Nothing is immune to the wear and tear of time. From precious childhood teddies to the floors we walk on – the mark of life long-lived is present in everything. Some of the worn-down items on this list might make you wonder, “why didn’t they replace it earlier?!”. But these cool photos represent more than everyday use, and they are living reminders of stories that must have happened over the period of time. If only they could talk…
Check out these captivating before and after images compiled by Bored Panda of worn-out things that all have their tales to tell, and don’t forget to vote for your favorite of all these interesting things! Also, check out our previous post for more!
#1 How Time Just Flies By
Image source: Import
#2 This Whole Brick Wall Which Has Been Shaped By The Sea
Image source: Love_Land90
#3 In 1995, My Great-Aunt Gave Me A Stuffed Cat. It Was My Absolute Favorite, And Slept With Me Every Night Through My Childhood. When She Passed, We Found Out She Had Bought An Identical Cat And Kept It In Pristine Condition For Two Decades. The Years Of Love Certainly Left Their Mark.
Image source: Connguy
#4 Picture Of The Same Woman Before And After 48 Years
Image source: Bobby Neel Adams
#5 Mother Tombstone In The Old Burying Ground, Wakefield, Ma. Love How The Tree Is Now Hugging Her
#6 Centuries Of Use (La Meauffe, Manche, France)
Image source: 20WaysToEatASandwich
#7 My Dads Cat Has Been Scratching The Same Leg Of This Bench For The Past Decade
Image source: VitaminTHC420
#8 A Bicycle Was Left Chained To A Tree
Image source: Ethan Welty
#9 The Way The Floor Has Faded In Near Perfect Semi-Circles At This Barber Shop
Image source: maosaysmiao
#10 Trinity Abbey In My Home Town, Mid-Cleaning
Image source: emissaryofwinds
#11 Six Months Of Buildup In A Pipe Used For A Mineral Pool Spa
Image source: GhostalMedia
#12 My Best Friend From 33 Years Ago And A New Old Stock One My Pop Got For My Baby Son
Image source: gingerbreadporter
#13 WWI Trench 95 Years Later
Image source: Pimping_NZ
#14 What Happens When You Peel Off 30 Years Of Graffiti? You Get A Layered Timeline Of 30 Years, Just Like A Tree But Made Out Of Spray Can Paint. That Is The Wall (And Part) I Took It From
Image source: PaulDeGraaf
#15 Ghosts Of Union Station
Image source: bradv1977
#16 My Grandfather’s Screwdriver
Image source: mrkporto
#17 This Tree Holding Up Stones From A Collapsed Wall
Image source: vaj-tastic_voyage
#18 These Sand Bags From 40+ Years Ago Are Now Solid Rock
Image source: thegreywolf17
#19 Each Bottle Is The Same Whiskey Matured In The Cask For One Year More Than The Last
Image source: Mystic_L
#20 A Silver Dollar That My Great Grandfather Carried In His Pocket For 20 Years Until The Day He Passed Away
Image source: jbmn67
#21 Veteran Great White
Image source: Scopolamina
#22 This Light Post Is Outside Of A Popular Music Club In New Orleans. After 40 Years Of Having Band Flyers Stapled To It, There’s No More Room
Image source: markeees
#23 One Pillowcase Has Been Used Nearly Everyday For 40 Years. The Other Has Been In A Closet
Image source: olives4me
#24 The Difference In Shoe Wear Between My Regular Foot And My Prosthetic Foot After A Year
Image source: The51stState
#25 An Old CRT TV Screen That Has Seen A Lot Of Pacman
Image source: Do_not_dare_give_up
#26 Bronze Statue Of Iconic Ballerina, Margot Fonteyn, At The Royal Ballet School In London. Ballet Students Touch The Middle Finger For Luck Each Time They Walk Past
Image source: schuhlelewis, epsomwi
#27 Heard You Guys Like Old Stuffed Animal Stories. On The Left Is My First (Now Un)stuffed Animal I️ Received For Christmas 29 Years Ago. On The Right, The New Fraffy My Mom Tracked Down To Give To My 8 Month Old Son For His First Christmas. I️ Can’t Believe He Used To Have Horns!
