What item did you "buy for life?"

1999 Toyota Tacoma. A dinky two-door job. Still running. It's old enough to buy itself a drink. Has a shell on the back. I'm the kind of guy who runs the car until it runs no more or isn't cost affordable. Get regular oil changes, general maintenance, nothing spectacular. A life utility vehicle. Little rusty around the edges, and definitely a car for an old dude who doesn't have to impress the chicks. As a matter of fact, it tends to attract older guys, like me, who walk up and say "that is such a cool truck."

My 30 year old Teva sandals are still going strong

EDIT: Also my 25 year old DeWalt cordless drills. Original batteries and everything.

I bought a nice Jansport backpack in 5th-6th grade, and it's still going strong in my 30s. It's been through years of school, college, and a family member took it when they had to do a military tour in Iraq. Still going strong, not a single tear.

Sync Ultra for Reddit. So, yeah.

Not the developers fault though.

Safety razor. Bought one for 30 EUR over a decade ago, and it's showing no signs of wear. Razor blades are cheap too. I have no clue why razors with proprietary blades are so popular nowadays.

Kindle Paperwhite Technically was gifted to me, but I got it at least 7 years ago and it still holds up amazingly. I have to charge it a little more often, once every 2 months instead of like 2 times a year, but prob the only electronic I have that I have yet to replace.

Oh and my Ti-84+ that Ive had since hs and still works amazingly

Lego. I’m 55 and still have (most of) the Lego I played with as a child. My kids played with it, grew out of it, but I never did, and the bricks that are more than half a century old work just fine with the brand new bricks that I bought last week.

💀

Logitech Z-5500 Digital 5.1 Speaker System. Bought it on sale for about $250 back in 2005, I've used it for hours almost every day since then and still absolutely love it. The only issue I've ever had is the back-light of the control module breaking but it's just a minor annoyance, just need to shine a light on it at nighttime to see the screen.

1997 Ford Fiesta 1.2.

Still being driven by my offspring.

Until yesterday I would have said "my toaster". But after about 25 years of service or so the heating element finally broke and there are no more spare parts around. So I guess it's time to lay it to rest. It served me well.

Bought a lovesac sactional 15 years ago. Replaced the cushions and cushion covers once. Sides, bases and their covers are original. Best couch ever. Still looks futuristic. Lego Couch.

Stanley 1.4L Thermos.

Built like a tank, holds heat as well today as the first time I used it years ago.

Also, the Herman Miller Aeron chair. Bought one used for $250 a few years ago and use it every day and there has been no wear. That said, replacement parts are very easy to find online if something ever breaks.

I didn’t actually buy it, but I have a kitchen aid mixer that was a wedding gift to my parents, 6 or 8 years before I was born. I’m 36.

I also have some of my grandfather’s power tools that work fine despite being 40+ years old (tho I’m terrified every time I use them - the cords attach to the mechanicals with screws, and there are no failsafes - I don’t use them enough to spend hundreds on new ones)

All the stuff I “bought for life” myself has failed to live up to the hype. They really don’t make shit the way the used to.

A quality leather belt. Probably not for life, but already much much longer than any fake leather ones I had before.

That said, for tools I mostly go with the cheap stuff and so far most have lasted me well over a decade.

I bought a pair if Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro headphones at least 15 years ago. I still use them all the time. Just change the ear pads and headband whenever they get gross and they're just like new again.

Cast iron skillets

Metal roof

Composite deck

That may be it, I will probably outlive my other possessions.

Runners-up:

We are still using a Dyson vacuum that my uncle gave me, used, when he got a new one, at least 15 years ago. Longer I think, and don't know how long he used it before that. And just replaced my KitchenAid mixer with a bigger one and gave my old one to one of my kids, that was 25 years old and is still going strong.

My bike, a steel frame Genesis Croix de fer.

It's going well, I moved to another country where biking is not really possible so now my sister has been using it regularly and keeps it in good condition until I come back.

I used it for a few days last time I visited my family and it still has good as new.

Also a carbon steel pan and a second hand cast iron pot. No one was interested with the pan but my mom started using the pot after I left and now she's using it several times a week along with another one that belongs to my grand mother.

I also got a second hand "Baby Bjorn" bouncer, I don't know the original owner since it's been bought and sold several times already and I'm planning and selling it once my kid will be to old for it.

For me this is the ultimate test for "buy it for life" items. If it can move from people to people and everyone is extremely happy to use it since it's higher quality than non bifl items.

My great/granddad/uncle's woodworking tools and hammer. For my 17th birthday he just gave me a ton of them and I couldn't have been happier, they're made of really nice brass and spruce I think and they work wonders. Mfer says it's not worth much and proceeded to give me a tungsten carbide (world's sharpest alloy) plane that I maintain to this day. Also Beaver craft tools from Ukraine hold up pretty well and funnily enough come with a plaster because they're goofy goobers.

Wahl hair trimmer. No nonsense hair trimmer. Made in the US. Corded so don't have to worry about batteries failing. Been using it every couple of weeks for probably close to 15 years and only recently replaced it with another Wahl trimmer. Got my money's worth out of the first one many times over and would highly recommend it. I expect the new one to last a similar amount of time.

I still have the same TV I got as a kid in the late 80s! It works great except it has a line at the bottom of the screen but that goes away within about 5 minutes of powering it on. I hooked it up to a Roku and use it to watch old TV shows lol

Fountain pens. They hold up incredibly well, but...

...Then again, I keep buying them, and inks, and etc., so I'm not sure it qualifies as BIFL.

