A neighbor had an estate sale last week, and I saw someone walking out with an old phone fax machine. I thought, "who uses them anymore?".

We still own, and read, a lot of books, but even my children (in their mid-to-late 20's), would not use our set of encyclopedia. I don't think my grandson has ever opened a volume--much easier to look up something on the 'net.

I still have:

Nearly extinct

• phone books (I have used it once or twice to look something up recently I couldn't find online.)
• address books
• calculators
• VCRs + VHS players

Endangered

Almost everything except landline. Bar soap? They better not touch my bar soap. Maybe they'll make a phone that dispenses liquid soap for shower time.

Vulnerable

Everything

Dining room tables? I'm going to assume people are eating at a kitchen table instead? Island? Restaurants? Just where are you eating?!

Defying odds

• board games
• playing cards
• brooms

Sometimes getting a broom out to sweep something small is easier than digging out the vacuum. Some things I'm fine with digital, but I like to see, feel, and touch stuff - magazines, books, my small, pretty address book. I like to do a little handwriting. I use a memo pad to hand write a store list. We also send cards.

hmm

• alarm clocks - i stil have one because I dont want my phone next to my bed. I am going to get the kids one for the same reason.
• desktop computers - Haven't had one for several years
• incandescent light bulbs - will never give these up. sorry
• landline phones - we have one, as back up, but i dont know the number
• cable boxes - im not sure if we have one
• checkbooks - if you have kids in school, they always want dumb checks for piddly amounts for things, NOT cash. Sooooo annoying
• printers - huh? No school projects, eh?
• stamps - we still send real cards, esp as thank yous
• cds/dvds + players --- nope
• stereos - nope
• photo albums --- Shutterfly books
• memo pads - yes, even though I use workflowy, i am always writing down something
• bar soap - DH prefers, and i have several million from hotels; they shall be my legacy
• sewing machines - Nah. If it needs more than a needle and thread it is not for me to do

• corkscrews - I am not much of an oenophile, but how can you get rid of these?
• takeout menus - true
• mailboxes - where will the RH catalogue go
• cash + coins - i give all my coins to charities at the register
• piggy banks - our kids always lost the plugs anyway
• dining room tables - WHAT? Are you kidding me? We eat at ours every day. And what about holidays, gatherings, non-profit meetings, etc etc
• wall calendars - yup, except i give them to my kids as a gift because they are harmless
• books - NOOO. I buy books. Why? To distinguish the act of reading from playing on line, to myself and my family.
• newspapers - totally agreed, mainly because I check it several times a day; DH likes the paper versiion but every story he comments on seems oh-so-ancient to me
• magazines - less and less of them, true. Except my DH's New Yorkers. At least they are timeless.

Why is it our homes are more cluttered, and we need so many storage facilities?

Can you still buy incandescent light bulbs? I must say they got rid of incandescent light bulbs and replaced them with a gadzillion other types of light bulbs with such complicated attachment ends that I get confused when I go into the hardware store to replace a bulb.

I'm a book reader, love the feel of books but I got an iPad a few years ago for travel and I've learned the joy of reading ebooks. See a word you don't know - instant dictionary look up. Want to see a photo or have more info - instant Wiki and google. But ebooks won't replace my cookbooks - I love to write on them when I use a recipe - notes about changes I made, was it tasty, does it fit a particular pot or pan etc.

LOL, seems to me there are more books written about cleaning up clutter, and more TV shows etc. and yet we seem to buy more and more stuff. I'm at the age where I'm thinking about retiring and downsizing - I'm constantly decluttering.

I still have most of the things on the lists and don't see those items going away anytime soon. In fact, I was just thinking last night that I would like some new paper maps. The problem with looking at a map online is that you can't see detail when you zoom out to try to see a whole area. The phone company stopped issuing phone books here decades ago. I still receive a small neighborhood Yellow Pages which can be useful.

• corkscrews - Is this on the list because vintners are going to eliminate corks?

I still have many/most of the things on those lists. In fact, we have every single item on the "defying the odds" only b/c just two weeks ago dd asked for and received a turntable for her 16th birthday! Retro is making a comeback with teens I guess. Of course that meant having to buy her vinyl records to go with it. BIL thought it was totally cool that she asked for one and sent her 5 of his most favorite albums, including one of The Beatles which she loved! She actually likes much of the same music as I do, including many albums I listened to her at her age. I told her I was sad that I no longer had the albums of my youth as I had so many she would enjoy.

