h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here in the USA, we tend to buy new stuff a lot. Cars, clothes, computers, widgets, you name it. I think this is mostly for our egos/appearance, but what do I know?

I prefer to buy some things that will last a lifetime. Several examples:

- A guitar. I have a Gibson acoustic guitar that I bought in the early 60's. It sounds and plays great. Why I need another guitar is beyond me, but a lot of the guitar companies are trying to tell me that. The value of a "Martin Guitar Co." decal is apparently pretty high, BTW.

- Another guitar. A 60's vintage Fender Mustang electronic solid body, played by folks like Jimi Hendrix (not mine in particular, but the same model). Same story.

- A piano. In my case, a Kawai upright.

- A sound system amplifier. I bought mine from an electronic engineer about 1970. He built it from a kit by Dyna, it has parts in there that glow (really). Can that be right?

- An automobile. This can't last, but the 1976 Chevrolet Nova that I bought new still runs great. The mechanic that fixed the water pump said to someone else at the shop, "If they still made these, they could not keep them on the lot." Several people have asked me to sell it to them, no way.

Any other suggestions of things that last, and last, and last ... ?

OK, so how do I edit the topic, its not Lifetinme, its lifetime. Typing is not my lonmg suiot.

There are certain things in life that I cherish as well, but they are not material objects. I like my playstation, my beck cds, my nine inch nails cds, but in the end I have to say that the thing I cherish the most is my insanity. I will always have it and take it with me where ever I go. My warped sense of thinking is what will get me through this world and that will never brake or be sold! By the way, as for the car, sounds great- would you make an exception and sell it to me? I mean, I don't even have my permit yet but...

I like your perspective. It reminds me of Woody Allen's comment, "I don't want to be immortal through my work, I want to be immortal by not being dead."

On the car, no. Sorry. The interest is really amazing, its just a well designed Chevy (I once owned a Camaro, the Nova is a better design), but the few that are left are souped up hot rods that even I love to watch. Big back slicks, black primer, run like a bat out of hell ... mine has none of this, but it excites people's imagination ... a lot.

Thanks! As for the car, I still want it. In fact I am on my way over to steal it. Just kidding. Or maybe not.=)

On editing the subject.. I'm sorry.. you can't.

A valve amplifier, invaluable, during my student days a flatmates valve amplifier kept the flat warm. It was excellent

Your heart, by definition, will last a lifetime. Maybe quite a bit longer if you count decomposition time.

Any object I really like invariably gets used so much that it prematurely ages. I can't say I've owned any object for more than about ten years.

BTW, just for the record, my car is a 1992 Fiat Tempra. It's about as desirable as the Ebola virus.

Well, I asked around, I think a "valve amplifier" may be what I described above as my built-from-a-kit Dyna amplifier (late 60's vintage). So the glowing parts keep the room warm? Here in Houston, Texas, USA, we're generally more concerned about cooling the room ... its Jan. 12th, the high temp today was over 80 degrees F. My air conditioner is on now, at great expense.

A "valve" in the US is called a "tube" I think? None of which are made anymore? So if my great sounding amp goes out ...

One thing I thought of after the above messages, a shoe shine kit that I built as a junior scout around 1955. Its just a little wooden box with a high frame to hold the shoe while its polished. But its survived numerous relocations and is sitting in the laundry room. A little too nostalgic, maybe, since I never polish my shoes anymore.

Let's see...

a well made quilt
a solid bookshelf
a tatoo
a tree
a Volkswagon Bug

teeth, however, tend to not last as long as you might hope...

That valve amplifier made it the first winter in that flat where the condensation on the inside of the windows didn't freeze (you think I am joking, no joke. It made essay's etc. for uni really hard to finish (biro's were so cold they wouldn't work, nightmare). If your amplifier did go tits up the place to find valves (or tubes) is specialist hi-fi shops (tho' if you know which valves etc. most electrical component stores should be able to get them (maplin and tandy over here do
BCNU - Crescent

Well-made furniture that is taken care of can last several lifetimes, actually.. And fine china, and good jewelry (even some costume jewlry)... that's why they call them 'heirlooms'...

I guess I underestimated how cold it gets in London. That probably explains all the e-mail I'm getting from British Airways with cheap tickets ... but the deal is over in a month or so ...

I have to ask - I guess "uni" is university, generally we say "college" in the US, even tho most are universities. But "biro"?

Tandy is familiar (commonly known in the USA as "Radio Shack"), I never heard of Maplin. But you think ALL valves/tubes are still available? Are we talking a zillion $ (OK pounds ...) I REALLY don't want to replace that amp, it sounds good.

Trees, yup. That big oak out there that I PLANTED IN 1975 will outlive me by centuries.

Volkswagen Bug - presumably you mean a vintage one? - ouch. I wish I had the '65 I sold ... its still running somewhere.

Furniture, yes. Most of ours is (fun) junk, but we have a few pieces that are well-made, solid oak. Very well-done by whoever did them.

Which reminds me, houses in the USA are typically built to last maybe several decades. I've read that homes in the UK last generations ...

Uni indeed = University (a pretty common term world-wide) and a Biro is (and we have them here, too.. I belive Bic makes them) a pen.

(Unless, of course, there's another biro in the UK?

the only thing I've ever seen that is almost guaranteed to last a lifetime is a to do list (particularly if they're marked URGENT with lots of exclamations)

LOL! I believe you're onto something there, nj.

Hi again, Steve. What a fun question.
I have a dolls house that my father made me slightly over fifty years ago, a clock that belonged to my grandparents and was made in 1850, tho' it's not going at the moment, some willow pattern plates that are older than I am, lots of books thast are older than I am and our house in Caistor (have you found it yet?) is well over 200 years old. I used to own a Harris Tweed suit (2 skirts and a jacket) that I inherited from my mother who had worn it more than 30 years previously., but I wore it out in the 70s when it came back into fashion.