Some folks see time from an existential perspective, a ceaseless force that can not be escaped and which will eventually consume all. But, setting that aside, time also has all sorts of interesting effects on the world around us.
We’ve gathered some cool and curious examples of how time affects everyday items. We got in touch with Carolyn Becker, artist, thrifter, and creative to learn more about the value of old things in a practical way. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, and share your thoughts below.
#1 My Coworker Is Still Using The Same Post-It Note For 2 Years To Check His Pens
Image credits: SolarcatStarshine
#2 6 Lines On My Fingernails, One For Each Chemo Session I Had Recently
Image credits: Rowadd
#3 A Chunk Of My Red Hair From When I Was 16 Compared To My Faded With Time Hair Now That I'm 27
Red hair tends to lose its redness over time, it's very common.
Image credits: fiori_
Bored Panda got in touch with Carolyn Becker, artist, thrifter, and creative from Findingyourgood.org to learn more about thrifting, old items, and how it affects the world around us. Naturally, we wanted to know how she got into thrifting in the first place.
“I sometimes joke that I was born at a nonprofit Goodwill store! I’ve been thrifting my whole life, ever since I was a kid in the ‘90s. My parents would take my brother and me thrifting for necessities and clothing for school. For us, it was the economical thing to do and a no-brainer way to save money for other life priorities.”
#4 Steps Leading Up To The Old Wall Around Dinkelsbühl, Germany
Image credits: blaarfengaar
#5 Blanket With 25 Years Of Love That’s Being Put Away For Safe Keeping vs. An Unused Version My Spouse Surprised Me With
Image credits: mossy_vee
#6 My Mom's Dog Can Open The Door, And This Is Where Her Paw Has Worn Down The Wall Over The Years
Image credits: kamicham
“I sometimes think back, with regret, about all the vintage I saw and didn’t think of buying as a teen. The memory of the acid-washed jeans that I passed on live rent-free in my brain. The only Abercrombie I ever wore came straight from a Goodwill store.” While this might seem like looking for a needle in a haystack, it’s more possible than you might think.
#7 My 2-Decades-Old Water Bottle Gave Out Last Week, And Nalgene Just Sent The Replacement
I don’t know how many metric tons of water I consumed out of this, how many miles it traveled with me, or the number of times it tumbled down a rocky trail, but the answer to all of them is a lot. It finally met its demise last week when it fell out of my stationary car. I reached out to Nalgene, and their replacement just arrived. I don’t have much customer loyalty, but Nalgene is pretty great.
Image credits: chrislon_geo
#8 This Rug In The Old City Center Of Cluj-Napoca
Image credits: reddit.com
#9 My New Prosthetic Foot Shell Versus The One I Walked On For Two Years
Image credits: stalnoypirat
Naturally, given the “risks” involved, we were curious to hear what exactly she liked about thrifting so much. “Personally, I love thrifting for so many reasons….I could write a whole book. As a petite woman, it’s very difficult to find clothing in my style that fits me just right. Thrifting has opened up the opportunity for me to find the uniquely sized pieces that fit just right (thank you, small Grandmas, with stellar retro wardrobes) and/or experiment without breaking the bank. Since thrift finds also cost close to nothing, I can use the money saved to alter/tailor pieces that I can truly enjoy forever.”
#10 This Spoon Has Been In My Family For About 70 Years, And Still Going Strong
Image credits: mandy563
#11 27 Years Of Daily Cuddling Including Many Attempts To Repair Him
Image credits: EquiinoX96
#12 Every Pencil I've Used Up In The Last 3 Semesters
Image credits: Ghostie20
“Thrifting is also, for me, self-care, a way to be in a flow state, looking, perusing, and vibing. The thrift community is diverse and enriching. I learn so much from the people I thrift with and simply see at Goodwill. Thrifting is for everyone, and I am always surprised and delighted by the people I meet,” she shared with Bored Panda. In general, there are a lot of interesting examples out there of the strange things people collect.
#13 This Stand At A Restaurant Has A New Candle Placed One After The Other
Image credits: DavyCrockPot19
#14 Brand New Pikachu Replacing Its 15-Year-Old Sun-Bleached Cousin
Image credits: AmazingDevo
#15 Floor In Front Of The Counter At The Pharmacy I Go To
Image credits: KnightBourne
“I have new creative ideas when thrifting, inspired by finds that come from the past and present. Learning: I love learning about the history of my community, human behavior, fashion music….everything via thrifting.” While this might seem counterintuitive, there is a whole list of interesting ideas from the past, just waiting to be rediscovered.
