When did 20 and 30 year old patterns and yarn become vintage?

[Real Deal]

Is it just me or have others noticed this? When did 20 and 30 year old patterns and yarn become vintage? Did I miss something?

 

When I was younger, only very OLD items were spoken of as vintage, such as dresses from the Civil War, or 100 year old lace, or patterns from numerous generations back from the "old country."

 

Now I see items not as old as ... lets say the Viet Nam War, being referred to as vintage. Is it correct? Do we have some better terminology so the younger one's here won't think everything from the 1980's means 1880's?

[dellamae]

I have noticed this trend also. Take the American Movie Classics channel for example. I can understand them wanting to save the movies that came out in the eighties from damage. It just seems like that the 70's-80's movies is mainly what they play now. Good luck actually catching something in black and white.

[Elle]

The word is overused everywhere today. I can understand it when using it in terms of fashion, for example, for clothing that was manufactured twenty years ago, but just for styles that resemble things that were made back then, they're using the term incorrectly. It seems to have just become fashionable to use the word, however incorrectly.

[leaette]

i think it's a matter of how old you are and if you are into "vintage" things. i'm VERY into vintage things. and i define vintage things as anything from the 70's and older. i think if you are of the baby boom era/age, then your definition might be different

[Craw]

I think the word "vintage" is overused and used incorrectly. Probably ebay started it. It makes the product they're selling more desirable.

[kookaloo_starr]

You hit one of my pet peeves here Real Deal! Vintage used to be like antique but recently I've seen 1980s clothing described as "vintage"! Another thing I've noticed is new stuff made in an old style & called vintage

 

Leaette, I adore Art Deco jewellery, I consider it vintage. The badges I wore on my denim jacket throughout Junior School I don't class as vintage - they're are just my old badges and yup, I'm a baby boomer baby!

 

[cjansen]

When I was selling craft and sewing items in a store at TIAS.com Antique was 100 years or more. and Vintage was 25 years old or more.

[mamaoso]

The same time we became vintage....

[Ellie 13]

vin·tage (vntj)

n.

Formal:

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.

 

Informal:

a. A group or collection of people or things sharing certain characteristics.

b. A year or period of origin: a car of 1942 vintage.

c. Length of existence; age.

adj.

1. Of or relating to a vintage.

2. Characterized by excellence, maturity, and enduring appeal; classic.

Things from the 60's-80's are excellent!!

Ellie 13

P.S. anything made in the old style is a copy and should be called "retro"

[Granny Square]

While it made me wince when someone mentioned a pattern booklet here a while back as 'vintage' that I had bought new for 35 cents around 1970 while I was in high school, you've got to remember that's almost 40 years ago!!!

 

Think about it, fellow baby boomers, in 1970 wouldn't you have thought that something from from 40 years prior, i.e. the early 1930's was 'vintage'? Didn't you think your parents' old 78 records from the 40's were vintage? That's about the same Gen X thinking the '80s are vintage.

 

I think 'vintage' describes something from the past generation, and a generation is about 25-30 years; 'Antique' is something else,as Cheryl said.

[butterflie]

I've always thought of 'vintage' being something from the 1940's and older. I'm not sure why. But I adore things from that era. I just love the clothing from the 20's 30's and 40's.

[Real Deal]

Well, I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask what other here think. Vintage always meant relatively old, not something that was made since I went to college.

 

Our family has some quilts made by my great grandmother and I think it might be safe to call them vintage. My grandmother also made a lot of quilts, but I never thought about her work being vintage because ... well, I don't know. I guess, because she made them during my lifetime. She died in the 1990's. It's kind of hard to think of her work as vintage when I was right here seeing her make the quilts.

 

As for crocheted items, patterns and yarns, I really don't think it is appropriate to say any of it is vintage if it's 20 or 30 years old. Perhaps we could find better ways to describe these ~ disco era and hippy era. Go back more and you have beatnik and bobbysockers. I'm sure we can find other names also.

[craziebunny]

The same time we became vintage....

:roflI like that

[Krakovianka]

Don't worry--what goes around comes around. About 2030 or so, the under-20 crowd (not born yet) will be looking at "vintage" jewelry from the first decade of the century--belly-button studs, tongue studs, eyebrow jewelry, and who knows what else?

