33 Before And After Photos Of New And Used Items That Are Oddly Pleasing To The Eye

    Okay, but when it comes to baby blankets and stuffed animals, I gotta say that the hanging-on-by-a-thread, 20-year-old versions are way better.

    1. Here is a Bob the Builder baby blanket that's been used for 18 years, next to a new one — and sorry to the owner, but the left one is giving single-ply toilet paper.

    The heavily used one is a very faded color and looks deflated

    2. This kneaded eraser is making me nostalgic for grade school, when opening a new one after completely blackening your old one was one of the top 10 most satisfying things on the planet.

    An eraser kneaded into a ball and blackened, next to a clean square eraser

    3. The wallet on the left was used for six years, and the one on the right is brand new. This is why every holiday gift guide for men has wallets on it, people.

    The used one is frayed and torn in patches

    4. Here's a new Pikachu plushie next to one that's been used for 15 years. Poor guy is also missing his hat, but maybe he left it in his Poké Ball.

    The new one has a little hat and is a bright, clean yellow, next to the faded, dirty, off-white one

    5. Here's what a new vs. a full sketchbook looks like, and I don't know why, but this is immensely satisfying to me.

    The old one has frayed pages that have wide gaps between them; the new one has white sheets forming one block

    6. Here's what a cookbook that's been well loved for 14 years looks like next to a new one. The old one may be a little worse for wear, but the ingredient stains next to your favorite recipes add character, IMO.

    The well-used one has pages that are darker, have space between them, and appear slightly bloated

    7. Here is an old clog next to a brand-new one (though I'm willing to bet the old one is MUCH comfier; I can't imagine how long it takes to break in clogs).

    The old clog shoe is really dirty

    8. I'm not gonna advocate using a mesh loofah for five years, but in case you were curious, here's what a new loofah looks like next to one that's 5 years old.

    The new one is a neat ball; the old one has mesh pieces sticking out in disarray

    9. The running shoe on the right is only 2 months old, compared with the new one on the left, so I'm gonna go ahead and congratulate this person on running the New York City Marathon, because this is truly impressively worn down for only two months. Also, did they step on a nail???

    The 2-month-old shoe's sole is dirty beige and has a hole in it, while the new shoe is white

    10. Can you guess which pair of sneakers has been used for seven years? This is a hard one.

    The 7-year-old pair is very dirty and frayed, including the shoelaces

    11. And can you spot the 15-year-old hammer? (Bet you weren't expecting a pop quiz, were you?)

    One hammer looks rusted

    12. This person was lucky enough to find a new version of their childhood bear at a flea market, and let's just say that there were a couple of small differences between the two.

    The old bear's overalls are dirty, it's shirt is partly missing, and one eye is missing a pupil

    13. This person finally replaced their desk chair after eight years, and it's giving me flashbacks to my dad's super-old home office chair that he kept until it was falling apart.

    The old chair has torn fabric in the seat, and the cushion looks deflated

    14. This photo of a new air filter vs. an old one from Shanghai is making me cough just looking at it.

    The old is dark brown, compared with the white new one

    15. And this 5-year-old pan next to a brand-new one is making me want to buy an all-new set of pans.

    The old pain has lots of scratches and a badly deteriorated coating

    16. This new phone case next to a 2-year-old one is DEFINITELY making me worry that my nasty old phone case needs replacing.

    Both cases are clear, but the old one is a rusty beige

    17. Sorry if you've got a retainer, because this new vs. old retainer pic is definitely gonna making you think about replacing your old one, and I know they don't come cheap.

    The old teeth retainer is a dirty beige, next to the clean, clear set

    18. I had to include this one because I literally have this monkey — and yes, mine looks WAY more like the 17-year-old one on the left than the new one on the right. I can't even remember a time when mine looked as fuzzy as the right-hand one.

    The old one has a misshapen eye and has lost some of its stuffing

    19. Not sure why this person used the left brush every day for three and a half years, but I'm real glad they replaced it, because this is one of the most glaring differences on this list.

    The old one is missing the bottom of its handle, which is a faded color, and the bristles have virtually disappeared

    20. The hat on the right is only a year old, but its owner wore it every day — and I hope the way it's been lightened by the sun convinces you to wear sunscreen every day, no matter the season.

    The old one is a dusty gray, next to the dark blue new cap

    21. Apparently you're better off with a beanie in the sun (or maybe this person doesn't live in quite so sunny a place), because the beanie on the right has held up fairly well after three years — though it definitely looks much smaller.

    The older beanie is a lighter blue and looks as if its lost some of its elasticity

    22. Even hats that you only wear indoors start to look a little worse for wear after four years.

    An old barista cap is a dirty dark brown, next to the black new one

    23. This parent thinks they've aced the parenting game by picking up another one of their kid's favorite toy in case the first goes missing — but I'm willing to bet the kid's gonna spot the difference.

    The old stuffed animal looks about half the size of the new one

    24. This 18-year-old "never tear" paper wallet seems pretty true to its name, but it didn't say anything about folding or fading.

    The old "Superman" wallet is a faded blue and badly frayed

    25. I know the 14-year-old version of this plush dog has been well loved, but I gotta say, it also looks a little worn down by the weight of the world.

    The old plushie is a faded gray and brown (next to the white and brown new one) and looks as if it's lost most of its stuffing

    26. If nothing else can convince you to buy a Scrub Daddy/Scrub Mommy, this photo of a new one next to a year-old one might. Apparently it can last the whole year!

    The new one is a brighter pink, but the old one looks pretty good otherwise

    27. Here's what this formerly white key chain looks like after just a year of use — though, TBH, I think the used one looks better.

    The old key chain is now a leathery medium brown

    28. Here's how much the Dodge Ram 3500 has changed over 38 years — is it weird that I think the old one looks cooler, even if the bumper is falling off?

    The old one is substantially lower to the ground

    29. I'm actually kind of impressed by how well the bottom lawn mower blade has held up after three years of use, though it doesn't help my longtime fear that a lawn mower will one day chop off one of my body parts.

    The older blade looks dusty, and the edges are slightly uneven

    30. Here's how the exact same brand of boots looks after two full years of pizza delivery. My feet hurt just looking at these.

    The old lace-up boots are an uneven dark brown, especially near the toes

    31. New Docs look so pretty, but I know for a fact that the 5-year-old ones on the left are comfier.

    The older lace-up Dr Martens look less rigid, and the black is a bit discolored

    32. It literally never occurred to me that keys would wear down with continued use, and I now understand why my apartment key broke right in the lock a few months ago. (It wasn't my Herculean strength after all.)

    The oldercar key is quite a bit thinner and the edged worn down

    33. And finally, here's what a new bullet looks like...versus one that was inside someone for four years. 😧

    The old one is a deeper copper and half the length of the new one