#16 My Daughter’s Favorite Stuffed Animal “Scratch” vs. The New Backup Replacement
Image credits: ProfessionalFox9617
#17 2-Year Difference
Image credits: meiiodv
#18 Strasbourg Cathedral
Image credits: DontTouchGrandad
“Giving back to others feeds my soul and I love knowing that when I use my dollar to support nonprofits like Goodwill, I am truly helping others in need and important missions. Our purchases have power and shape the world we want to live in! Thrifting benefits the environment in so many ways we don’t realize or think about.”
#19 Step At Westminster Abbey
Image credits: starlight_aesthete
#20 The Difference Between A Brand New Sketchbook And A Full One (The Same Exact Sketchbook)
Image credits: luvmell
#21 How Sun-Bleached These VHS Tapes Are. The Whole Display Was The Same
Image credits: HarryWWII
“Thrifting reduces the transport needed in fast fashion, shipping, and trucking items from factories to store floors. It keeps items out of local landfills. Reuse means not using land or the planet’s vital resources to make new pieces that won’t last. More thrifting = less plastic and packaging used on new fast-fashion pieces The list is endless!”
#22 18-Year-Old Tyvek (Never-Tear Paper) Wallet Next To A Brand New One
Image credits: RoverTBiggs182
#23 The Hoodie I Am Wearing When Working From Home, Window Is On The Left Of The Desk
Image credits: latflickr
#24 Before And After Water Filters From The Water System At My Work. 7 Days Of Use
Image credits: foco_del_fuego
Last, but not least, we were curious to hear if she had any best finds in her long and illustrious experience. “So many! I once found a whole lot of vintage designer pieces on a Goodwill rack. Think Chanel blazer, quilted Yves Saint Laurent….there must have been 20 pieces…many I still have ‘til this day. As of recent, I found a vintage leather ‘70s poncho for less than $15 at Goodwill in Gaithersburg, MD. It’s intricately designed and could be in a museum!” You can find more of Carolyn Becker’s work on Instagram or her website.
#25 Brand New Work Boots And The 6-Year-Old Boots They’re Replacing
Image credits: myovarieshurt
#26 These Stairs In A Church Bell Tower
Image credits: highvolkage
#27 Winnie-The-Pooh Baby Blanket: New vs. 21 Years Of Use
Image credits: PieLover6699
#28 My Finger After I Finally Got Off A Ring That’s Been On For 2,5 Years Straight
Image credits: AndersonZR
#29 The Way These Door Handles Have Worn Down The Wall They Hit
Image credits: beefytrailmix
#30 This Worn-Out Road After Buses Stopping There Every 1-4 Minutes
Image credits: Legal-Philosophy-445
#31 My Work Overalls When I First Thrifted Them In November 2020 vs. April 2023
Image credits: mightymarmalade
#32 My Scrub Daddy
Image credits: VB4
#33 Behavioral Biases. Distribution Is Pretty Normal, But 95 Always Rounds To 100
Image credits: NunoClara_
#34 Cards After Being Played With For Almost 20 Years
Image credits: No_Driver_1655
#35 Old vs. New Chocolate Chips
Image credits: ChairsAreIdiots
#36 The Remains Of This Hammer Stuck In Asphalt
Image credits: marmosetohmarmoset
#37 3.5-Year-Old Wire Brush Used Every Day Compared To A Brand New One
Image credits: AusiiM
#38 My Baby Blanket. I’m 22 And Can’t Sleep Without It
Image credits: Standard_Honeydew909
#39 The Pristine Q On My Keyboard Cover After 5 Years Of Use
Image credits: twinightstream7
#40 I Saw People Sharing Their Wear And Thought I’d Share The Wear On My Almost 10-Year-Old Docs
Image credits: wafflebuggy
#41 New Hat vs. 1 Year Of Regular Use. They Started Out The Same Color
Image credits: GEN_DISCOMFORT
#42 People Have A Favorite Soda At This Taco Bell
Image credits: sewermans
#43 The Effects Of Himalayan Sea Salt On A Book
Image credits: vleetv
#44 The Wear On My Clipboard After Three Years Of Taking Data For Speech Therapy
Image credits: manateesocks
#45 This Old Worn Key vs. A Freshly Cut One For The Same Vehicle
Image credits: Vespyre
#46 My Partner's Headphone Dent From Gaming
Image credits: TheBadWife_
#47 My Wife And I Got This LEGO Figure At The Same Time. She Keeps Her Keys (Right) In Her Purse And I Keep Mine (Left) In My Pocket
Image credits: smashing767
#48 This Shift Knob Is From A Work Truck
Image credits: ilaughforaliving
#49 One Of My Mom's Snow Globes Has Gone Black
Image credits: Shakespearoquai
#50 Lifecycle Of A Sponge: 3 Days, 3 Weeks, 3 Months
Image credits: kol990
