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50 Cool And Interesting Photos That Show How Time Changes Things (New Pics)
Interview
Some folks see time from an existential perspective, a ceaseless force that can not be escaped and which will eventually consume all. But, setting that aside, time also has all sorts of interesting effects on the world around us.
We’ve gathered some cool and curious examples of how time affects everyday items. We got in touch with Carolyn Becker, artist, thrifter, and creative to learn more about the value of old things in a practical way. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, and share your thoughts below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
My Coworker Is Still Using The Same Post-It Note For 2 Years To Check His Pens
RELATED:
#2
6 Lines On My Fingernails, One For Each Chemo Session I Had Recently
Let’s All Just Try And Be Decent 9 months ago
I have these. I had no idea that's what was causing them and no one told me. It's weird the stuff they just don't bother to tell you because it's not "medically relevant". I never thought that's what would be causing it so never thought to ask. So thank you.
#3
A Chunk Of My Red Hair From When I Was 16 Compared To My Faded With Time Hair Now That I'm 27
Red hair tends to lose its redness over time, it's very common.
Bored Panda got in touch with Carolyn Becker, artist, thrifter, and creative from Findingyourgood.org to learn more about thrifting, old items, and how it affects the world around us. Naturally, we wanted to know how she got into thrifting in the first place.
“I sometimes joke that I was born at a nonprofit Goodwill store! I’ve been thrifting my whole life, ever since I was a kid in the ‘90s. My parents would take my brother and me thrifting for necessities and clothing for school. For us, it was the economical thing to do and a no-brainer way to save money for other life priorities.”
#4
My 2-Decades-Old Water Bottle Gave Out Last Week, And Nalgene Just Sent The Replacement
I don’t know how many metric tons of water I consumed out of this, how many miles it traveled with me, or the number of times it tumbled down a rocky trail, but the answer to all of them is a lot. It finally met its demise last week when it fell out of my stationary car. I reached out to Nalgene, and their replacement just arrived. I don’t have much customer loyalty, but Nalgene is pretty great.
#5
Steps Leading Up To The Old Wall Around Dinkelsbühl, Germany
#6
Blanket With 25 Years Of Love That’s Being Put Away For Safe Keeping vs. An Unused Version My Spouse Surprised Me With
“I sometimes think back, with regret, about all the vintage I saw and didn’t think of buying as a teen. The memory of the acid-washed jeans that I passed on live rent-free in my brain. The only Abercrombie I ever wore came straight from a Goodwill store.” While this might seem like looking for a needle in a haystack, it’s more possible than you might think.
#7
This Rug In The Old City Center Of Cluj-Napoca
#8
My New Prosthetic Foot Shell Versus The One I Walked On For Two Years
Let’s All Just Try And Be Decent 9 months ago
It's awful that you had to use the old one in that condition. It's amazing that we have things like this but even the new one looks like it could be better. I hope the new one is more comfortable and that soon they'll be able to replace it with something even more comfortable for you.
#9
My Mom's Dog Can Open The Door, And This Is Where Her Paw Has Worn Down The Wall Over The Years
Naturally, given the “risks” involved, we were curious to hear what exactly she liked about thrifting so much. “Personally, I love thrifting for so many reasons….I could write a whole book. As a petite woman, it’s very difficult to find clothing in my style that fits me just right. Thrifting has opened up the opportunity for me to find the uniquely sized pieces that fit just right (thank you, small Grandmas, with stellar retro wardrobes) and/or experiment without breaking the bank. Since thrift finds also cost close to nothing, I can use the money saved to alter/tailor pieces that I can truly enjoy forever.”
#10
27 Years Of Daily Cuddling Including Many Attempts To Repair Him
#11
This Spoon Has Been In My Family For About 70 Years, And Still Going Strong
#12
Every Pencil I've Used Up In The Last 3 Semesters
“Thrifting is also, for me, self-care, a way to be in a flow state, looking, perusing, and vibing. The thrift community is diverse and enriching. I learn so much from the people I thrift with and simply see at Goodwill. Thrifting is for everyone, and I am always surprised and delighted by the people I meet,” she shared with Bored Panda. In general, there are a lot of interesting examples out there of the strange things people collect.
