What Is The Oldest Thing You Own And Still Use?

[NikoSan999]

Mine would be a Betty Crocker cookbook from back possibly in the 60's. If I remember correctly it was my Grandmothers but possibly my mothers. It has original singular recipe clippings from way back when the Sunday paper had recipe sections.

[earlybird]

I think my item would probably be my grandmas thimble. I use it when sewing or mending. I am in my
early 60's and can remember her using it to quilt when i was small. It has her initial on it. Definitely a
keepsake that is still in use.

Hope everyone has a nice safe holiday.

[Heloise]

OMG... quite a number of things! Love the idea behind this topic!

... cookbooks for sure (some are 50, even 60 years old)

In addition to...

... my Electrolux Canister vacuum cleaner (pushing 40 years old)
... cast iron pans (over 40 years old)
... leftover cloth diapers from when my youngest was a baby (30 years old). The best dusting cloths ever!
... diaper pins (some are over 40 years old). I use them when sewing and for emergency fixes
... electric water kettle (35 years old)
... plastic diaper pails (from the 70's). Use one in the kitchen as a garbage pail.

[Heloise]

I think my item would probably be my grandmas thimble. I use it when sewing or mending. I am in my
early 60's and can remember her using it to quilt when i was small. It has her initial on it. Definitely a
keepsake that is still in use.

Hope everyone has a nice safe holiday.

Happy Holidays to you, too, Earlybird!

[Heloise]

Anyone else have leftover baby things from years gone by that they hung onto (just in case)?

From the top of my head...

... old-fashioned drop-sided baby cribs (have two, one dating from the early 70's, the other from the late 70's)
... rubber pants (leftovers from the baby days in our house, 30 plus years old)
... glass and plastic baby bottles (a few that are over 40 years old)
... baby sleepers, pyjama bottoms/tops, etc (30 plus years old)
... playpen (early 70's)
... diaper stacker ( 1970's)

[Contrary Housewife]

I have a collection of depression glass that sees use from time to time. Especially the candy dishes. I was using the flower pots until a few years ago but was worried about them getting broken when the plants go outside. Use the lemon juicer quite a bit. Haven't found a new one to equal it.

[Heloise]

I have a collection of depression glass that sees use from time to time. Especially the candy dishes. I was using the flower pots until a few years ago but was worried about them getting broken when the plants go outside. Use the lemon juicer quite a bit. Haven't found a new one to equal it.

Love the sounds of your Depression Glass Collection.

I have a number of old (1950's - 1960's) crystal bowls with lids... really ornate in their hand-cut designs, shapes, and sizes. I use them, but my rule is, hands-off. Was never able to keep that sort of thing out when the kids were toddling, so I'm enjoying it now.

[Heloise]

... bread toaster is roughly 35 years old, use it often.

[Heloise]

Earlybird. Love your avatar!

Reminds me of the coffee cups in our house when I was growing up (minus the McDonald's Logo). Exact semi-opaque white colour and everything.

[Spirit Deer]

I have a round cast iron griddle with a gate mark on the bottom indicating it was made in the early 1900s at the latest. I use it for pizza or focaccia bread.

A crock my mom used since before the 1960s for making pickles and kraut.

A treadle sewing machine cabinet I refurbished to use for a plant stand. Another treadle machine base I salvaged from the dump, to which I added an antique oak table top.

A steel double laundry tub from the 1930s, salvaged a couple years ago. I use it to mix potting soil in our greenhouse.

Antique furniture from as far back as the 1880s, that belonged to my grandparents. These include a single and a double solid oak bookcase secretaries, a small corner china hutch, a curved front oak curio cabinet, and several other old pieces.

A children's wardrobe that was purchased used when I was a baby many moons ago. Our kids used it and now it's in my sewing room in use.

[CPA-Kim]

A family Bible.

[MaggieTrudeau]

I have my great grandmother's treadle sewing machine that is currently in storage but I have, and will again, use it. Should be from the early 1900s or late 1800s. I have a great great gramma's cast iron skillet, though it is cracked I use it as a bird feeder and a weight out in the garden (like to hold down plastic covers on plants). As far as things I bought or were bought/made new for me...I have several tshirts I still wear that are over 20 years old. They were out of the wardrobe for a while but I'm at the right size again. I got my filet knife, bought new for me, when I was 5 years old...and I'm 52 now, so 47 years on that and I use it regularly. My tackle box I got when I was 8, still in use and have some of grampa's lures in there. My "best" knife is gramma's paring knife with bakelite handle. I don't know the date on that. I buy tools and kitchen items at antique stores for use in my home so some of those are quite old. I like old things! The sox I have on today are 4 or 5 years old and a pair in the wash is more darn than knit and is much older. As long as you keep them mended they don't get too ratty.

Another fave item is WWI GI (military) stew plate and coffee cup...NEW with stickers on them. I have a few more that had been used so I use those all the time. They are heavy enamelware. Somehow they were never issued to a soldier and gramma got ahold of them. They's be from the 19teens.

[Spirit Deer]

I have my auntie's treadle machine, which is one those ornate parlor models. I don't use it to sew, of course, being well supplied with electric machines and on the grid. 🙂Currently the treadle is in use as a bed table. I'm trying to figure out how to convert it to boot storage without removing anything or doing any damage.

I've gotten rid of pretty much all my old plastic kitchenware due to the toxins in them. One of the last things to go was the set of melamine dishes we had in the camper, which my ILs used all their married life from 1957 on. We liked the dishes but given health concerns and the fact they could not be microwaved, decided to switch to Correlle. The jury is still out on that choice.

[Tine]

I have a cookbook from 1932 I got from a thrift store.

I have an armchair and a cupboard from the 60's I got from my grandparents. I also have a jewelery box from my grandma I always liked when I was a kid. Don't know how old it is.

I kinda stole my mom's oversized fleece jumper. It is about 20 years old and I wear it every day in the winter.

[Precarrious]

You have me really thinking about this one. I will get back to you. I have some old things that I use but I am wondering how long I’ve had some of them. I purchase quite a few things at yard sales and thrift stores.