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101 Worn-Out Things That Show How Time Changed Them
If you want to get your money’s worth for an object you’ve purchased, you have to actually use it. You can’t hide it in a cupboard or pull it out only once a year when Grandma comes to visit. And yes, using things regularly will result in some wear and tear, but it can actually be pretty amazing to see just how much objects transform throughout years of usage.
To celebrate items that have definitely served their purpose, Bored Panda has compiled a list of photos from around the internet of worn-down objects. From articles of clothing to floor tiles, we hope you enjoy seeing the drastic transformations that these items have undergone. And be sure to upvote the ones that you find most impressive!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Said Goodbye To My Best Friend After 13 Years. This Is Is Vaccination Tag All Worn Down After A Lifetime Of Tinking Against His Water Bowl. Rip Little Man
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#2
This Plaque In Prague Has Been Rubbed To A Shiny Gold Because, For Centuries, Passersby Have Touched The Dog For Good Luck And To Reassure Him That He's A Very Good Boy
#3
The Cover Of George Orwell's, "1984," Becomes Less Censored With Wear
Have you ever purchased something that you were so excited to buy that you never used it? Maybe you have a box of unworn sneakers sitting in your closet, an unopened record by your favorite band, or a gorgeous mug that you’re terrified to taint with coffee. But life is short; we only get around 90 years (and that’s if we’re lucky!), so we shouldn’t be scared of using the items that we have.
Now, if you’re a huge collector and you’re trying to resell those items in mint condition in the future, fair enough. But are you really sure that you’ll be able to increase their value? Supposedly, collectibles made from sterling silver, vintage books, oil paintings, vinyl records, wristwatches, and silver coins will become more valuable over the years. But even those items aren’t guaranteed to skyrocket in value. If the past decade has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t predict the future.
#4
For A Lot Of People, He Is A Good Boi
#5
Cobb’s Mat From Eager Tapping When He Hears The Car Pull Up
#6
This Rock Eroded By The Waves
Sarah Suelzle 4 weeks ago
It's real :: Kannesteinen, a unique 3-meter-tall mushroom-shaped rock located on the coast of Vågsøy island in western Norway.
Society in general has an irrational fear of aging. Women are constantly told to get cosmetic treatments, injectables, and surgeries to make their faces look younger. And celebrities are often shamed for appearing “old.” But it’s completely unfair for us to expect anyone or anything to exist without showing any visible signs of aging.
Just like a human will develop scars, freckles, wrinkles, and sun spots from living a full life, the objects that you use every single day will start to visibly transform over time too. It can be disappointing to see your favorite jeans from 20 years ago start to tear and fade. But you have to look on the bright side: you’ve experienced so many beautiful memories in those pants. And they can tell countless stories! That’s something that a brand new pair simply can’t do.
#7
When My Brother Was Born In 1985, My Mother Purchased Two Identical Teddy Bears. The One On The Left Has Been My Brother's For 30 Years, The One On The Right Has Been Kept In Storage For My Brother's First Child Who Was Born Today
#8
14 Years Of Scratches
#9
The Way The Sun Has Weathered This Sign So It Looks Like Its Heavy Metal Style
Another beautiful aspect of seeing objects transform over time through plenty of usage is the fact that they’re not being thrown away unnecessarily. Capitalism has convinced many people that they need to replace their items as soon as a newer, shinier thing comes along. But that’s a lie we’ve been told to keep companies earning profits. The truth is that items should be cherished and used until they no longer work. Once they’ve fully served their purpose, they can be recycled, repurposed, or eventually thrown away.
#10
My Radio Button Has Worn Out To Be A Victorian Portrait
#11
My Sheaffer Reminder Ballpoint Pen. This Has Been In My Pocket Every Weekday For The Last 15 Years. It Used To Belong To My Grand-Father. I Know He Used It Because The Brass Was Already Starting To Wear Through When I Got It. They Still Make The Refills For It
#12
The Flooring In The Waiting Area At This Pizzeria Is So Worn You Can See The Old Floor
The problem with this throwaway culture that we have today is that it’s detrimental to the planet. Earth.org warns that fast fashion produces 92 million tons of waste each year. Meanwhile, 39,000 coffee pods are produced around the globe every minute, and 29,000 of these will end up in a landfill. Even paper towels are destructive, as they contribute to deforestation while being created, and they often take months or years to decompose in landfills.