More and more wine bottles have screw tops. The cache of the cork isn't what it used to be, although I don't see them going away all together.

My desktop computer isn't going anywhere, not as long as I have heavy computing to do.

We still have some of these:

(Nearly) Extinct

• answering machine (with the landline LOL)

• address books (kept in the house - not used near as much as my iphone tho)

• calculators

• VCRs + VHS players (have a vcr/vhs combo for some old movies)

• printed maps (hubby will never give these up!)

Endangered

• desktop computers -(have one we should get rid of - it's never used)

• incandescent light bulbs - a few

• landline phones - (yes because apparently 911 cannot trace you from a cell phone, in case something happened where you are able to call, but not speak

• checkbooks - (We write 5 cks or less a month - but there are still a few items I need a check for. The checkbook never leaves the house.)

• printers (because we like having an actual printer - wireless)

• stamps (still very common in our area)

• cds/dvds + players - yep

• stereos - yep - but like the desktop computer - never used

• photo albums - will never get rid of those!!

• memo pads - yep

• bar soap - you'd have to pry it from hubby's hands

• sewing machines - could not do without it!

Vulnerable

• takeout menus - a few

• cash + coins - IMO - a good idea to have some on hand in case of emergency

• dining room tables - we use ours

• wall calendars

• books

• newspapers - only the Sunday edition

• magazines - a few

Defying the Odds

• brooms - a small, soft broom is one of the best ways to keep your woodwork dusted! Plus I dust my front porch.

• cast iron skillets - some things are best cooked in a cast iron skillet

Well, I don't have a cell phone or an ipad so of the:

Nearly Extinct list:I still have address book, calculator and printed maps. When my kids first started to drive and were leaving our neighbourhood for ultimate/soccer/skiing etc they would google directions and then show them to me. What they don't show though are the short cuts and the fast ways that you learn from years of driving. I could show them that on a printed map.

Endangered List: It's easier to say what I don't have so I don't have a cable box, cds/dvds, stereo or a sewing machine. I have everything else. I go to Michaels to buy the pretty little memo pads and use them to write out my grocery and errand lists. It sits right by my phone so I use it to write down appointments or information from friends, etc.

Vulnerable: I don't have a piggy bank but everything else I have and use. We are still on door-to-door mail delivery and my morning coffee without the paper? How could I start my day?

Defying the odds: I still have everything on the list. How do you get up cat hair without a broom? I use my broom twice a day and my cast iron skillet - you will have to pry that out of my hands.

This has been really fun. Thanks for doing this topic.

I don't see how cast iron skillets are defying the odds. There' no modern technology that can supplant them.

I will always need my corkscrew!!!

We get the newspaper daily, have been recently complaining about how it gets smaller every month.

We write 1 or 2 checks a month, seldom use snail mail to send anything other then cards (rarely). I still receive bills by mail, I like having the paper in my hand while paying by bill pay.

ML

Well I don't drink much wine but I discovered that even the pricier good wines are getting rid of cork. Cork is becoming very expensive plus there are some problems with cork. I googled wine cork problems and found several good articles for reasons not to use cork. Here is one. Cork Problems

And yes, our newspaper got smaller.

I'm surprised many of you still have much of what is on that list, but I realize it might be regional choices. For example our 911 doesn't have any problems locating my location so there is no need for a land line - but not every community has that software for their 911. Better be safe than sorry.

I was just told by a 20 something that Polaroid cameras as all the rage now. Vinyl has been for some time making a big comeback. I tried to sell my film camera and was told it was worthless unless I find a "Hipster" as they are all into old school film.

I will still have a landline as cell signals here bounces to Canada often or even Ohio. No way to find your location in an emergency. The landline costs $10 per month with Verizon. Also I don't like talking on a cell phone as I don't like having the radiation next to my brain. Try to keep my phone on the other side of the room.

Mtn - Shaking my head yes to this.

• alarm clocks - i still have one because I don't want my phone next to my bed. I am going to get the kids one for the same reason.

