My oldest things

What do centuries-old stones, a self-winding watch and child's sock have in common?

Such time capsules often hide in our cupboards: lost treasures, family heirlooms, old diaries or dry pressed flowers. It is not their monetary value that matters, but the stories they tell.

After reading similar posts from Alex, David and Thomas, I started to think of my own list.

Stones from an old castle wall

I've written about the castle my ancestors owned in the past. I have two small stones that fell from its wall, stored in a sealed plastic envelope. The castle was built in the early 13th century and last rebuilt in the 17th century. The stones hold only sentimental value for me.

Accessories from my paternal grandfather

After he passed away, I received his Swiss-made automatic watch. The kind you don't have to charge, or change the battery in, or wind. It winds itself as you move. I used it for nearly ten years.

I also inherited a few pairs of cufflinks. One was an original Art Deco piece with mother-of-pearl inlay and was a particular favorite of mine. I often wore cufflinked shirts during my university years and throughout my thirties.

Old science fiction books

I attended a sci-fi history seminar at the university for a few semesters. Although Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series is not a sci-fi by definition, I always feel it as part of the genre. I’m glad I found old early-translated volumes of the series from the mid-1920s in antiquarian bookshops. (A Princess of Mars, The Warlord of Mars and Thuvia, Maid of Mars).

When I was a kid, I absolutely loved the series. I saw it as standing for things that mattered to me, like the idea of universal peace between countries with different cultures and between people of different skin colors. What usually got in the way of that peace were petty rulers, acting out of political self-interest.

It was only much later that I started to notice the sexism, ageism, colonialism, and the kinds of racism the author himself was blind to. While its value system feels unmistakably dated today, for its own time it might have been relatively progressive in the United States, and even more so when published in interwar Eastern Europe.

My uncle's novels

One was released in 1962 and the other in 1975. These are more than just old or interesting books for me. The first follows the story of a handful of ordinary people during the 1956 revolution. The other one is about surviving a concentration camp as a child during WW2. Both stories draw from his personal experiences.

These books are pieces of literature and family history to me at the same time. They remind me, along with the castle’s stones, that our personal story is deeply intertwined with history.

An unused sock from the 80s

I kept some clothes from my early childhood. One of them is a white sock in its original packaging. The packaging features a famous cartoon fox pulling on a sock.

This item might not tell a grand historical tale, but it makes me remember how caring my parents were. The packaging is intact with the cartoon fox bright and cheerful. It is a witness of a childhood where even the smallest things were treasured. It also tells how lucky a generation I belong to. It’s true that I’ve lived through economic and existential crises, but Europe has been stable enough so far that I haven’t had to experience war. That stability allows me to keep and take joy even in such small things.

Things I don't have anymore

I let go of a good deal of interesting stuff when I left my home country. Some of them would have been old enough to be on the list.

• The top hat of my great-grandfather. It was custom-made for him. The workshop that manufactured it was once in the building just across the street from the university I attended. I wore the hat once for a photoshoot. Later, it was donated to a museum.
• The Capitaly game board that my other uncle made. Capitaly was a local Monopoly variant released between the two world wars. He made the board for family use, perhaps in the 1950s. It is now in a big board game box somewhere at my parents' place.
• Space Lego sets from the 70s. I managed to buy some old classic space Lego sets when online auction platforms were still young and sellers were more average people rather than second-hand merchants making a business for a living. Getting the missing parts and replacing the worn and broken ones wasn't easy, but I tried my best. I sold these sets to a collector friend. Perhaps one day, I will write more about the role Lego once played in my life.

What are the oldest things you own? I’d be glad to hear their stories in the comments or in reply posts.