Image source: robonick
#28 This Church In Detroit, Mi Hasn’t Been Cleaned Since It Was Built 134 Years Ago. I Always Thought The Stone Was Black
Image source: DetroitStalker
#29 Superstition
Image source: one_finger_salute
#30 My Bedroom Wall Has An Outline From My Dog Sleeping In The Same Spot And Position For Years
Image source: Oclaf11
#31 Two Cars Left Somewhere In The Woods Of Japan For Years
Image source: Kaneko Amury
#32 Buddy At Work Has A Very Worn Out Id Card And It’s Kinda The Scariest Thing I’ve Ever Seen
Image source: ColonelDredd
#33 The Men’s Bathroom Door Vs The Women’s At My Engineering University
Image source: parth096
#34 These Trees Are Curved Due To The Constant Airflow From Nearby Exhaust Vents
Image source: train_global
#35 A Tale Of 2 Teddies – My Sister And I Both Got Them At The Same Time, ~18 Years Ago
Image source: princeapalia
#36 My Paint Mixing Stick Got Heavy After 10 Years Of Use So I Cut The End Off
Image source: Ariandavis
#37 Old Public Piano Has Its Pedal Worn Away From Constant Use
Image source: triatath
#38 Iron Chef Morimoto’s Knives. Top Is A New Knife. Bottom Is After 3 Years Of Use, Sharpening, And Cleaning At His Restaurant
Image source: ViagraAndSweatpants
#39 This Tree Grew Through A Fence And Still Has The Markings
Image source: guidothedog
#40 I Left This CD Sitting In My Car For Over A Year. The Sun Made This Crazy Design On It
Image source: mjs6181
#41 A Gravestone And A Tree Blended Together
Image source: Adam Clarke
#42 After Six Rounds Of Chemotherapy, My Mother-In-Law’s Nails Look Like Tree Rings
Image source: TF_Biochemist
#43 Here Are Some More Worn Steps. Great Wall Of China
Image source: jandj275
#44 Willie Nelson’s Guitar “Trigger” After About 45 Years Of Use
Image source: thetripwirenyc
#45 Took This Pic On The Angel’s Landing Hike At Zion National Park. People Hold On To The Chain As They Climb To The Top Because The Route Is On The Edge Of A Cliff. The Chain Has Worn The Rock Away
Image source: EnumuShiki
#46 Footsteps Used By Children For Years (Donnelly’s Hollow, Ireland)
Image source: Rory-mcfc
#47 My Hats, Past Present And Future
Image source: TheSethsquatch
#48 Foot Holds Deeply Worn Into The Volcanic Rock Along The Trail At Tsankawi, A Popular Hiking Area
#49 The Flooring At This Cafe Has Been Worn Down By The Feet Of Customers Over The Years
Image source: oupharmrx
#50 Pete’s Feet – Inside St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Pilgrims Have Been Touching And Kissing The Statue’s Feet For Centuries
Image source: Warren Martil, twoyeartrip
#51 10 Years In Service. Finally Retired. May The Force Be With You
Image source: FerroLad
#52 This Mayan Calendar Has Slowly Dragged The Nail Down The Wall
Image source: Knight2nite
#53 The Textured Floor Of This Train In Paris I Was On Today Has Been Worn Completley Smooth
Image source: archie_dog
#54 A Cinderblock That Washed Up On The Beach After A Bit Of Time Tumbling Around In The Ocean Currents
Image source: vicroll91
#55 This Exterior Corner Next To The Front Door Of The Local Bike Shop Shows Significant Wear From The Last 30 Some Years Of Customers Striking It With Their Pedals
Image source: limetime
#56 This Parking Lot Used To Be Some Sort Of Building. Instead Of Removing The Old Tile Floor, They Simply Paved Over It
Image source: anjack9
#57 Road Was Closed For A Very Long Time
Image source: reddit.com
#58 This Touchpad Is So Worn Out That You Can See What’s Beneath The Paint
Image source: Daniel_Laixer
#59 Twelve Years Of Everyday Use Vs The Once A Year Leaf
Image source: iambrownman
#60 The Marks On The Floor Of This Bathroom Are A Perfect Demonstration Of “The Bro Code.”