Blfenton - I buy the pretty ones from Michael's too!

Encyclopedias...I just rescued a set from the late 1970's from friends who were tossing it. I have a 5 year old grandson who wants to know EVERYTHING, so I brought them home, set them up on a low bookcase for him and explained to them what they are. "Back in the olden days, before we had computers, THESE are what we used to look up answers!" I showed him the letters on the books and that if he thinks of a word or item he wants to look up, we just pull out that book. The funniest one so far was "Computer". The late 1970's entry showed HUGE room sized computers. He comes to my house now and heads to the bookcase, pulls off an encyclopedia and puts in on the floor, then peruses it for interesting things. He has lots of questions about what he finds...wants me to read much of it to him. Or he just spends quite a few minutes looking at the pictures he finds. He's reading at about a 2nd grade level now so it won't be long that he'll be just reading it for fun. The best thing was when he had a playdate at my house with one of his pre-K friends and he was most excited to show his friend the encyclopedias and went into detail explaining how they work.

I found "Piano" the oddest inclusion. What would be supplanting a piano? Band teachers are CRINGING!!

Arcy - electronic keyboads. We still have our good old Baldwin console but even I don't play very often.

Vinyl is making a comeback but I think it's vintage albums. My eldest son received a turntable as a wedding gift and he promptly absconded with all of our albums that were residing in an box in the corner of the hall closet. We were at his new apartment for a house warming dinner and he proudly showed us the industrial chic wall unit he created out of iron pipes and mahogany boards that were left over from our deck project. My other 2 kids were flipping through our albums (which they haven't seen in decades) and amazed that their parents had once listened to Santana, Beatles, The Who Crosby, Stills &Nash w/wo Young. They remembered some of the classical music and Broadway shows that I played when they were growing up and we managed to escape ridicule when they noticed Barbra and Linda Ronstadt and the folk music I listened to the 60's. One son pulled out my Carol King Tapestry album commenting that it was a great album and immediately put it on the turntable.

Corkscrews won't be missed.

My sewing machine still gets frequent use. Last week I was making a simple gardening apron out of old jeans and referred to the owner's manual to switch out the needles. I had stapled the original receipt to the inside cover and noticed that I had bought it in April 1985. 30 years old and going strong. It's a White-Westinghouse with all metal parts and no electronics. The only thing older in my house is my Kitchen Aid mixer from 1976.

We still have a landline, two cast iron skillets (and I've bought new ones for my kids), maps, address books, a checkbook, a broom and a dining room table. I wonder if that means dining rooms too are becoming extinct.

Another comment on vinyl...many big artists release their current albums in vinyl so its not just vintage stuff. Bottom line is that it has better sound quality.

How about the things I wish would disappear from the home, like the need to do dishes, dust, vacuum, make beds, laundry, weed....

lol... one of my kids just showed me the new 'fun' album he bought--- clear vinyl that is 'paint spattered'... very cool! :)

still have lots on the lists... don't currently have a landline, but think will get one--- that was the sure way to find my cellphone when I had misplaced it!!!

Pretty much everything on the "endangered" or "vulnerable" list we use. We have tons of CD's that DH has no desire to get rid of. We have a lot of vinyl from our younger days. He is hoping to get his turntable working again soon.

Don't really get that about cast iron. I see well-seasoned cast iron go for good prices at estate sales.

We only use bar soap in the shower. Don't like liquids/gels. DH has super sensitive skin so we don't really change products/brands.

Although I use a laptop primarily, for my treadmill desk I need to get either a laptop stand or a desktop. There are some really nice desktops that have no tower. We have those in our campus computer labs and they are really nice.

Never learned to sew. My mother said I had no patience for it. My sister has her sewing machine. Still, I am amazed at the numbers of people I see at the fabric stores, though a lot of their space is devoted to crafts as well.

I don't think students are going away from a good scientific calculator any time soon! A lot of faculty and testing centers on campus do not allow phones as calculators.

If you read the comments on the AT article, even the AT readers disagreed with a lot of it. Five years ago books were going to be all digital, but ebook sales have been dropping while print sales are holding more or less steady.

