Recently, scholars have pointed to the need for exploring non-retranslations, i.e. translations that are continuously being published in a target culture but not retranslated. Yet, there has not been a thorough examination of the phenomenon to date. This article aims to explore this phenomenon in greater depth by reporting on a pilot study from a bibliography on Swedish non-retranslations. More specifically, the article investigates the concept of (alleged) ageing in relation to fourteen Swedish non-retranslations that have been published, in the same translation, in more than ten editions over the course of 45–87 years. The non-retranslations are discussed through the parameters of publication history, agents of non-retranslations, and textual features. The article’s findings contradict some established views regarding the (alleged) ageing of texts as a motive for retranslation and complement others.