No matter how dearly we love some of the things in our lives, we have to face the fact that they’ll one day get worn down to nothing.
It may not happen for a long time. In fact, some of these objects may even wind up outliving us. But when they say that nothing lasts forever, they really don’t leave any room for exceptions.
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But since this process of wearing away happens so gradually, it’s usually much more apparent and fascinating to those of us who don’t see it every day.
So while the deterioration of the things we’re about to see may have taken their owners a while to notice, they should jump out at us immediately.
As we can see, the strap ring of this saxophone is just about hanging by a thread.
Fortunately, the cost and risk of soldering it back together doesn’t actually fall on this person because they’re a member of a school band.
So it probably won’t have to look like this for long.
It’s hard to tell from this photo but this phone case was once completely transparent.
And since this is the result of oxidation rather than dirt, it’s not like this yellowing can simply be washed away. Some hydrogen peroxide might do the trick if it really bothers them, though.
As old as it makes me feel to hear that the uploader has had these Sonic toys since kindergarten, I think some of them still look older.
At first, it seemed like Knuckles was the worst off among them due to his lack of a nose, but then I took a look at Dr. Robotnik (or Eggman, if you prefer that).
Not only does he not have his trademark mustache but he barely even seems to have a face anymore. Did a dog chew on him or something?
Based on how gnarly it looks, it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that this cutting board is 50 years old.
As for why one part of it seems to be in better shape than the rest, that apparently has to do with the fact that it was was covered by a dryer rack for a long time.
This picture not only illustrates how much this computer desk has been used but also how its user tends to sit.
I have to admit, mine looks very similar to this one and I don’t even have the quarantine as an excuse for that.
If you’re wondering what was happening to a toilet for its brush to look like this after a year, it’s worth noting that looks can be deceiving.
That’s because this is actually a baby bottle brush that is a lot smaller than it appears. But what is easy to see is why the uploader bought a replacement.
It’s unclear how old this baseball scoreboard is but there’s a pretty big sign that it’s been here for a while.
Namely, the fact that the Pepsi logo next to the scores has lost all of its color and barely looks recognizable.
If the name wasn’t still legible, I’m not sure we’d ever guess what’s that supposed to be.
This scale may look pretty rough but it’s honestly aged pretty well considering that it’s been in use for 102 years.
However, even a tool as resilient as this one has to retire at some point. And as we can see from that red tag, that time has finally come for this scale as it’s been condemned.
The broom on the right looks oddly stylish but that’s just how it happened to wear down after four years of use.
Presumably, it looked a lot more like the new one at first and it really is wild to see how many bristles a broom can lose while still being able to do its job.
The rip in this phone case apparently didn’t result from anything but the way it swung from the uploader’s belt for a year.
And although they’ve clearly replaced it, the clip is still doing better than mine, which came off in one fell swoop when I sat down in a chair that had tighter arms than I thought.
Based on how frayed it appears, I wouldn’t be surprised if this Tupac shirt is over 20 years old by now.
The uploader was coy on when they got it but I can’t help but notice that it’s looking a lot like the Bart Simpson shirt I’ve kept since childhood.
Wear-and-tear is inevitable but there are some things that are much more negatively affected by it than others.
For instance, it’s a little easier to figure out the security codes on keypads like these when you have a clear picture of which numbers people actually use.
Even subtle differences can matter a great deal in how effectively something can be used.
For example, we can see only a difference in a couple of millimeters when it comes to how the tips of these highlighters are aligned.
But you can bet that the one on the right will work so much better than the one on the left.
The longer something scrapes against a wall or a frame, the more of an impact it’s sure to make.
As we can see, this chain has practically polished itself over the years and done even more of a number on the door frame.
That’s to be expected when it’s been dangling here since the 1960s, though.
Considering this toy Land Rover has been with the uploader since 1987, it seems they’ve taken decent care of it.
It’s certainly doing better than one toy car I had as a kid that was run over by a real one.
Fortunately, I thought that made it look cool so I didn’t cry over it and I’m pretty sure I still have it.
By a similar token, the uploader’s pocket has apparently been a pretty secure place for this little flashlight.
That’s because it only looks slightly banged up despite spending about a decade in there. And of course, the important thing is that it still works.
Although it’s unclear how long the uploader’s dog has been enjoying this toy, it certainly looks like it’s been well-loved.
It also looks like it has a softer, sadder look in its eye than the brand new one, which actually endears it to me even more.
No wonder Eeyore is my favorite Winnie the Pooh character.
This person doesn’t remember how old their keyboard is but they must have been using it for a while if it looks like this.
Or as one commenter put it, “Do you type with knives?”
And considering that even my heavy typing style hasn’t affected my keyboards more than wearing the letter markings off some of the keys, I’m inclined to wonder that as well.
This has more to do with dirt than damage but this fan has definitely seen some better days.
This is a smokehouse used to smoke salmon, so the dirt we’re seeing apparently has a lot of seasoning in it.
At least, that’s presumably why the uploader’s dogs went crazy licking it when the fan fell over once.
When it comes to wear-and-tear, it seems that phone cases can give about as well as they get.
After all, the case you see here is the culprit for all the distressing we’re seeing on the uploader’s jeans.
Friction can be a harsh mistress sometimes.