#13
The Ridgeway (UK) Is A Pre-Roman Trading Route Still Walked Today
Cee Cee 4 weeks ago (edited)
This is not the ridgeway which, by it's name, traverses a ridge. The ridgeway runs along the line of chalk downs from Avebury in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe in Buckinghamshire. It passes the Uffington White Horse, Wayland's Smithy, Barbury Castle and numerous bronze age barrows. The example here is known as a holloway and they were used as drove roads.
#14
How Many Footsteps Would It Take To Wear Stone Steps Down To This Point?
#15
Before And After Powerwashing. New York Used To Be A Much Dirtier City Back When The Northeast Ran On Coal Plants
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 weeks ago
Coal is the worst power supply option you can use in the 21st century. There's zero reason to use coal power in 2026.
While social media makes it seem like it’s cool to flex about all of the newest gadgets that you have online, we believe that it’s actually much more impressive to hold onto items for years, or even decades. Anyone can walk into a shop and buy a new coffee table. But it takes a special kind of person to take care of their table and cherish it for 50 years. If a leg breaks off, you can repair it, rather than buy a new one. If the paint job wears down, you can repaint it!
#16
12 Years Of My Dog Using Her Paw To Open The Door
#17
If You Tell The Dog To "Go Get Your Gator" She'll Bring Back Any One Of These
#18
My Girlfriend’s Cat Paces Using The Same Steps Each Day
If you’re feeling inspired by this list, and you want to ensure that your own items last a lifetime, Money.com has some advice. First, when it comes to clothing and textiles, you need to learn some laundry skills. Preserving your clothing really comes down to washing and drying it properly. You might even need to get special items dry-cleaned. But it’ll be worth it when you can brag about wearing the same jacket for decades!
#19
My Mother’s Clipboard From Doing The Newspapers Crossword Puzzles For 30 Years
#20
4h Drawing Pencil In It's Final Days
#21
This Bank Floor
Another important aspect in making your items last is knowing how to repair them. Whether it’s patching up a hole, sewing a button back on, or removing a stain, most things can easily be fixed with a little tender love and care. If you invest in a small sewing kit, you can save yourself hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars in the long run. And if the job is too complicated for you, you can always take the item to a professional before going out to buy something new.
#22
All The Letters On My GF's Lotion Bottle Started Falling Off
#23
Door Knobs Exposed To Normal Air vs. Sea Wind
#24
Store Doorbell
Are you enjoying these fascinating photos of items that have lived long, eventful lives, pandas? Keep upvoting the things that you imagine have plenty of stories to tell, and let us know in the comments below what objects you’ve been holding onto the longest. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another article from Bored Panda featuring similar photos, look no further than right here!
#25
Fax Machine/Scanner Used So Heavily, The Paper Has Cut The Plastic Over Time
#26
The Wear Marks On This Tetherball Pole
Lady Gypsy Rain 4 weeks ago
This is a sport I could watch for hours. I would say play for hours, but don’t think that is feasible from a chair.
#27
The Glass Globe Of This Light Focused The Sunlight Enough To Burn The Suns Path In The Grass
#28
My Mom Bought The Same Stuffed Animal For My Sister In Case She Lost It; After 16 Years, We Found All Four Of Them
#29
Staples From Posters After Four Decades
#30
New £500 Bundle Of £5 Notes Compared To Used Ones
#31
My Dad Has Had The Same Wallet For So Long His Driver's License Photo Is Imprinted On The Plastic
Richie Horsman 4 weeks ago (edited)
This happened to my work pass and wallet after exactly one day.
#32
Years Of Service
#33
Moving Around Dumbells With My Foot Wore My Shoes Into Showing My Foots Skeletal Pattern
Sara Frazer 4 weeks ago
If that is indeed where your toes rest inside your shoe, you may want to consider going up a size or at least a half-size...no good jamming your toes
#34
The Wire Has Worn Into This Rock After Years Of Hikers Walking Over It
#35
Dad Ordered A Vintage, Unused Version Of The Same Shaving Brush He's Been Using For The Past 30 Years. Here's The Difference Between The Old And New One
bazjack 4 weeks ago
I eat pudding cups with my old baby spoons. Always have. Most of the spoons, coming from the 1980s, were unadorned metal - they're mostly plastic now, I think. But there was one with a clock on the end that was my favorite all my life. About a year ago, it vanished. We thought it must have been caught up with trash and thrown away. I decided to purchase a replacement. It was from Avon, and I found some on eBay in brand-new condition. When it came, the design was so much clearer and sharper than my old one! I never realized how much it had worn down. I felt silly replacing this one specific spoon, but it's made me very happy. It's kind of nice to see someone do the same thing here; makes me feel less foolish.
