>>563668991999 is the date on the tag. Still remember the random stranger that handed it to me while I was walking around with my dad. Definitely need to clean it up a bit and add more stuffing, but it's got no holes or worn/missing fur, no stains beyond dust and age.
Bit of both. Even as a kid I was always careful with stuff. But once upon a time things were actually built to last, they just really don't build them like they used to because we keep inventing even cheaper materials/methods. And these days the expectation is attention will shift so quickly with trends that who cares if it'll be trash in a year or two? Who'd still want it? And if it's a utility/necessity then just buy a new one! However growing up poor (with a few exceptions here and there when dad would land a good job for a bit) there's rarely such a thing as "just get another one" so I learned to be gentle and fix things if possible. Some of my favorite "toys" were my collection of porcelain bird figures I'd get from the dollar store whenever I had the chance, took them outside and everything. Other than the occasional scratch in the paint, chip in a fragile spot like a lone feather, or thin support that's snapped and been glued back together they're all still here and still in decent shape - never shattered one on the driveway or lost one at the playground.
Getting used games and seeing the disks scratched to hell or carts missing stickers and cases without covers/manuals always drove me nuts. What kind of creature knows enough about tech to play video games but is such a barbarian as to leave bits out instead of putting everything back in the case, especially since you'd have to wait for the new game to load anyways so you had plenty of time to put the last one back. Like sure when I was a literal toddler I was a menace, but is that not the sort of thing you outgrow/get taught better by time you can read?
