Why do some people stick the word "vintage" to anything more than ten years old!!?

[PADDY]

ALREADY the 80s are being seen as "vintage" and do doubt it won't be long until the 90s will follow. Yet for me, the latest something is likely to be termed vintage are the 1950s, and that's pushing it.

But on the likes of Ebay, it's a term that's thrown around with complete disregard. "Vintage" nylon shell suits, or "vintage" 1970s digital Seiko watch!!

What do the rest of you feel about this? Do you feel that the word is being undermined by being misused or misconstrued?

 

[ClintonHammond]

Because the world is so devoid of any bohemias. that all it's 'fads' get mass marketed before they even have a chance to get started, and so are so short lived, if you blink you miss dozens...

So 'vintage' becomes a relative thing... (Not that I think it ever wasn't)

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Also, if you can add the word "vintage" to it, it becomes more valuable and you can sell it for more $$.

Vintage to me is something that was alive before I was and even the 50's are hard to me to accept. But, of course, I, too, am vintage at this point.

Or an antique....

karol

 

[ClintonHammond]

vin·tage Pronunciation Key (vntj) n.

1. The yield of wine or grapes from a vineyard or district during one season.
2. Wine, usually of high quality, identified as to year and vineyard or district of origin.
3. The year or place in which a wine is bottled.
4.
1. The harvesting of a grape crop.
2. The initial stages of winemaking.
5. Informal.
1. A group or collection of people or things sharing certain characteristics.
2. A year or period of origin: a car of 1942 vintage.
3. Length of existence; age.


adj.

1. Of or relating to a vintage.
2. Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic.
3. Old or outmoded.
4.
1. Of the best: played songs that were vintage Cole Porter.
2. Of the most distinctive: “Fatalism has coexisted with vintage American overconfidence� (Thomas Oliphant).

 

[Biltmore Bob]

Oldies music

My local Oldies radio station currently plays a mixture of late '60s early '70s music. I really don't consider that to be Oldies at all, of course I'm starting to be an Oldie I reckon. I reckon it's all relative as stated above. My kids don't even know what a vinyl record is. Remember when you saw movies at school they were shown on a reel to reel projector? Remember ditto machines?

 

[PADDY]

Bob..I like your vintage....

Andy Cap avatar!! That fine little vintage Geordie lad from the Toon of Noocassell man! Nice one

 

[Brad Bowers]

Ahhh, I always loved the smell of fresh mimeographed pages...

Photocopied pages just don't smell as good.

Brad

 

[MissTayva]

I hate that whole '80s=vintage idea. I can remember wearing some of the rubbish you see in vintage stores today. As if the '60s and '70s stuff isn't enough to wade through... they gotta add even more!

Dayglo crap... haha

I consider early '60s and before vintage. Everything else, too modern, too ugly ;-)

 

[Quigley Brown]

I always thought that an item had to be at least 25 years old before it could be considered an antique. Vintage?....well, that rule could apply, too. For fun on the side I shop for a vintage clothes store just down the street from me. As recent as they go...for men's clothes anyway...is the disco era. I must admit that those disco shirts are fun to look at...won't catch me wearing one, though.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

Technically, an item must be at least 100 years old for it to be a true antique. In the case of firearms, in the US it must be made prior to 1898 to legally be a true "antique" in terms of being able to buy it.

 

[ITG]

I always thought that an item had to be at least 25 years old before it could be considered an antique. Vintage?....well, that rule could apply, too.

True, I remember how excited my dad was when he was able to get a new license plate for his 66 Corvette that stated it was an antique. The car had to be 25 years or older to qualify. To me that doesn't seem like long enough, but then maybe that rule is mainly for cars since one will be hardpressed to find a driveable car that is 100+ years old.

 

[Michaelson]

Same rule in Tennessee, but they limit how many miles per week you are allowed to drive, and I drive more than that just getting back and forth to work, so mine has regular tags. Regards! Michaelson

 

[ITG]

Michaelson, how do they monitor the # of miles y'all drive a week? That's an odd restriction.

 

[farnham54]

Keep in mind though ladies and gents;

I wasn't around for the first half of the 80s, and I was too young to remember the second half.

So the 70's? Man, that's old!! Not trying to make anyone feel their years or anythin; just saying that what is vintage is kinda relative to how long you've been here.

I personally can't see anything from the 90s being "vintage". No one actually wore anything decent in the 90's, ripped jeans with grundgy t-shirts and plad long sleeve shirts tied around their waste aren't exactly items of clothing that hang in closets for many years!!

Cheers
Craig