#36
Was Told To Post This Here. The Local Place I Play Ping Pong At. They Haven’t Changed The Tables In 20 Yrs
#37
My Brother And I Each Received Identical Teddy Bears When We Were Born. I Lived Mine Just A Bit More
#38
Dogs Paw Has Worn The Paint Away
Did I say that out loud? 4 weeks ago
F F S! If you actually care about your pets, then make sure they're properly restrained and safe while travelling, you fùckìng morons.
#39
My Husband's Decade Old Computer Chair vs. New One The Same Model I Am Surprising Him With Tonight
#40
The Comparison Of Right Handed And Left Handed People At My High School
#41
This Wall Broke Exposing Years Of Layers Of Paint
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 weeks ago
Reminds me of Fordite. It's a pseudo precious stone from the paint rooms in car factories. It looks really pretty when it's polished.
#42
My Teeth Worn Down After Years Of Holding Sewing Needles In My Teeth
Erik Godfrey 4 weeks ago (edited)
I have seen this before with tooth picks and also pipe tobacco smokers.
#43
Queen's Guards Boots After A Year Of Public Duties At Buckingham Palace, St James' Palace, Tower Of London, Windsor Castle & Other Occasions
#44
St Peter's Foot At The Vatican After Centuries Of Being Touched By Pilgrims
#45
Pigment Stripped From Leaf Because It Spent So Much Time In A Pool
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 weeks ago
Chlorine bleach is a very aggressive chemical. Handle with care.
#46
My Grandma's Carpet After Moving Her Bed For The First Time In 60 Years
#47
Log Book Used Daily For Two Years vs. Brand New Book
#48
The Life Cycle Of A Coin!
#49
Safety Inspection Uncovered This At Work
Did I say that out loud? 4 weeks ago
Holy shìt! When was the last time that eyebolt was inspected? In the UK, all loose lifting equipment should be independently inspected every 6 months,by law. But also, this doesn't happen overnight so some idiots have been using this knowing it was unsafe.
#50
Diamond Steel Plate Worn Smooth By Shoes At Amusement Park
#51
My Old Next To My New Clogs
#52
3 Days Of Studio Work, Barely Hanging On
#53
Brass Hammer (Again)
#54
Littlefoot Bought 34 Years Ago For My Daughter And Bought Again Last Year From Vintage Shop For Granddaughter
#55
A Non-Smoker's Remote vs. A Smoker's Remote
#56
My Hats, Past Present And Future
nomnomborkbork 4 weeks ago
The sign of a hardworking blue collar worker, not necessarily a redneck. No need to try to denigrate people who work with their hands.
#57
Guiding Tracks For Blind People On This Crosswalk Got Distorted Due To Cars Acceleration Forces Combined With Viscose Asphalt Over Time
#58
Replaced My Mom’s Gardening Gloves For Mother’s Day This Year!
#60
Burn-In On An Oled TV That Played Cnn All Day For 2 Years
#61
This Key After 10 Years Of Entering Orders At My Grandmothers Shop
Slop Generator 4 weeks ago
Not a through hole, but... I've been touch typing since I first started using PCs. After 7-8 years on one office keyboard, I started mistyping a lot hitting the wrong row. Then I looked down: the F and J keys were worn completely smooth. Those little bumps were long gone. Had to get a new keyboard.
#63
My Old Ball Next To A New One. After 8 Years It Is Time For Well Earned Retirement!
