[tomspoumn]

Big or small, expensive or worth pennies, what item or items have you owned the longest.

Off hand, I can currently think of 3 that I've had for quite a while.

When I was a teenager, I used to do a lot of beach combing after every storm, because there were always tons of different things that used to get thrown up onto the beach.

One of those items was a windsurfer strap cushion, like one of those seatbelt cushions that wraps around the belt and protects your shoulder.

I found it when I was about 13 yrs old and I still have it 28 yrs later, its almost as good as when I first found it and its gone on the seatbelts of every car I've owned over the last 13 years or so, its also much longer than a normal seatbelt cushion and thus is more comfortable.

The second item I have is a blue and silver ring that I found on Llandudno promenade when I was 16 yrs old, I saw it glinting in the sun, and picked it up and stuck it in my pocket, where it remained for several weeks until my mother found it after washing my jeans, I never bothered handing it into the Police, as I thought, although it was a nice looking ring it was low value, So maybe no one would report it lost.

Anyway, I've still got that ring, and although it doesn't fit my finger/s anymore its attached to my car key ring.

The 3rd Item I have is my Ninja-to (or ninja sword), I was working on a course in Wrexham, when I was 17 yrs old and me and a mate, found a sex shop tucked into some back alley, so we ventured in and had a look around, and on the cashiers desk was a ton of different Ninjutsu magazines from the USA, I'm guessing they might have been illegal in the UK, Anyway above the cashiers counter on the wall behind was a Ninja sword.

The guy behind the counter said he'd ordered a ton of the magazines from america as well as the ninja sword, cos he liked the look of it.

Anyway, He let me have a look at it, and it seemed well made, the blade was 440 stainless steel and as close to razor sharp as it could be and it even had a half tang (which is uncommon in "wallhangers", as they usually have a "rat tail" tang in their wooden grip), So anyway, I made an offer for the sword, which he refused, but after much bartering I managed to get the sword for £150.
At that time I was mad into Japan and Ninja's etc, so I probably would have given my left bollock for the sword if it had come to it.

Anyway, the sword has served me well and I still have it 24 yrs later, its a little rough around the edges, the cord from the handle has been replaced about 6 times, worn down from the 10's of 1000's of hours of training, but it still cuts as well as it did when I first got it.
I'm currently in the process of replacing the scabbard, which has cracked in a few places, with a "shira saya", (plain wooden scabbard, like Zatoichi has), and I Have the piece of wood ready to be planed into shape.

I'm sure I have a couple more too, pretty sure I have an 1965 edition of Mayfair, which was a sex magazine, like Playboy, that my dad gave me when I was 16 yrs old (I'd already found the rest of his stash of mags in the airing cupboard).

So what have you guys got hidden away ?? (bodies/skeletons excluded).

Or are you not as as keen a hoarder as me, cos I rarely chuck stuff out, even if my wife thinks its crap, I still think I might have a use for it in 30 yrs or so.