Why is it important to keep objects from years ago that have since become obsolete? Well, the question itself holds the answer. Once an item or object becomes obsolete, it will stop being made and in time may become forgotten.
Take the first iPod for example, does anyone buy a separate iPod when they have an iPhone or can even find an Mp3 player easily? These became obsolete when more and more phones had the capacity to store many, many more songs. Another example would be, that aside from an antique store (or my parent's music collection) I have never seen an 8 track player or an 8 track cassette in a store, available for purchase, in my lifetime. Over time these objects become outdated with the progression of new technology.
These and many other objects can give a sense as to what life was like before modern technology. Over time, everything in the present, from our phones to our cars will be outdated with greater technological advances. Even things that are not tech-related can be impacted with disuse and nearly disappear, like the Yellow Book Pages, for example. It is important to keep a few of these items to show future generations what life was like. If we had not preserved items from the last 100 years, we would not know as much about pioneer life and life from the early 1900s as we do now. We wouldn't know our agricultural history and concepts such as how advancements have improved farming; giving us greater yields, easier access to fresh produce, decreased manual labor, farming safety, and much more! We would not as easily comprehend the transition from a hunter-gather lifestyle to industrial farming, without preserving historically used tools and implements. From more recent times, if we discontinue the practice of preserving modern technology, we will come to a place in time where we won't know much about the popular toys, music, shows, and fashion of the modern era of the '70s, 80' & '90s, etc...
Preserving artifacts and oral history both modern-day and far-reaching into the past is important for future generations to see how far we have come and how quickly technology can advance. Preserving artifacts can create a better understanding of the past by giving us a small snapshot in time.
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