I have one of those plastic hangers that let the brush hang down. Very important for them to dry, mines a medium priced Boars hair .. 9 years of almost daily use and it’s fine!I'm 5 years in with every day use on Edwin Jagger and it's still fantastic. Drying it thoroughly seems to have helped its longevity. I'm thinking about rotating in another brush to allow more time to dry. Unless it's not funky or incredibly thin I don't see a need to retire them