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Saturday, September 26, 2026Est. 2026. Most of what's in here is older.

Don't fix it if it ain't broke

Still Running / Around the house

No. 0099Around the house

1920

Star-Rite electric fan

Star-Rite

Running 106 years

$75 from a local ad, 100 years old that month

An early General Electric desk fan with brass blades, from the first decades of the 20th century. Not a Star-Rite, and not the one in the story. — An early General Electric desk fan with brass blades, from the first decades of the 20th century. Not a Star-Rite, and not the one in the story. Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0. The real one is in the original post.

A local ad, $75, and this 1920 Star Rite fan went home. It turned 100 the month of the post. The motor windings were intact. The only thing replaced was the cord to the wall, since its waxed cotton sleeve had cracked and frayed, and a reproduction went on. Brass polish and a cloth did the rest. It runs on hot days from a high shelf.

Retold from a post on r/BuyItForLife. Read the original

More from Around the house

No. 0029Around the house

Rheem water heater

Only checked its age when the hot water stopped A Rheem electric water heater, much newer than the one in the story.

A Rheem electric water heater, much newer than the one in the story.

Running 46 years

No. 0096Around the house

Singer sewing machine, Sphinx decals

Priced as a 1940s machine, the serial said 1899 The gold Sphinx decals on the arm of an old Singer Model 27. Not the machine in the story.

The gold Sphinx decals on the arm of an old Singer Model 27. Not the machine in the story.

Running 127 years

No. 0097Around the house

Electric sewing machine with knee control

A knee lever, and a cord you wired your own plug to An old Singer Model 128 sewing machine fitted with an electric motor, on its bentwood case base. Not the one in the story.

An old Singer Model 128 sewing machine fitted with an electric motor, on its bentwood case base. Not the one in the story.

Running 101 years

No. 0030Around the house

Carpet sweeper

Played with it as a kid, so Grandma handed it over A Leifheit carpet sweeper, newer than the one in the story but built on the same idea: push it and the brushes turn.

A Leifheit carpet sweeper, newer than the one in the story but built on the same idea: push it and the brushes turn.

Running about 66 years