Hand planes, Japanese chisels (Nomi) and some other woodworking tools, mostly japanese. If you maintain them properly, they should hold up very very long.

My B&O landline telephone in 1982 1985. Didn't really pan out.

An American made walker mower. I don’t expect me or my son will ever need to buy another mower again.

Stanley hammer 30ish years ago - still going strong. (Actually I have numerous tools I’ve had for 30+ years)

Probably not for life but damn long for a tv - a Sony xbr lcd flatscreen 1080p 46” that’s 15+ years old and still going strong with daily use.

A pair of bogs boots, they seem indestructible.

A McDermott pool cue - about 35 years old

Cast iron pans

Orvis fly rod

I have a Columbia winter coat that’s 15 years old and used all the time. I actually hate how long it’s lasted, I want a new one but can’t justify it.

My house - it’s a good house that will certainly outlast me.

I think everything else will fail before I kick the bucket. There’s a few things that’ll last for a while - but not for life.

A big cast iron pan and two smaller carbon steel pans. I think I'll be able to pass them on to my grandkids.

Bought a 9 dollar cast iron from Walmart for a camping trip and I love it. I'm hoping it outlives me and it should with proper care. It's already been 4 years

Le Creuset pot - I got one for Christmas 2018 from my parents shortly after going to university and despite being used around 3 times a week since then with plenty of stews burnt onto the bottom it still looks like new

Easy. Leatherman Wave. Spent 80 bucks on it at least 10 years ago. I've used it to build furniture, repair glasses and electronics, breakdown boxes, open bottles, light duty wood processing/work on campsites and fix crappy cars. It all still works like new. You can have 1 tool in your car, and it can do about 90% of what a box full of tools can do.

Bought a belt and wallet from hanksbelts.com and they have aged very well! They come with a 100 year warranty so I'm sure if anything does happen I'll be covered, though I doubt they ever get destroyed in my lifetime.

Leatherman wave 10+ years EDC repaired once. Replaced a 20 year old Leatherman classic which I now keep in work apron. Wave has a blade lock and is superior.

AKG Q701 headphones. I have to resolder them every year or two, but they're infinitely repairable. I've tried many headphones over the years but nothing comes close to the quality.

DasKeyboard 4 Pro keyboard. I've typed on it so hard for so long that the key caps have started crumbling. Replaced all of the key caps for a few bucks and it's good as new.

PlanetBox lunchbox. It's like a metal lunch tray with a lid. Fully metal, nearly indestructible, rust proof.

A carabineer clip I got at Walmart in '06 for $1. I've used it every day for 17 years and all of the paint has rubbed off. It just won't die.

Leather wallet with limited space. Forces me to not carry too much. Also a quality built wallet that had lasted very well for the last 5 years... Admittedly I have been bad at maintaining the leather though.

Zojirushi steel drinking bottles. Holding up very well. Being able to completely disassemble and clean the components of the lid seals saves me from my worst habits.

Don’t get me started on my guitars

Everything I own, except the burial plot. I bought that for death.

Senator Menendez - we'll have to wait just a little to see how well the investment turns out

Lodge cast iron pans Wolverine boots Steelcase office chair (caveat, had go buy new arm pads after 8 years) Boos block cutting board has been holding up damn near daily chopping

Red Wings work boots. The quality has admittedly gone down a lot in the past decade but it's still leaps and bounds better than any other off-the-shelf work boot. Saving up for a pair made by a PNW bootmaker, but my 4 year old 877s keep going

Dualit classic toaster. Was replacing Breville and other brand toasters every 18 months or so.

Dualit cost more than twice my previous fancy units. So far, it has lasted 5 years, of nearly twice daily use. All parts repairable or replaceable, but haven't needed to yet.

Bunn coffee maker from 1970s.

Grandfather had it... great uncle had it... dad had it.. I had it.. now Dad has it again.

Bought my 1st watch in '85, simple analog/digital display commodore and it still works.

Stax SR-007A headphones (Sorry Stax mafia, I meant Ear Speakers 😰).

I used to buy headphones and IEMs like crazy and I was never satisfied. There was always something nagging me, I could never find a pair of headphones that sounded "perfect" with all types of music so I'd have a selection of headphones that I'd use for specific genres. Now I only have this one pair and a second pair I kept for guests to use on my guest gaming rig.

Thankfully good audio gear doesn't really lose much value so I didn't end up losing all that much money over the years of buying headphones but it's nice to not have to think about it anymore and just enjoy the music. Headphone addicts will understand lol.

Alden 405 "Indy boots"

I got them in 2004 and they've been resoled once. That works out to about $13 a year

More frugal than buy-for-life but: good shoes. Twice the price but they last way longer. It's cheaper in the end.

My Stanley thermos is as good as the day I bought it

Some of my BIFL:

I seem to lose Swiss Army Knives before they wear out or break. On my 3rd or 4th one now and trying to hang on to it.

I still have my Atari 2600 from when I was a kid. And many more cartridges than I had before. The CRT I played it on still works too.

Various tools like vice grips, hammers, corded drills, table saw, and circular saw.

Bare and enameled cast iron pots and pans.

Several tents. The oldest one is a Coleman Oasis canvas tent I used growing up. HUGE tent - 12' at the peak and about 12'x12'.

I don't plan to keep it for life, but I have a wallet from the Buffalo Billfold Company. Bison and very durable. I think mine is the hipster.

A KitchenAid mixer.

An old one.

Technically, we bought two - from goodwill. We cannibalized them for parts, cleaned and lubed all the machinery and reassembled one functioning Frankenmixer. It's been running with no problems for over fifteen years now - and the parts were from the seventies to begin with!