 

"Vintage" is certainly a relative term, and while I don't think its use is inappropriate in the contexts mentioned here, it also isn't a very precise term. Look how differently it is interpreted!

[callen610]

When I was selling craft and sewing items in a store at TIAS.com Antique was 100 years or more. and Vintage was 25 years old or more.

 

Oooo...does that make me vintage?!

 

I can only hope that I live to be an antique!

[papersmiles]

Yep, I'm definitely "vintage" by a multiplier of 2 (...laughing....). I rather like that I'm "vintage" rather than "antique" (...booo, hisss....) or even worse, "OLD". (..wiggling eyebrows and sporting knowing grin....).

 

I seem to see "vintage" used mostly to describe merchandise that the seller is trying to "up-sell". When I buy pre-1970 crochet books at yard sales they are simply OLD stuff and go for less than a dollar. But on eBay they become VINTAGE, ANTIQUE and HISTORIC and the final bid is usually up there. I definitely go for those "garage sale" finds.

[Miss Madeline]

My grandmother was an antique dealer and avid garage saler. She ran a hug swap meet type thing called Pic-a-dilly, for decades. She always told me that anything over 20 years old can be considered vintage.

[sorefingers]

I just love the new definitions of vintage. I have a sister that is 14 years younger than me. She's all into vintage 80's styles, according to her. I think it's hilarious. She's wearing all the stuff that I used to and wish would just disappear because it was horrid then and it's horrid now.

 

Even though I'm in my mid 30's, I do not consider something from 20 to 40 years ago as vintage. Vintage would be the turn of the century to me. Ebay is the culprit for the term being overused as they are trying to drive up prices by giving stuff fancy names.

 

I can't wait for my sisters generation to get to my age and see all this "vintage" styles of what they used to wear. Revenge is sweet!

 

Sore

[Granny Square]

Pretty soon one might ask "turn of WHICH century"?

[frugalmel]

I agree that Vintage is an over-used word. Retro would be a better choice, but I guess its not as trendy. I think, as some have said, Ebay had a lot to do with the popularity of the word vintage.

[Croshayer]

You know what I hate???? I graduated high school in 1975....and DJs actually have the nerve to call "my" music oldies!

[HollyzHobbyz]

You know what I hate???? I graduated high school in 1975....and DJs actually have the nerve to call "my" music oldies!

 

I understand....I graduated in '83 and music I used to enjoy is now being played on the classic rock station.

[Miss Crochet]

I just love the new definitions of vintage. I have a sister that is 14 years younger than me. She's all into vintage 80's styles, according to her. I think it's hilarious. She's wearing all the stuff that I used to and wish would just disappear because it was horrid then and it's horrid now.

Sore

 

My little sister is 16 yrs younger than me and she's going through that 80s phase too. My youngest brother - now 16 - has discovered "oldies" like The Buggles' 'Video killed the radio star' and 'Footloose' because he was in the school musical 'Back To The 80s'. I remember when his oldies were in the charts!! I remember when ABBA were in the top ten!!! AndIn his eyes, I'm waaaaaaaaaaay over the hill.. I'm only 33!!!

[adagio]

May all those who think that stuff we grew up with in the 60s, 70's and on, may be blessed to live long enough to hear the stuff they grew up with to be referenced as 'vintage', 'antique', and 'oldies'!!

[Debbi-a1]

You know what I hate???? I graduated high school in 1975....and DJs actually have the nerve to call "my" music oldies!

 

I understand....I graduated in '83 and music I used to enjoy is now being played on the classic rock station.

 

About 5 years ago, MTV started playing more "classic" rock and it was from the 80s:eek, the first videos they had on there. I was offended, , I remember those videos and didn't consider it that old:angry. Of course the shows like "it came from the 80s" was funny:lol.

 

And yes, ebay sellers is the reason this is overused. I see things marked "vintage" for $$ more then the exact item not marked it. Come on, I can search through a listing to find the best item at the best price. vintage does not mean a thing to me on ebay.

Debbi