We are in a society that moves a great deal. When you move, you give away stuff, or sell it, or toss it. But there is something that you have kept during all this transition. What has been with you for the longest time, and why have you held onto it?
Mine is an official boy scout pocket knife. I bought it when I was eight years old. So, I have had it for 56 years. It is my oldest possession. I kept it because I am a knife collector. What about you?
I have some of my original Legos from when I was 4, 42 years ago.
I have my Alf doll from circa 1987. I think I still have my Western Airlines wings from when I flew to Hawaii from Northern California when I was 10 in '77. I have the dress I wore when I was baptized in '67.
My parents bought the Kittridge Players edition of the Complete Works of Shakespeare around the time I was born. I still have it.
A Panasonic stereo manufactured in 1973. IIRC, Dad brought it home from one of his auction runs and it became mine after he bought a new stereo for their bedroom. It’s the only thing I have that’s been in the family since my childhood.
I remember it being in the dining room shortly after Dad brought it home and watching the red LED shine to indicate FM Stereo. We only had AM receivers before that.
I’ve got my original copies of “I Robot” and The Foundation Trilogy that my brother gave me when I was 8 or 9 and just started to get into Science Fiction. I kept them because I’ve kept pretty much every book I’ve ever owned, and because Asimov is awesome.
I’ve had Snoopy since I was 2, so he’s 35 now. For clarity, he’s not the Peanuts character, just a spotted stuffed dog in a hat. But my grandma told me he was a beagle, so I called him Snoopy. I kept him all this time because, well, he’s Snoopy.
A small teddy bear and a stuffed donkey I got for Christmas when I was just short of a year old. There are pictures of me then with the toys, when they were bright and new.
Fur worn off, stuffing collapsed, and so on, but I will never part with them while I ame alive.
When I was a small tot in the early 1960’s my father used to cut my hair. He used a WAHL electric trimmer and buzzed my hair all off (head lice, y’know). As part of the kit, there is(are?) cheap plastic handled barber shears (long skinny pointy). I still have those(it? them? It’s like the word “pants”, pluralized indicating a singular item…)
My mother was an illustrator and graphics designer. She and my dad had their own printing and graphics design business in mid-40s. I have the drafting table that she used in that business and which she used at home as a freelancer when I was growing up. She gave it to me when I graduated from art school. It is one of my prized possessions and, yes, I use it for my artwork.
I have a silver cup and piggy bank that were given to me as gifts when I was born. I also have the first good piece of jewelry I bought for myself, a 14k gold ring that I bought when I was 15.
I’ve had some of my books since the mid '50s. Around 1960 I asked my mother if I could have two small figurines she had in the living room. I think they’re porcelain, in late 1800s dress and upswept hair. I call them my Ladies and have had them ever since. (With glued-back-on heads because I dropped them a time or two.)
I have a 1921 silver dollar that was given to me when I was born.
In 1958 when I was 4 years old, I won a hula-hoop contest, and my prize was a bride doll. I’ve still got her in a box somewhere, altho she’s in pretty rough shape. I think the only reason I’ve kept her is because I feel like I should, or maybe that I might fix her up.
I’ve also got the accordion my folks bought me in 1961. I play just as well as I did in 1961. 
This is the same for me. I’ve still got my panda bear that I’ve had since I was a baby, and I always will have.
My china was brought over to the US for my great great grandfather Jacob’s wedding in 1835.
What can I say, my family doesn’t like throwing stuff away.:smack:
[QUOTE=Allan Sherman]
And a half a pair of scissors is a single scisz…
[/QUOTE]
I can’t think of anything I have from before I moved to San Francisco 34 years ago, except possibly a nice hard-cover edition of Lord of the Rings that my then boyfriend gave me. There are probably a few other books from that era (late 70’s) because it’s really hard for me to get rid of books.
I’m in the de-clutter and clean it out brigade, plus I’m not very sentimental about objects, plus I am not a collector, so the combination of those factors leads to minimal keeping of old stuff.
Roddy
I’ve had a red white and blue stuffed Basset hound named McKeever since 1973.
When I graduated from grade school to jr high, my grandmother gave me a watch that I still have. I just found out recently, it’s worthless. My grandfather gave me a a handkerchief his grandmother made when she was my age. That is worth a lot… to me.
As I have posted before, I have lived in the same house since birth, and inherited all my parents’ furniture and all but a few other items. I have everything and then some.