(Nearly) Extinct

• pianos (I don’t have one, but don’t how this could be true)
• printed maps (I keep a few with favorite campsites and trails marked in my 4x4)

Endangered

• alarm clocks (must have)
• desktop computers (I would probably switch this one to laptop. I never use my laptop. Most things get done on my tablet, large projects get done on desktop, the laptop just sits in a cupboard)
• incandescent light bulbs (show me a decent bug light or chandelier bulb that isn’t incandescent and I will gladly switch)
• landline phones (must have in my area where cell service is spotty. Also, need to keep at least one of them corded, in case power is out)
• cable boxes (I’ve yet to convince SO to cut the cord. If it were just me, it would have been gone years ago)
• checkbooks (I need two or three checks a year)
• printers (still needed, but not used all that often)
• stamps (I still send cards, and use Forever stamps)
• photo albums (I won’t get rid of existing, but won’t be buying new)
• memo pads (Huh? How can you never need to jot something down?)
• bar soap (there will always be bar soap in my bathroom)
• sewing machines (must have)

Vulnerable

• cash + coins (still have)
• piggy banks (still have)
• dining room tables (HUH???)
• books (still have, but won’t be buying new)
• newspapers (only buy every once in while to light charcoal)

Defying the Odds

• vinyl records + players (even though they haven’t been used in 20 years, SO still clings to his collection)
• board games (see above)
• playing cards (takes up no room and fun to have on a day without power)
• brooms (how is that defying the odds? It’s not like you can swiffer a patio/deck/driveway)
• cast iron skillets (completely confused by this. CI will never die)
• french press + pour over coffee makers (kept in my camping supplies)

Annie Deighnaugh - LOL, loved your comment about houseworkI too wish it would disappear.

writersblock - that's interesting, I didn't know that ebook sales were dropping and not print sales.

As for CDs, I volunteer for our local library and I know that we sell a lot of donated used books, games, puzzles etc - but the one category that we have trouble getting rid of is CDs - even new ones with popular artists - people just prefer to download digital versions..............or buy the trendy vinyl version if it's available.

marie_cate - Carol KIngs' Tapestry album - I played that over and over and over, I think I wore it out. My DH still has his turntable although it hasn't seen the light of day for 30 years. Maybe we should get it out and set it up.

gsciencechick OT - I have really sensitive skin and someone here suggested trying Aveeno body wash. I really like it and find it's better than bar soap. But your DH probably has one that works.

Memo pad afficianados (of which I am one): Try Workflowy.com, too. It is super easy to use and I love it (thanks KSWL).

Yes, Polaroid cameras are back "in". I am thinking of taking one on our trip to India. I know that children begging is a real problem there and that giving them money (or anything of value, even a pen) is discouraged as it teaches them that it is better to beg than go to school. But I can't imagine ignoring all of them totally. So I was thinking they might like photos of themselves. That or maybe stickers? (not to hijack)

My niece goes on Mission trips and if often in remote areas where people live so simply they don't have mirrors. Many have never seen themselves. My niece says that taking and giving these instant photos offer a priceless gift.

Yes. But do the kids with no mirrors have food?

I'm pretty sure that abandoned starving street kids don't consider not eating the same as living simply.

I'll tell ya what... I don't know about living simply. I do know that some people live in a bubble.

Priceless, eh? I wonder did MasterCard miss a priceless opportunity for an ad campaign?

The list is definitely interesting. We have most things on that list in our house. I can say that I am not likely to give up my landline. I do have a cell phone but it truly is only for emergencies and I have no desire to be contacted when I am outside of the house unless it reaches my definition of important. Granted, I hate talking on the phone any no matter what type it is. I also like the attached answering machine. We have voice mail as part of the bundle but I like to be able to look for the blinking light when we come home instead of picking up the phone to see if there is a message.

We also have desk top computers. Our better one is a gaming computer and I like that it stays in one location (perhaps because I never use that one?) and a laptop version would have been prohibitively expensive.

I think some of the things on the defying the odds list comes down to some people realizing that just because some advances are made, they are not always improvements. Teflon versus cast iron comes to mind. Some prefer the lighter weight of nonstick pans and some prefer cast-iron.