#64
Drywall Beneath The Card Reader
#65
Slightly Worn Peace Dollar
#66
Before And After 41 Years Of Sharpening (Found At Knife Store In Kyoto)
#67
My Old 54 Mm Skateboard Wheels Next To My New 54 Mm Skateboard Wheels
#68
Stairs Built In 1829 vs. 2005
#69
New Yoda vs. 2 Years Old Yoda
#70
Rip After 10 Yr
#71
The Men's Bathroom Door vs. The Women's At My Engineering University
bazjack 4 weeks ago
I'm not sure what this is implying, but I have three guesses. First, that there are so many more men than women at that university, which is the one I think was probably meant. Also, though, there's the possibility that the male population is rougher on their surroundings than the female population. Finally, I thought perhaps the women know that you're supposed to push the door open using the metal plate that's been attached to it specifically to prevent this damage, while the men are either careless or ignorant.
#72
Grandpa Cut His Wedding Band Off After 55 Years Of Not Being Able To Remove It
#73
Fake Door At IKEA
#74
These Golf Balls At The Mini Golf Course I Work At Became Smooth After Spending A Lot Of Time In A Stream
#75
Arbys Broom
#76
A Brand New Sketch Book Next To A Fully Used One (Same Type Of Sketch Book)
Jan Castle 3 weeks ago
🫂 maybe here someone need to hear the next thing: I don't know you, but i love you, and i hope you are doing well, stay strong, and i send you all my love and please enjoy life, you are beautiful, a miracle, a spark of life, so again, i love you stranger person 🫂
#77
A Key After 12 Years Of Use vs. The Spare
Sara Frazer 4 weeks ago
Hey, the key on the right looks just like the key to my old truck 😂 is a Chrysler -Dodge of the late 90s
#78
I’ve Made A Lot Of Mistakes In My Life
#79
Table Hockey Puck After About Four And A Half Years Of Playing. New One On The Left For Comparison
#80
X-Mas Of 2019 I Got Two Pillows And Used 1 Of Them Every Night For A Year
Tom Hardeveld 4 weeks ago
put them outside in the sun on a warm day and see how much fluff you get back. Part of the flatness is moisture from sweat and drool :) It is normal of course, drying it in the sun helps. A dryer works too but the sun does a nicer job
#81
The Sleeve For My Moms Work ID Before Today She Said She Hadn’t Taken It Out In 10+ Years
#82
My Grandmothers Lifetime Pass Of To All National Parks In The USA. About 23 Years Old Unlaminated In Her Purse With Her Cards
Andrew Keir 4 weeks ago
A family member got a lifetime pass to the Scottish National History places when she was about 50. She's in a care home now but at 102 she feels she got a good deal out of them.
#83
I Bought The Same Shoes To Replace My Old Ones
#84
My Bike Saddle After 5 Years Of Commuting (~30k Km) vs. A Brand New One
#85
My Wallet After 15 Months Without A Headphone Jack
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 4 weeks ago
Apple getting rid of the headphone jack was unbelievably stupid.
#86
My Dad Bought These Wallets 25yr Ago And Just Switched To The Second For Xmas
#87
Transparent Phone Case, New vs. 1 Year Of Use
#88
Restrooms With Different Wear On Doors
#89
New vs. Old $20 Bills In ATM Dispenser
#90
Basketball I Got 5 Years Ago vs. Basketball I Got Today
#91
My Kids Decided To Use Their Spare Ice Hockey Stick On The Street. Just Found Out Today…
wiseass20 wiseass20 3 weeks ago
The way 2 train, if they can hit a pick w that then they're fine more than I can
#92
Mouse Still Works, The Owner Couldn't Figure Out Why I Was Snapping This Picture
#93
M&ms Have Been Sitting There For Over 10 Years
#95
My Husband Bought Me A New UNO Deck To Replace My 20 Year Old Deck
#96
The Right Side Of A Restaurant Table Where People Put Their Utensils
#98
30+ Years Of Wear On The Rivet/Pin In My Nail-Clipper, Compared To The Replacement
#99
The Crocs I've Been Wearing As My Everyday Shoes For 6 Years vs. A Brand New Pair
Scarlett O'Hara's Ghost 4 weeks ago
I know from experience that Crocs are great for feet. But once the tread starts disappearing, usually in about 6 months of daily wear, they're treacherous! Especially when wet
#100
Brand New Loofah vs. The Same One Bought 5 Years Ago
Sara Frazer 4 weeks ago
Uuuhh you're supposed to replace loofahs a lot more frequently than 5 YEARS
#101
New Retainer vs. Old Retainer
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