I agree just because thread has a little age on it does not automatically make it bad. I use the tug test to see if it breaks easily, if it does it goes off to the side for hand basting that doesn't require strong thread, like basting for English paper piecing. Just finished using up a spool of my mother's thread that was priced at thirty-one cents for a small spool so we know how old it was and had no problems with it.