Golfers are nostalgic by nature. Countless 19th-hole stories begin, "Man, remember when..." And while equipment companies would prefer you be convinced to a neurotic degree that none but the newest weaponry could possibly permit your best golf, we know that the shelf life of a trusty club is longer than even the most modest company's product cycle.
I've had a TaylorMade V-Steel 7 wood in my bag for at least a decade now. I got it for a song - $69 brand-new, but already several years out of date on an out-of-the-way Clearance rack at the long-gone Golf Dimensions in Myrtle Beach. That mom-and-pop operation died a slow, sad death, but in its day I preferred it to the flashier Martin's, now PGA Tour Superstore. Its almost total lack of decoration gave it a warehouse look, which made you feel like you were getting a deal (and you usually were). The sales staff should've worn trench coats.
If I'd paid, say, $99 for the club, it would have been out of my bag long ago, but the knowledge of the deal I got for it has eased my mind anytime I've addressed a shot with it. With simple looks, its sharp leading edge has made it better out of the rough and, therefore, more versatile than any hybrid I've ever dallied with, and I feel confident using it for most any shot from 200 to 215 yards or so. I can even hit it low if I need to. Sure, I hit plenty of bad shots with it (as I do with the other clubs in my bag), but they don't cost as much as they otherwise might.
Do you have a trusty old club in your bag? Write it a love letter/limerick/haiku in the comments.
I bought this 7 wood used for $30 in 2006 I believe. It's been in my bag since. Lovely for 200-220 yard shots. Also mastered the low 3/4 swing 150 yard runner to green.