#13
My Daughter’s Favorite Stuffed Animal “Scratch” vs. The New Backup Replacement
Jack Burton 9 months ago
Same for my daughter with a little stuffed wolf. We bought a backup at the time but she never lost the original one. So basically they don't even look like each other 10 y later.
#14
The Difference Between A Brand New Sketchbook And A Full One (The Same Exact Sketchbook)
Carla Phillips 9 months ago
This entire picture reminds me of my daughter. I hope the OP is using art to avoid self harm.
#15
Floor In Front Of The Counter At The Pharmacy I Go To
“I have new creative ideas when thrifting, inspired by finds that come from the past and present. Learning: I love learning about the history of my community, human behavior, fashion music….everything via thrifting.” While this might seem counterintuitive, there is a whole list of interesting ideas from the past, just waiting to be rediscovered.
#16
This Stand At A Restaurant Has A New Candle Placed One After The Other
#17
Strasbourg Cathedral
Mark Rudolph 9 months ago
We saw similar wear in the stone of a medieval church in the small German town of Quedlinburg. We were talking a walking tour of the town, and I noticed numerous symetric round pits in the wall of the church up to perhaps 10cm across and no higher than chest height. They weren't associated with any metal parts. The docent said the best guess as to their origin is that churchgoers would scrape a few grains of the sandstone out and ingest them in order to literally incorporate the church into themselves, although no one knew for sure anymore. Over the years, the pits grew grain by grain to a significant size.
#18
Brand New Pikachu Replacing Its 15-Year-Old Sun-Bleached Cousin
Kirsten Kerkhof 9 months ago
I wonder why the feet didn't get bleached. I'd think they were made of the same material.
“Giving back to others feeds my soul and I love knowing that when I use my dollar to support nonprofits like Goodwill, I am truly helping others in need and important missions. Our purchases have power and shape the world we want to live in! Thrifting benefits the environment in so many ways we don’t realize or think about.”
#19
2-Year Difference
#20
Step At Westminster Abbey
#21
Brand New Work Boots And The 6-Year-Old Boots They’re Replacing
“Thrifting reduces the transport needed in fast fashion, shipping, and trucking items from factories to store floors. It keeps items out of local landfills. Reuse means not using land or the planet’s vital resources to make new pieces that won’t last. More thrifting = less plastic and packaging used on new fast-fashion pieces The list is endless!”
#22
The Hoodie I Am Wearing When Working From Home, Window Is On The Left Of The Desk
#23
Before And After Water Filters From The Water System At My Work. 7 Days Of Use
#24
18-Year-Old Tyvek (Never-Tear Paper) Wallet Next To A Brand New One
Last, but not least, we were curious to hear if she had any best finds in her long and illustrious experience. “So many! I once found a whole lot of vintage designer pieces on a Goodwill rack. Think Chanel blazer, quilted Yves Saint Laurent….there must have been 20 pieces…many I still have ‘til this day. As of recent, I found a vintage leather ‘70s poncho for less than $15 at Goodwill in Gaithersburg, MD. It’s intricately designed and could be in a museum!” You can find more of Carolyn Becker’s work on Instagram or her website.
#25
These Stairs In A Church Bell Tower
#26
How Sun-Bleached These VHS Tapes Are. The Whole Display Was The Same
#27
The Way These Door Handles Have Worn Down The Wall They Hit
#28
Winnie-The-Pooh Baby Blanket: New vs. 21 Years Of Use
#29
This Worn-Out Road After Buses Stopping There Every 1-4 Minutes
Hippopotamuses 9 months ago
Bus stops really need to have concrete pads under the road to stop this.
#30
My Finger After I Finally Got Off A Ring That’s Been On For 2,5 Years Straight
DetriMentaL 9 months ago
(@.@)!? Nu-uh.. Ring's too tight i panic, if it doesn't slip off comfortably then it doesn't go on.
#31
My Baby Blanket. I’m 22 And Can’t Sleep Without It
#32
The Remains Of This Hammer Stuck In Asphalt
#33
The Pristine Q On My Keyboard Cover After 5 Years Of Use
#34
My Work Overalls When I First Thrifted Them In November 2020 vs. April 2023
Let’s All Just Try And Be Decent 9 months ago
What are you washing them in to lose the colour so much?! Even if working outside, that seems a bit nuts?!
