How old is vintage?

pennypincher2013

I have an item of clothing and was wondering if I should list it as vintage? How old would an item of clothing have to be for you to call it vintage?

soolin

pennypincher2013 wrote: »

I have an item of clothing and was wondering if I should list it as vintage? How old would an item of clothing have to be for you to call it vintage?

There is no proper definition. I am on several vintage forums and some insist on 50 years old as a cut off but others basically accept anything prior to about 1990 as vintage. I have certainly sold 1970s jewellery on eBay as vintage.

forgotmyname

Plenty of brand new "Vintage" items for sale.

alykatz

I was always told 20 years before it can be classed as vintage and 100 for antique.

soolin

alykatz wrote: »

I was always told 20 years before it can be classed as vintage and 100 for antique.

100 years for antiques definitely but I think vintage very much depends on who it was that told you it was 20 years. I am on several groups that buy and sell vintage items and each one has their own definition of vintage and woe betide anyone who dares argue. I've never seen it as low as 20 years though, as that only goes back to1999!

forgotmyname

In the US anything over 20 years old was antique. Not sure if they still use that figure though?

in_my_wellies

A few years ago I was selling my late husbands collection. All dated from 1950 to 1985 (ish). I listed them as vintage just the same as every other seller as this differentiated them from new or nearly new. It seemed to be an unwritten rule.
However, EVERY time I listed I got a message from one man who sent me the same message - '19XX is not vintage. Your description is misleading and I will be reporting you to ebay.'
I contacted ebay and they said block him, he is well known to be contacting many seller in the category.
I had contact with 2 other sellers and they had received emails too

unforeseen

A vintage car is quite specific. It is a car built between 1919 and 1930.

Nick_C

Vintage simply means something that originated in a specific time period.
You can have wine that is 2018 Vintage. It's not old of course.

Vintage clothing simply suggests that it is not new, and is of a particular period.

theoretica

Whether something will sell in the vintage clothing category for more than it might in the general clothing category probably depends on the item itself - does it appear dated?

alykatz

soolin wrote: »

100 years for antiques definitely but I think vintage very much depends on who it was that told you it was 20 years. I am on several groups that buy and sell vintage items and each one has their own definition of vintage and woe betide anyone who dares argue. I've never seen it as low as 20 years though, as that only goes back to1999!

To be honest, I can't remember now, it was over 30 years ago, I think you are right and it depends who you are talking to about vintage items in the first place. And I'm not a business seller like you, so not as well placed to know.

Given that eBay sellers use vintage new as a description for a lot of what they sell I do tend to mentally block out the vintage tag