I know what's endangered in my home - teaspoons. I have no idea where they went. I had service for 14 in my everyday set of stainless and I'm down to 8 spoons. Granted I've had these forever and it's time to replace them. The knife blades have developed an affliction of some sort that resembles rust marks and one or two forks met their fate in the garbage disposal. But what happened to 6 spoons? DH claims they ran off with those odd socks that come out of the laundry.

When we were setting up my mom's condo for her, we got her a new set of phones. It wasn't possible to get a base unit without an answering machine. DH just disregarded that and set up her voice mail through the phone company. When mom got here she griped about having to dial her own number to get her messages -- "why can't I just push a button!" So DH had to disable the high-tech, phone-company-hosted voice mail so mom could press the button on the machine.

And I'll admit to being part of the problem. DH controls the alarm clock in our bedroom. I've never learned how to set the alarm. When he's out of town, I just use the alarm on my cell phone.

Oh, and DH can't be without his Dove bar soap.

Debrak,

Thanks for your post. I can imagine kids are delighted with what your niece does, which I am sure also involves much more as well. Kudos to her. I think that, in addition to the material needs, which are best handled by NGO donations (unless you plan to travel with a uhaul of canned fish), everyone has a need to be recognized and just for simple human kindness.

Just to clarify, my niece goes on mission trips where they build roads, houses, teach in schools, work in orphanages, etc. Whatever the area needs. They are very remote and/or extremely poor areas. The volunteers on these trips live out of a backpacks and spend their own money to travel to these areas. They bond with the people they meet but know they will probably never see them again. For a kid who has never looked in a mirror, having a photo of themselves is a cherished gift.

• tube televisions. Who even has these anymore?
• pianos. I can see people not buying new ones as they are big space hogs. Not so many people play them these days, or have their children learn to play them. I still want one tho-someday!
• fax machines-these can be lumped in with many modern electronic office things. I was just thinking this the other day at work that I never send faxes any more-it's all done via pdf. Even received faxes show up in my in box electronically. And with electronic signatures and color scanning-it's far superior to go digital.
• phone books and address books-I like to have these as I really hate the on-line search engines-too many ads and pop ups. It's faster to just go to the phone book actually!
• printed maps-OH MY GOSH!! This one gets to me. I work with maps all day long-we're in GIS Heaven at work, but I still go back and refer to my old USGS Topo maps almost every day. Much easier on the old eyes. Plus, as I recently learned in a disaster training course, if there is no power, or cell towers are out, Google Maps sn't going to help you find your way to safety! Always keep a paper map in your vehicle-and learn to read it!
• alarm clocks-never gonna give mine up. I also would like to obtain a wind up one, just in case.
• desktop computers-I prefer mine over the laptop/tablet. but know it's a soon to be dinosaur (so are lap tops for that matter!)
• incandescent light bulbs, cable bpxes, photo albums, cd's, stereos (except car) and checkbooks-I see those as being extinct in just a couple years for sure. Printers will always be needed-we'll never go completely paperless. Same with stamps & memo pads. Sewing machines will also stick around, but as a craft oriented thing rather than a staple. I've had mine forever and decided the other day I wanted to sew some summer dresses-but after I went to buy a pattern and fabric, it was less expensive to go to Macy's and buy some!
• bar soap, corkscrews, mailboxes. cash + coins; piggy banks, dining room tables, wall calendars and books-I don't see those going away any time soon. We're still going to have to have those things until the entire globe is paperless.

As to the defying the odds items-I think you can virtually put anything on there. As new generations and rural dwellers without access to urban infrastructure can attest, those things are going to stick around. Eventually vinyl is going to fade out of popularity again, I predict, sooner than later.

This thread reminds me of a sign I saw in an antiques mall the other day-"Grandma had it. Mom threw it out. I bought one just like it."

How are these things "defying the odds", I'd like to know:

• board games
• playing cards
• brooms
• cast iron skillets
• french press + pour over coffee makers

They all have uses that substitutes don't do or do as well. I will have to go read the article to see that they say about it. As for most of the others, it's sad to think of all the money and time wasted on those!

Oh, and anyone who travels to very poor countries (not the typical tourist spots) knows that you have to be very thoughtful and careful about your impact. Effective and appropriate charity is a complex thing, even moreso when it is international. And tourists can have a very disruptive impact on poor societies.