#35
My Scrub Daddy
#36
Behavioral Biases. Distribution Is Pretty Normal, But 95 Always Rounds To 100
#37
3.5-Year-Old Wire Brush Used Every Day Compared To A Brand New One
#38
Cards After Being Played With For Almost 20 Years
#39
I Saw People Sharing Their Wear And Thought I’d Share The Wear On My Almost 10-Year-Old Docs
Javelina Poppers 9 months ago (edited)
I was the same way. You got a bad gait cycle, does your back hurt?
#40
My Wife And I Got This LEGO Figure At The Same Time. She Keeps Her Keys (Right) In Her Purse And I Keep Mine (Left) In My Pocket
Aussie Atheist 9 months ago
The features have been worn off by constant in and out friction by the pockets fabric
#41
The Wear On My Clipboard After Three Years Of Taking Data For Speech Therapy
Dragons Exist 9 months ago
I guess the dark lines are from writing similar forms? Like from the pen
#42
The Effects Of Himalayan Sea Salt On A Book
#43
Old vs. New Chocolate Chips
#44
People Have A Favorite Soda At This Taco Bell
#45
This Old Worn Key vs. A Freshly Cut One For The Same Vehicle
Hippopotamuses 9 months ago
Surely the old one stopped working some time ago. The cut doesn't bear any resemblance to the new key.
#46
My Partner's Headphone Dent From Gaming
Aussie Atheist 9 months ago
Phew! I thought it was his skull at first! Couldn't be the only one? Lol
#47
New Hat vs. 1 Year Of Regular Use. They Started Out The Same Color
#48
One Of My Mom's Snow Globes Has Gone Black
#49
This Shift Knob Is From A Work Truck
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Jack Burton 9 months ago
It depends of what kind of life you had ^^ Some people look old and some georgeous at 41
Load More Replies...
Auntriarch 9 months ago
I saw a section of marble in a museum that had perspex over half of it, and an encouragement to touch the exposed half, saying that's why they ask visitors not to touch exhibits
Tiny Dancer 9 months ago
I got one! Took this photo recently to show the diff between my son's Jungle Book glasses from Burger King. Originally released in 1994, we bought the now worn one in 2004 and used it practically every day. Found the newer one on eBay a few years ago. Riels-Jung...d4427d.jpg 
Jack Burton 9 months ago
Some funny or interesting pics but a lot of "used stuff". Oh what a surprise your shoes are in a bad shape after a few years.
Jan Bowyer 9 months ago
That's not really the point. It's about how various things wear and age over time. I enjoyed the Q keyboard pic.
Load More Replies...
Jude Laskowski 9 months ago (edited)
I like to thrift, but only in small stores. Goodwill and S.A. pay their overhead too much and many bundle clothes to send overseas. Many animal rescues and humane societies have thrift stores that directly benefit these organizations. Most staff are volunteers. Some of the large thrift stores are very picky about what they'll take. I tried to donate an unworn wool suit with tags still attached, and they refused it because it was out of style.
Jack Burton 9 months ago
It depends of what kind of life you had ^^ Some people look old and some georgeous at 41
Load More Replies... Auntriarch 9 months ago
I saw a section of marble in a museum that had perspex over half of it, and an encouragement to touch the exposed half, saying that's why they ask visitors not to touch exhibits
Tiny Dancer 9 months ago
I got one! Took this photo recently to show the diff between my son's Jungle Book glasses from Burger King. Originally released in 1994, we bought the now worn one in 2004 and used it practically every day. Found the newer one on eBay a few years ago. Riels-Jung...d4427d.jpg
Jack Burton 9 months ago
Some funny or interesting pics but a lot of "used stuff". Oh what a surprise your shoes are in a bad shape after a few years.
Jan Bowyer 9 months ago
That's not really the point. It's about how various things wear and age over time. I enjoyed the Q keyboard pic.
Load More Replies... Jude Laskowski 9 months ago (edited)
I like to thrift, but only in small stores. Goodwill and S.A. pay their overhead too much and many bundle clothes to send overseas. Many animal rescues and humane societies have thrift stores that directly benefit these organizations. Most staff are volunteers. Some of the large thrift stores are very picky about what they'll take. I tried to donate an unworn wool suit with tags still attached, and they refused it because it was out of style.
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