amazing because it was in constant use 24/7 for almost 31 years, before I finally took it "offline" in late 2010. About a month ago, I put it back, and it now tells me the time when I first wake up in the morning, just as it did when Jimmy Carter was still President.

It showed no sign of deterioration until a few years ago, when the radio part of the clock-radio started to go. Now the radio barely works, but it still functions perfectly as an alarm clock.

Gotta give GE credit. How many other electronic devices do you know that can run 30+ years without service (or even being turned off) and still function?

Ditto, I had the exact same one until like 2 years ago when I stopped needing one. Now I have a older model bose wave radio that does the same thing but the LEDs are hella faded.

[PuTTY]

[shortbuspoker]

I think for me it is my Meucci pool cue. I've had it since 1994. I'll have to get the old girl out of storage and shoot a few racks this weekend.

[Goodpoop]

I have the same one

[Muck Ficon]

I am not referring to antiques or other things that you bought/inherited that were already old.

I am talking about things you received a long time ago, and still have/use today.

For me, it's a GE alarm clock. I received it at the beginning of 1980 for my 8th birthday. My grandmother bought it for me.



It still works today, and it sits on my nighttable.

This is amazing because it was in constant use 24/7 for almost 31 years, before I finally took it "offline" in late 2010. About a month ago, I put it back, and it now tells me the time when I first wake up in the morning, just as it did when Jimmy Carter was still President.

It showed no sign of deterioration until a few years ago, when the radio part of the clock-radio started to go. Now the radio barely works, but it still functions perfectly as an alarm clock.

Gotta give GE credit. How many other electronic devices do you know that can run 30+ years without service (or even being turned off) and still function?

My parents had the same alarm clock. If I recall you could have the alarm set so the radio turned on instead of that annoying beeping. I used to turn the volume knob all the way up so it would scare the shit out of my parents when the alarm went off.

[408Mike]

clearly, I have owned 408 the longest

He has to kill me or let me go eventually...