What is Vintage? What is Antique?

Welcome to the launch of the Orallo blog, the companion to my Orallo store which has newly launched on Bonanzle (www.bonanzle.com/booths/jules43035 - more on that later). By way of introduction, I have been "treasure hunting" for more than a year and in that time, I have developed quite a passion for all things vintage and antique.

When I describe what I do to others, I am commonly asked, "what is vintage?" I thought this would be an ideal topic to launch my blog and, hopefully, provide some insight to those interested in the topic.

So, what is vintage? While there are no "hard and fast" rules defining vintage, let's start by putting it in the proper framework. For those of us in the business, there is a clear distinction between what is considered antique and what is not. Antiques are typically associated with the characteristics of a certain period or style of manufacture (e.g. Victorian, Art Noueau) throughout history.

A definition of antique may be "an item which is at least 50 to 100 years old and is collected or desirable due to rarity, condition, utility or some other unique feature. Motor vehicles, tools and other items subject to vigorous use, in contrast, may be considered antiques in the U.S. if older than 25 years, and some electronic gadgets of more recent vintage may be considered antiques" (credit: wikipedia).

Which brings us to our next variable when attempting to define "what is vintage", the product itself. Different products will warrant different definitions (for the same reasons as antiques, refer above). For reference, the word "vintage" originated in wine terminology and has since been adapted as "a more elegant seeming euphemism" for things manufactured in a non-contemporary era.

An example for our consideration is clothing. Clothes produced before 1920 are considered antique and clothes made and sold between the 1920s and 1980s are considered vintage. Additionally, "retro" clothes date from 1965 to 1985. Note that although these are widely accepted definitions for clothing, opinions still may vary.

Another example is jewelry. Jewelry is generally considered antique if it is 100 or more years old. There are many eras that have defined antique jewelry including Victorian (when Queen Victoria ruled England from 1837 to 1901. Another example is Art Deco, a popular style from approximately 1885 to WWI. Vintage jewelry is often defined as the period from 1910 to 1970. These definitions too are subject to debate.

I hope that these examples now you give you some reference on what is vintage. If there is a particular category you are interested in, contact me and I'd be happy to do some digging - after all, isn't that what treasure hunters do best?