Image source: Pasalacquanian
#61 Customer States He Feels Slipping While Riding
Image source: TheThistleSifter
#62 Wife Suggested I Power Wash The Fence. For Some Reason I Was Not Prepared For The Difference
Image source: uhmerikin
#63 The Bricks On This Wall Are A Different Style And Colour Where An Older Building Was Once Attached
Image source: Levangeline
#64 My Gf Is A Transcriptionist. All The Letters On Her Keyboard Are Completely Worn Off
Image source: Buetti
#65 Steps Near My House
Image source: Cletus101
#66 Today My Grandmother Was Still Using This Cookbook She Received 70 Years Ago From Her Mother
Image source: TheSealClubber
#67 Shovel My Dad Has Been Using For Snow For ~20 Years
Image source: TLiddi
#68 This (Still Working) Garage Key
Image source: Dungeonmeat
#69 Baskets Sun Bleached In Correlation With Frequency Of Use
Image source: ausgekugelt
#70 This Root Across The Trail Has Been Polished From Constant Foot Traffic
Image source: King_Baboon
#71 Wall Gets Worn After Years Of Swiping Cards
Image source: Sparkle_Fart
#72 Same Towel Design, 16 Years Apart
Image source: countingfromzero
#73 Hard Working Ballet Dancer Shoes
Image source: Harvey Edwards
#74 Same Knobs, 50 Years Apart
Image source: gocougs8118
#75 A Wall Disappearing Around A Dart Board In A Bar In Copenhagen
Image source: Fire-Ze-Missiles
#76 My Retired Hiking Poles After ~2000 Miles Vs My New Ones Of The Same Model
Image source: Ihavesomanyyo
#77 Tow Rope Marks. These Are Marks Left From When Canal Barges Were Pulled By Horses, Up To About 100 Years Ago
Image source: reggie-drax
#78 A Square Fence Post Has Rotted To The Form Of It’s Younger Self
Image source: MATMAN333
#79 This Wall Is Worn Down From Years Of Customers Resting Against It
Image source: DevinDTA
#80 Book Shelter Bent Down From The Weight Of Old Document Binders
Image source: Christian Richter
#81 The Seat Belt Warning On This Bus Is Worn, Now The Figure Appears To Have Luscious Locks
Image source: JoKer730
#82 The D20s My Dad Bought In 1977 And My Brother Used Through Middle School In The 80’s
Image source: 70ms
#83 The Way Toes Have Appeared On My Worn Out Shoes.
Image source: Questgen
#84 The Amount Of Wear On This Disney World Hook
Image source: Austin117
#85 The Way That Everything Except The Letters Has Worn Away/disintegrated On This Notice
Image source: LordDoubleChin
#86 Due To Years Of Beaver Damage, This Tree Now Looks Like It Is Melting
Image source: hoikarnage
#87 Years Of Pointing Has Rubbed Away The “You Are Here” Mark
Image source: smpowersasaurus89
#88 Locked Vs Unlocked Door Handle At My University
Image source: Realtrain
#89 The Key For My Bike Vs. The Spare. The Worn One Still Works
Image source: MrBongoLover
#90 Progression Of Coral Growing On Underwater Woman Sculpture
Image source: Jason DeCaires Taylor
#91 Only The Left Handle Has Scratches Because Of Wedding Rings
Image source: HYPHYBRO
#92 I Bought The Same Wallet Twice In 2006. One I Used For 10 Years, The Other One I Saved Until Today
Image source: tr0ymcclur3
#93 My Socks Have Worn Down So That They Look Like Sad Faces
Image source: Ralakhala
#94 My Faded Shirt
Image source: Tyqmn
#95 The Difference A Decade On Mars Makes
Image source: Ghost_Animator
#96 The Way This Bathroom Lock Has Worn The Door Over The Years
Image source: Skrimp69
#97 This Area Of Discoloration On The Wall From My Two Cats Rubbing Their Faces/Scent Glands Over The Years
Image source: IMADINNERJACKET
#98 Bicycle Tire After Seven Years And 9,500 Km Versus Its Brand-New Replacement
