18+ Photos Showing How Ordinary Objects Can Grow Old Too

If there is one thing we can neither deny nor slow down, it is the rhythm of the hands of a clock. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, go by quickly and leave traces not only on people, but also on things. This is how objects are transformed with the passing of time and how they change their shape, color, and appearance so much that they seem unrecognizable when compared to a new specimen.

Bright Side prepared this list of photographs that illustrates very well the effects of the passage of time on everyday objects.

1. “This carpet (bought in 1992) lost its red where it was exposed to sunlight.”

2. “They served me well for 6 years, but it was time. $220 plus a $60 resole a couple of years ago from the local cobbler. Looking forward to another 6 years. I’ve blown through $200+ Red Wings and Timberlands in months, but these never failed me. (The holes happened a few months ago.)”

3. “My wood-fired oven brush after a year of heavy use vs A new one.”

4. “5 years, time to retire the Coast. Can’t find the same model, but here is its replacement. Thanks for never leaving me in the dark!”

5. “New Vans vs Old Vans. Wish I could remember how many years I wore the old ones. Please don’t mind the dirty floors of my old camper van, LOL. This was taken in 2017 while traveling — stopped in Flagstaff, AZ to pick up a new pair!”

6. “Water heater elements”

7. “New apron after 9 months of part-time work”

8. “Replaced my partner’s 23-year-old wallet with a slightly used version.”

9. “Perfect gradient, effect of chlorine over one year on pool towels at the hotel where I work.”

10. “2 and a half years in the Pilbara desert vs Brand new”

11. “A Lego I built when I was a kid, based on a catalog picture vs. The actual Lego set I bought 15 years later”

12. “11 years’ worth of hiding my mistakes”

13. “These glasses cases: One carried every day in my pocket for a year or so”

14. “This is the same doll, one after 32 years of love, the other still pristine.”

15. “2-year-old vs 2-week-old cookie sheet ”

16. “14 years of clanging against food & water dishes”

17. “I cleaned my dad’s 30-year-old leather chair.”

18. “I only use 4 buttons on my microwave.”

19. “A wind-up music toy from my mom’s childhood (1960s) and one my toddler got for Christmas”

What situations or objects in your everyday life do you think best depict the passage of time? We want to see your photos!