Oldest Thrifted Item

I've just spent another hour in the garden armed with my trusty secateurs (although a machete would be more appropriate in some spots) having another good session of hacking, chopping and cutting my way through the worst of the overgrown undergrowth.  Whilst out there I started thinking about the car boot sale on Sunday, and whether we'd be going this week, which led me on to thinking about thrifted items in general, and how long I've had some of them.  Eventually I ended up with thinking about what was the oldest thrifted item I still have.

I don't think there's any contest really - it has to be the Lloyd Loom type laundry basket which I've had for 25 years and which is still used every single day.  Picked up at a jumble sale in Bath a quarter of a century ago (wow - that's scary!!) this has moved with me from Bath to Bristol, Bristol to Nottingham, back to Bristol, several different addresses in Bristol, on to Billericay and now to our present house.

It was always a bit 'askew' and was originally a sort of 'boudoir' pink colour.  I should probably have left it alone but at some point I decided to paint it gloss black, probably not the best decision I ever made but there we go.  I can't remember what I paid for it but I suspect it was about 50p, which works out at some infinitessimally small 'cost per use'.  I can't imagine ever getting rid of it, it still seems as sturdy as the day I lugged it home from the jumble.  Perhaps at some point it could do with smartening up a bit but I can't imagine how many coats of paint it would take to cover the black gloss!!  I'll probably just leave it as it is. 

Close runner up to the laundry basket is a large grey and white enamel baking tray which I've probably had for close on 20 years - also originally from a jumble sale.  I would have taken a photo of that too but it's being used at the moment in the oven to cook our evening meal.

What's the oldest thrifted item you still have?

Comments

[sharie]

I love lloyd loom but gloss isn't the best thing to paint it with, i use emulsion now your supposed to use spray paint. I think you can get them dipped - I've got one I painted in white gloss ages ago

Oldest thrifted item? I've got a stevenograph from 1860 I got for 30p which I bought last year. Otherwise I've got a diamond (fake) necklace I bought for my mum at a jumble in the early seventies. Don't think I was even old enough for school....

[Maureen]

I bought a lloyd loom chair ( already painted with baby blue gloss) from Southampton Oxfam shop a good 15 years ago. I painted it a dark green and made a fitted cushion from some left-overs of curtain fabric from Habitat ( that cost an arm and a leg but they were lovely) and it's followed me from house to house, sat under a number of trees ( makes me think of India) and now sits here in my little work room here in Dunedin, New Zeraland.

[Darling Petunia]

I have a piggy cookie jar that I got when I was about eight. So that means I've had it for 33 years! I'd take a pic, but it's at my mom's house.

[Frugal Trenches]

Oh I love love love it! I think the oldest I have is a chair that belonged to my old neighbour (who is 70)'s grandmother. And it still looks like new!