Image source: emilydm
#99 This Step Into The Clubhouse Of My Local Golf Course
Image source: mustard_is_nasty
#100 A Pitchfork, Used By A Left-Handed For Over 20 Years
Image source: xxluddixx
#101 I Found Some Well Worn Stairs In An Old Castle In Germany
Image source: w4ynepain
#102 Edc Notebook Of A Year Vs New
Image source: aky5214
#103 New Welding Gloves Vs Old Ones
Image source: BigHands66
#104 This Tap Has Worn So It Looks Like It Dispenses Cola
Image source: glanshruber
#105 The Restaurant I Work At Gave Me A New Apron Today
Image source: Jinx-the-MadQueen
#106 This Is What Nearly 20 Years Of Nuke Testing Did To A Patch Of Desert In Nevada. Only A Small Fraction Was On The Surface, And Over A Thousand Nuclear Detonations Were Carried Out Altogether
Image source: Flea0
#107 This Tray Only Used To Make Lasagne Is Wellworn
Image source: ThomasNichum
#108 I Used This Mouse For So Long, I Wore A Thumb-Groove Into It
Image source: yinyang107
#109 At Some Point In The Early 1900s, This Colorful Sozodont Advertisement Went Up On The Side Of A Stately Building. Sozodont Fell Out Of Favor In The Early 20th Century
Image source: Ephemeral New York
#110 Everyone Gets Cheap Gas
Image source: SGDrummer7
#111 I’ve Been Studying From This Textbook For Over A Year, And My Progress Is Clearly Visible
Image source: origin415
#112 And This Is A Drill Bit Before And After It’s Been Used To Drill For Oil
Image source: k4ylr
#113 This Fretboard Shows The Amount Of Usage Almost Like A Graph
Image source: Limuz
#114 What Eight Months Of Sharpening Do To A Butcher Knife
Image source: aperfectcatholic
#115 This Can Has Been Sitting In That Cup Holder Exposed To Texas Elements For Over Two Years Now
Image source: ArmstrongsLeftNut
#116 The Top Of This Fence Post Is Used By People To Swing Around A Corner
Image source: pdunn97
#117 These Were Once Identical Balls… Over The Years, One’s Been Used For “Street Soccer”, The Other Sat In A Shed
Image source: funkmastamatt
#118 Door Handles At University Of Michigan Union
Image source: skiing_ocelot
#119 I Used This Towel As A Blackout Curtain For 7 Years
Image source: wolfman863
#120 This Swinging Park Gate
Image source: tootsie404
#121 So, I Compulsively Spin And Balance My Phone On My Finger. This Is My 2nd Case In 2 Years I’ve Worn Through
Image source: hlfempty69
#122 My Mom’s Apron After Years Of Leaning On The Kitchen Counter While She’s Cooking
Image source: oldeye
#123 My Grandfather Has Been Using The Same Knife For Well Over 40 Years
Image source: cuppantea
#124 People Physically Touching Their Location On A Map
Image source: mastergrandslam
#125 The Path Of Bowling Balls On This Ball Return Machine
Image source: homevlone
#126 The 21 Steps At The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier
#127 Tiles That Have Been Worn Back To Concrete At My Local Bp
Image source: Jordy32
#128 Holes Cut Into Our Drawers Over The Years Just From Quarters
Image source: confused_boner
#129 Several Decades Of My Band Teacher Tapping On His Music Stand With A Wooden Baton Has Caused The Metal To Flatten
Image source: davideocave
#130 My Old Lunch Bag (Modelled After A Traditional Brown Paper Bag), Four Years Old And Used Every Day, Vs A Brand New One I Have Bought Replace It
Image source: xenochria
#131 The Soap From This Dispenser Has Worn Away At This Stone Counter-Top
Image source: ItsTheDC
#132 The Red Ring And Red “Usa” Lettering On My Olympic Cup Have Completely Disintegrated Over Years Of Washing, But The Other Rings Look Brand New
