4 hours ago
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Batman and Robin alarm clock
I have a 1974 Janex Batman and Robin wind-up talking alarm clock. Amazingly, it still works even though it’s more than 50 years old. It plays audio of Batman and Robin having a discussion on why should really get up and out of bed. I love it. Every time I see it, I smile. Jason Connolly, 57, district nurse, Macandrew Bay, New Zealand
Hotpoint toaster
I have a Hotpoint toaster that could be more than 100 years old and still toasts bread and bagels perfectly. It’s the same model my grandparents had. I recovered mine from a house that was being demolished. After cleaning it with baking soda and vinegar, it looks pretty good for its age. Heather Sebastian, retired teacher, Vancouver, Canada
Electrolux vacuum cleaner
When my husband and I moved in together 46 years ago, we bought a secondhand Electrolux vacuum cleaner. It’s been going strong ever since. It has never broken. We take it into the repair shop occasionally for a little TLC and they tell us to never get rid of it because we’ll never find anything better. Jane McCall, 67, retired, Vancouver, Canada
Kenwood mixer
I inherited my grandmother’s Kenwood Chefette food mixer. I think she got it in about 1975. The plastic bowl gave up about 20 years ago, but the mixer is still going strong. Even my daughter uses it when she visits, so it has served four generations. Alick, 62, environmental health officer, Berkshire, UK
Norge Customatic fridge
My parents bought a summer cottage in 1975 that came with an old fridge. It’s a Norge Customatic, made in Detroit, with an original inspection tag from 1956. I have it now and it worked like an absolute champ until it needed new wiring a couple of years back. Sure, I could have just found another more modern fridge but I always loved this one with its turquoise and gold sparkle interior. I found a business in nearby Quebec that specialises in antique kitchen appliances and they serviced it. It should be good for another 70 years. Anne Hartman, 50, repairer and builder of musical instruments, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tefal toaster
During my first year at university in London, when I went home for Christmas, my mum had replaced her old Tefal Thick’n’Thin toaster with a new one. The old one hadn’t been binned and was still working, so I took it back to university. It came with me on my adventures in student and young professional house shares, and eventually found a permanent home when I managed to buy my own place. Last year, we had a nasty scare when my wife phoned to say that the main electricity fuse was tripping when she turned on the toaster. I feared the worst but got home to find that a big lump of burnt toast was jammed inside and causing a short circuit. Disaster averted, and the old boy lived to fight another day! Still making perfect toast after the 27 years I’ve had it. Barry Lillis, 49, product designer, London, UK
Digitron digital clock
I have a Digitron digital clock, which is about 50 years old. I bought it when I was 14 and it still sits by my bedside. I grew up in Surrey and I got it using my pocket money from being a golf caddie on Sundays, for which I got £1.10 per round. I think it cost £15, which was a lot of money for me then. Richard, Hong Kong
Home stereo
My home stereo was bought, secondhand, in 1998. A large part of my life is built around music and the stereo gets used daily. Besides a cleaning of the power amplifier, it has never failed. I added a Technics turntable a few years ago. There is no technology of any sort built to last like this. It sounds far better than any phone. David Dalle, 53, IT worker, Ottawa, Canada
Hitachi TV
Our television is a 1985 Hitachi colour TV console. It has outlasted every household appliance we have owned. We have turned down multiple offers from younger people, who weren’t even born when we bought it, and think it’s just the coolest retro piece of electronic gear they’ve seen. Richard Rosing, 71, writer and musician, Nashville, US
Samsung microwave
In 1985, we rebuilt our kitchen and bought a Samsung Classic microwave after seeing a review in Consumer Reports magazine. During the renovation, we used the microwave to cook in the garage. Since then it’s been in use almost every day. I wish all of our investments had been so successful. Lin Cochran, retired, Huntsville, Alabama, US
Sanyo fan
Before I became a journalist, I attended Australia’s Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra, to embark on a four-year degree to become an army officer. It was very hot there during the summer. In 1979, my parents bought me a Sanyo rotating fan. I still have it and it works perfectly and has never needed repair. It has been with me since my late teens to now, my late 60s. It has become part of the family in a way – it’s always there through the ups and downs. I just hope it never breaks. Ted Hume, 65, journalist, Tasmania, Australia
Kenwood food processor
I have a Kenwood food processor that my mother bought in the mid-1980s. She gave it to me when she bought a newer model. It emigrated with me to New Zealand in 2000. I use it weekly to make coleslaw, hummus, pastry and mayonnaise, and to blitz soups. It shows some signs of age but everything works fine. Ian Watson, 66, retired professor, Auckland, New Zealand
Sony TV
I have a 1973 Sony Trinitron 13in colour TV. I mostly use it for playing VHS tapes but I can also connect it to satellite TV using a device. It’s a real talking point when friends come to visit. The picture is great for its age. Richard, 54, audiovisual technician, The Hague, the Netherlands
Vitantonio waffle-maker
Our Vitantonio waffle-maker was a wedding gift and is 31 years old. It is still going strong. It’s sturdy enough to toast cinnamon rolls that come in a tube and shape them into waffles. A funeral will be held on its demise. Laina, 60, navy veteran, northern Virginia, US
Sunkist Juicit
Who says you need to slow down after you reach 50? My Sunkist Juicit is a stalwart, born sometime in the 60s or 70s. We have a large lemon and lime tree in the back yard, but its profusion of fruit doesn’t intimidate the Juicit. I often make lemon or limeade. It’s a pleasure to drink the sweetly tart juice. Tom Bentley, 71, Watsonville, California, US
Hoover vacuum cleaner
I own a Hoover upright vacuum cleaner, bought in 1951. I have had to replace the plug and the on/off switch a couple of times. The motor gets cleaned at the same time. It is much more powerful than any of the ones owned by my friends. I inherited it from my mother and I expect it to outlive me. Sheilah, Toronto, Canada
Philips egg whisk
I have my mother’s Philips electric egg whisk. I remember her using it in the 1960s. It’s a bit noisy but still working perfectly. Gill, Kent, UK
Maytag washing machine and Whirlpool tumble dryer
I still have a Maytag washing machine and Whirlpool tumble dryer, which we bought when we moved into our house in 1987. They have seen daily use, cleaning everything, including reusable cloth nappies. Modern appliances can’t come close. Eric Mintz, retired, Metuchen, New Jersey, US
