C&V: How old is old?
 

Bikes or not, what's the oldest thing you own? Here's mine:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5c0d014f26.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...62bd1f0770.jpg
1883 Morgan Dollar

I'll play...

Off the top of my head it's most likely this chair. Best guess from the experts is 1870's. Picked it up as in the first pic for a crazy $54. Fabric was pretty good but I could tell the springs needed retying. Also did have some crude repairs but was still solid.

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/170095478.jpg

Liked it enough and found it comfortable enough to put the money into having the springs and upholstery redone. Left the finish alone as at the time I didn't know how old or the value. Oh, one of the wooden front casters was broken so the shop put on a modern one. Opted to leave the other original one on to help date it and such.

This is how it looks now after the rework. I use it every day now and it's a great old chair.

https://pbase.com/jhuddle/image/170095479.jpg

It's Walnut with lots of carvings, burl adornments, and burl inlaid.

That chair is beautiful! Love it!

I have a number of books from the 1880s.

Cheers

The house I live in was built in 1851.

Somewhere around here I have an Edward I silver penny from the 13th century, definitely the oldest thing I own...

https://www.westminstercollection.co...se-reverse.png

I think this is the oldest thing I own.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c5b5771c_c.jpg

A bit newer, and possibly a fake, but also cool. This was the first coin to picture an automobile. I bought it from a street vendor in Shanghai who had a pile of old coins for sale. The reason I think it might not be fake is because he didn't try to convince me that there was anything special about it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a6bdfb1b_c.jpg

And since I'm a nerd, let me show you my oldest calculator.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ed961782_c.jpg

Can there be too much cheese?

Somewhere I have a piece of a 'petrified tree', possibly millions of years old.

Sorry can't be bothered to locate it for a pic. :rolleyes:

I have a moon rock. That's what the guy told me, anyway.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...960763e4f9.jpg


I'm sure I could come up with something older (like the house itself), but the date on this is nice and clear.

Top

My house that was built in 1861.

Possibly my house (1927).
my oldest bike is 1932.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...472365586.jpeg

Ha ha!
Any cheese is too much cheese.
Ymmv.

Well, I guess I was wrong. The chunk of coal I found the other day must predate my coin. I also don't care to provide a pic.

Oldest MANMADE doohickey is a Italian ducat from about 1400. Otherwise, the dirt in my backyard is as old as dirt.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...691d8495ed.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d0c6880324.jpg

An Edward I and an Italian ducat - wow! Found, or purchased?

How about a Roman Denarius from 300AD??

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...84018ae13.jpeg

Late teens to early 20’s parlor guitar built by Regal Instruments in Chicago, IL for the B&J “Victoria” label. Hand crafted. All sold woods. The tone produced by a lightly braced 100 yr old spruce top over a birch back & sides is absolutely delicious to my ears.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...67222ede4.jpeg

Picked up this Flexible Flyer sled for 22.00 thinking it was 1930-40s but was shocked to discover it was of the rare first series in the late 1800’s. Incredible find that may end up in our town’s museum.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ac7d2c365.jpeg

Well, I could say that the rocks I pick up as souvenirs on the trails that I ride are probably pretty darn old.

Just owning something old is ok; however taking it a step further how 'bout describing the oldest thing that you still use regularly. I have a number of woodworking tools that were new in the late 1800's - planes, chisels, sawsets, for example. I love using them because it's like shaking hands with the original craftsman owner.

I have a couple of sewing machines that have reached the century mark and still perform great. I have to admit though that I don't use them as much as my newer machine (it's only 70 years old).

My girlfriend has a book about walks through the town of Leiden from 1949 and we live in a former monastry that was built in 1959 after the Americans bombed the original from 1927 in 1943.

We have some ivory boxes and even an ivory bookmark but nothing truly ancient I think.

Not an exciting find but purchased in York many many years ago...:)

An armoire and bed from Bergen, Norway.

At least 1867.

Been in the family all along.

I have a feeling that @rhm has some really old crap.