As I am currently working in the antique/vintage "industry" an annoying fact has come to my attention...some sellers think antique and vintage are interchangeable words.
Firstly, though only tangentially relevant, their textbook definitions refer to specific things: antique is used to describe the age of furniture and domestic items, while vintage specifically refers to the age of wine.
But for those of you shopping for old books, home decor, clothes, toys, etc., here are some glossary terms so you can discern whether a seller is informed, clueless, or just plain old lying.
Antique
At least one hundred years old, or close enough. The copy of Anne of Green Gables pictured above was published in 1935, making it nine years shy of being a "true" antique but to the savvy collector it still passes.
Vintage
At least twenty years old, and rarely any younger than that—if it wasn't at least twenty years ago, the nostalgia for it likely hasn't kicked in and it's probably still in circulation. The sewing magazines pictured above range from the 1960s to 1970s.
Vintage "Style"
A brand new item that either reproduces or mimicks an old-fashioned appearance. This is a fair business practice as long as the seller is open about the fact that their product is brand new. Two of the tins pictured above are recent* reproductions of discontinued product containers. The one in the center is a legitimate antique.
Antiqued (verb)
Similar to "vintage style" but with more effort in that an item has been made to look very old, rugged, and weathered, often including faked patina or purposely faded coloring. The above photo is of a 1970s decorative wall spoon that was painted to look a hundred years older—antique styles were a huge influence in the '70s.
Retro/Retro Style
Not a reliable indicator of age, but of current nostalgia. If you see this on a product it is likely referring to something unique to its time period, especially short-lived things like toys, jewelry, clothes, and graphic design styles. Currently this word is used heavily on items in the 1980s–2000s range, but also iconic 1950s–1960s styles. The fast food toys picture above are from the late '90s to early '00s.
Other Labels
"Victorian" frequently, and inaccurately, used to label anything pre‐1940s and post-Medieval, rendering it absolutely meaningless in most cases.
"Y2K" gets tagged on anything from 1990 to 2009. This is inaccurate as y2K is literally in the name, "year 2000." Should only refer to the futuristic pop styles unique to 1999–2001.
"MCM" and "mid century" have also lost meaning. Both are derived from a specific late 1940s–1960s furniture and interior design style known as mid century modern, but are frequently misused to describe any item or style ranging from the 1930s–1980s.
"Art deco/nouveau" these are simply style names, not indicators of age. Both styles have also had multiple comebacks, so be aware of that if you are looking for genuine antiques.
"Primitive" just means it's beat-up, dirty, possibly homemade, and looks like your great-greats used it on the daily. This usually applies to old wooden hand tools or antique domestic implements of little value, or newly made items that are rough hewn and rugged. Think things you'd find in an old barn or cabin.
"Distressed" also means beat-up and dirty, but for more modern stuff you'd expect should be clean like clothes, toys, kitchen items, etc.
"Is any of this writing related?" Sure, if you want it to be. I just wanted to talk about words and history, and hopefully help some folk not get ripped off online. Also, don't blindly trust sellers just because you trust the site. Even sites with good reputations can't weed out every phony.
Entire post dedicated to the lady selling Smurf toys from 1980 as "antiques."
Thanks for reading!
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*If you consider the '90s "recent."
All photos were taken by me.
