How old is your oldest thing? – 17 possessions that have an impressive number of years on the clock

Dominic Carter. Updated November 3rd, 2026

There’s a good chance that the phone or computer you’re reading this on is fairly new. Maybe you even upgrade your flashy tech gizmos on a yearly basis. But how old is the oldest thing you own?

u/KonstantinKisinIsGay was curious to know, so they decided to put the question to r/AskUK. With a few caveats:

‘I’m interested in how long you’ve owned it, not how old it is. Not family heirlooms, something you’ve bought or collected.

‘Mine is a wool poncho I’ve owned since I was 13. I’m now 30. Still use it.’

These are the top replies that are still going strong…

‘My childhood bear was placed in my arms as a newborn baby and is with me still 32 years later. She has been with me in eight different countries and has caught many of my tears in her fur, from being sad in bed with chickenpox to schoolyard disputes, break ups, miscarriages, depression, adult life stresses in general.

Took her on holiday to Florida when I was little, and baggage fell from the cargo point upon landing. My bear suffered a broken glass eye from the fall so now has one blue eye and one brown because my grandmother mended her for me, and I chose blue.

Lots of love and memories associated with my bear.’
-baumouse

‘I bought my wallet from Argos in Hull when I was 16. I am now 59 and have it in my trousers as I type.’
-uselesstosser

‘I have a cactus I bought for 50p at a garden centre when I was still in single digits. I’m 45 now.’
-Clever_Fox_81

‘An ammonite fossil. I’m 37 now and found it on a weekend trip to Robin Hoods Bay when I was 6. So 31 years.

I have a feeling it’s a tad older than that, but it’s been with me for 31 years.’
-TokyoJazzPanda

‘Realised recently that the 20 year warranty on my pan from Woolworths ran out 15 years ago’
-TobyJacks

‘My Sega Megadrive, it was a launch system so 1990, I still play it regularly.’
-Yakama85

‘I have a pink mini swiss army knife my dad got me when I was 12 or 13. It’s more of a vanity one with small scissors, tweezers and tooth pick etc. I’ll be 41 soon and still have it in my makeup bag. There might be other things too but that one springs to mind, I always marvel I still have and use it!’
-ThickTadpole3742

‘I have an Indian block print hippy skirt from about 1969 that I picked up from a jumble sale in around 1979, it’s so Maharishi Mahesh, patchouli, so OM, I love it so much’
-GingerLamb

‘Still have the chisel I made in metal work at school in my tool chest and it’s in regular use as a heavy equipment mechanic. Suppose it’s 35 years old now.’
-734532

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