Image source: KimPossibleIRL
#133 My Mom’s “Cooking Chopsticks” Worn Down Over 10 Years Of Use
Image source: akibaranger
#134 My Cousin’s Ipad From Playing Too Much Minecraft
Image source: YAZEED-IX
#135 Brand New Microbead Pillow Vs. One Used For Over Ten Years
Image source: Bandin03
#136 Old Vs New Demo Chisel
Image source: EddieAteDynamite
#137 Started Carrying 6yrs Ago My First Day Of Undergrad. Can Still Read The Logo But Can’t Open Bottles Anymore
Image source: tootsie404
#138 This Spoon Worn Down By Years Of Right Handed Eating
Image source: PrincessButtsy
#139 This Deck Of Cards From A Board Game Shows A Clear Difference In Usage Between The Draw Pile And The Hand-Cards
Image source: ohohpopo
#140 The Left Handle Is Worn On The Bottom But The Right Handle Is Worn On Top
Image source: nyr3188
#141 The Edge Of My Dog’s Tag Has Been Hammered Down By His Collar’s Buckle
Image source: SomeCityInCanada
#142 Stairs Going Up The Arc De Triomphe In Paris
Image source: MeelsEsq
#143 The Wall Is Worn From People Putting The Pool Cues In The Rack Over The Years
Image source: Elaus
#144 My Dog’s Key Ring Has Worn A Notch In His Metal Name Tag Over The Past Ten Years
Image source: i-contain-multitudes
#145 Identical 15 Year Old Mugs. Right Hand Mug Shows 15 Years Of Dishwasher Wear. Left Hand Mug Has Been Kept In Storage
Image source: patch_e_behr
#146 My Dogs Favorite Toy. Old Vs New
Image source: scottiesetsfire
#147 8 Years Of Carrying Pocket Knives Has Worn My Freeworlds Down Quite A Bit
Image source: Clocktease
#148 Field Notes, Carried In Various Pockets Every Day For 3.5 Months
Image source: PSxPostman
#149 Gas Pump Button Is Worn Out By Multiple People Saying No To The Car Wash
Image source: TommyPastaboi
#150 The Doors At My Local Burger King. Guess Which One Opens Out
Image source: GercevalDeGalles
#151 This Road Where You Can Only Go Left
Image source: hananya
#152 New Watch Strap Next To A Watch Strap Worn Every Day For Four Years
Image source: BoMcJepstein
#153 Carpet Turned From Blue To Grey Over A 9 Year Period
Image source: Holostar
#154 The Floor In This Forever 21 Dressing Room Is Worn Out Where Everyone Stands
Image source: mediocre_asshole
#155 Distressed Dress Form
Image source: Robin Charlotte
#156 What 60 Years Of Light Switch Usage Does To The Wallpaper
Image source: B0ssakungen
#157 The Way This City Light Was Scratched By Bike Pedals Over The Years
Image source: HisAwesomeness
#158 30 + Years Of This Light Switch Swinging After Being Pulled
Image source: Vexx206
#159 My Dads 20 Year Old Knife Vs. New One He Got For Me
Image source: NuclearInk308
#160 This Fingerprint Pattern On An Ipad Used Primarily For Sudoku
Image source: Parcoran
#161 Where My Skin Has And Has Not Touched The Band Of My Watch Over The Last 2 Years
Image source: Matty_Cay
#162 I’ve Had This Circuitboard On My Keychain Since 1994
Image source: therippa
#163 This Counter Lost Its Paint Over Years Of Groceries Being Scanned
Image source: TontonTheWonton
#164 Time For New Skates. I’m Running Out Of Steel And This Is The 2nd Set. Heels Held Together With Duct Tape. I Don’t Even Remember When I Bought These, But I’m Sure It Was Over 15 Years Ago
Image source: captaintinnitus
#165 My Worn Shoe Vs My New Shoe Of The Same Model
Image source: Wdeflect
#166 My Steering Wheel Used To Have The Same Finish All Over
Image source: smallpoly
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