Some years ago, I got a call from my BeoDealer to let me know that B&O were going to be discontinuing record styluses.  Clearly the prices were going to shoot up.  Anyway, within a few days, I was the owner of 4 of the things, incluiding the one actually on my system.  The years went by and I left them at my parents house safely hidden away.  Then I was on the phone, mentioned them in passing and it seems the room has been redecorated, moved around and now there may, or may likely not, be hundreds of pounds worth of lost or possibly crushed small grey boxes down the back of somewhere.  I only hope my current needle doesn't go before I have a chance to get back up north to investigate...

They usually tend to last quite well if they're looked after well (which usually they aren't), my grandfather's 1974 Rega deck retained the same stylus right up until I replaced it when it was handed down to me a few years ago. It sounded acceptably good at the time...