I don't wear ties as often as I used to because I don't get invited to speak at many events any more. Some of these ties were among my favourites, but I can't keep them for sentimental reasons if they're hogging my tie rack.
Taking them in order:
#1 is a silk tie I was given by legendary game designer Brian Moriarty when visiting a company called MPath in the 1990s. I really liked it, but wore it to an event in London and spilled butterscotch sauce on it while speaking to an MP. After washing, it was never the same again.
#2 is my oldest tie, given to me by my dad. I think it was the official tie of the North Eastern gas board (NEGAS), but could be wrong. I was never going to wear it again because, its being over 50 years old, the white is going yellow.
#3 has a nice, abstract pattern that my wife approved of when I bought it. It's too short for me to get away with wearing now I can no longer be described as thin.
#4 is fine, there's nothing wrong with it, but it's similar to several other ties I have.
#5 went well with some shirts I had that I no longer have. It's also too short now.
#6 is another NEGAS tie, I think. It's warping, and no amount of ironing will flatten it.
#7 is as #3.
#8 is as #4.
#9 is as #3 except my wife doesn't like the pattern.
I like to keep the knots in my ties when I make a good one. OK, so #7's isn't a good one, but laziness may also be a factor.
I heard on the radio recently that charity shops can't sell ties any more. Even pure silk ties won't shift at 10p each. They're no longer part of everyday wear.
Once, as I stood on a London Underground platform waiting for a train, I saw a young woman on the opposite platform wearing a skirt made entirely of old ties. It was like a grass skirt, but made of ties. It looked amazing! If she'd been on the same platform, I'd have asked if I could take a photograph of it. If you're looking for a cheap material to use for home-made clothes, ties are it.
Maybe not if someone has left it in a knot that's older than the tie itself.