Hanging out at Green Thing HQ with Katee earlier this week reminded me that I’ve been thinking for a while about the items I own that have lasted longer than I thought they would. Buying new stuff — and manufacturers designing in obsolescence — has to be one of the most damaging aspects of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. So here goes:
Cambridge Audio Amplifier — bought when my student loan arrived I seem to remember from Richer Sounds in Nottingham in 1996.
JPW Minimonitor speakers — little beauties bought with the amp above. The Technics CD player hasn’t made it but the amp, speakers and cables are still going strong.
Raleigh Kalahari bike — bough when I was 14 I think so now 18 years old. Has had new brakes, a new saddle, new wheels and several sets of tyres. Still going strong though.
Balzano Carmencita stove top espresso — I’ve probably used this 3 or four times a week for 9 years. I bought it from Tinderbox in London fairly shortly after it opened (I think in 2001). I haven’t seen one anywhere else and can’t really find any trace of them online.
Apple Powerbook G4 — Can’t quite remember where I bought this but I think it was in 2004. I did buy a new battery for it a few years ago from eBay but it’s held up remarkably well. I don’t use it as a workhorse anymore — it now really just sits at home and runs Spotify.
