What is VINTAGE?

[The Renaissance Man]

There has been some debating in a couple of threads about what vintage means. Apparently it can mean anything on Craigslist or ePay.

I checked the Alabama DMV requirements for a vintage license plate, and it states that the vehicle must be 30 years old or greater to qualify. So, by law (at least in Alabama), the term vintage only applies after 30 years!

I've not found any specific age that defines antique. Any one care to take that one on?

 

[kingfish254]

I've always heard 25 years for antiques, although I disagree.

 

[MONARKofSoCal]

From what I have seen vintage seems to apply to anything 25 years old up to about 50 years old or basically after it is a generation old
for example all the stuff Gen X grew up with (Gen X = born from 1965 - 1985) would now be considered vintage

the actual meaning of antique is 100+ years old
but most people and CL or ePay adds seem to use the term is it is 50+ years old

Classic generally is for anything in the vintage or older age range but had to be
very popular, made in limited /rare quantities, or significant in some manner

 

[yoothgeye]

I posted the following in another thread last week, but I can see that soon enough we will have to ban trying to discuss the term "vintage" and "antique" just like we do for "rat rod."

When I was a kid my parents explained antiques to me as anything over 30 years old, and they are my parents, they are brilliant, so I still stick to this. That was before "vintage" was being used other than to be used with a specific year (ie: What vintage is this wine? 1947 or What vintage is that pickup? Looks to be a 63-64 model)

Now, most of us are old enough to have things we got new over 30 years ago, that is why someone redefined "antique" out of a desire not be called an antique themselves. I just listed a 1984 Murray BMX up for sale, it's 30 year old, to many it might not seem an antique, but to younger collectors, that bike is older than them and they see it as an antique.

The problem with the term vintage is that it can be used on antiques or on stuff that is just desirable and no longer available, to give it a year is impossible, since in essence, it is designed by a year and should properly be used "This bicycle is a 1978 vintage."

I'm sticking with 30 year + antique, go to an antique store now and you will find Tonka trucks that are younger than me, it's an antique, I can deal with it, even if it's vintage is 1980.

 

[RustySprockets]

I think it matters a lot on the category of item being discussed. Few would dispute that a Ford Model T or Model A qualifies as an antique car, but most of those are less than 100 years old. Cars produced any time after WWII don't usually wear the label (despite what the DMV says) and instead go by nebulous terms like "collectible" or "historic." I leave it to the individual to determine how such devices are applied to bicycles.

 

[CCR]

Is this Bonanza or Ponderosa ? ... and where did that horse come from ?

 

[Bicycle808]

I can advertise a 2013 bicycle as "vintage", without breaking any laws-- but it'd probably cause some eyes to roll. (Legal requirements for vintage cars do not extend to bikes or baseball cards are anything other than motor vehicles.) Depending on where you're located, there actually are legal definitions for what constitutes the term "antique", but I doubt if anyone's gonna report a craigslist ad for misapplication of the term "antique". "Call 911; someone listed a bike from the 1960s as an antique!" I don't think so.

The fact is, these are basically subjective terms that will vary depending on the class of item, the context of the description (are you discussing this with serious collectors at a snooty event, or are you kickin' tires in Bubba's backyard?), the age and general experience of the speaker (6 year old kids probably think every bike is vintage and/or antique, whereas I know some crusty ol' guys who think any bike with a derailleur is a hoity-toity, new-fangled piece of space-age machinery), and the intention of the person applying a term. Are you trying to sell it, or just discussing it? Even if you try to take all of those factors into account, you'll still likely find that many opinions will differ. A thread like this will hold a lot of varying opinions, but I'll eat my hat if it offers any definitive answers.

That being said, I'll never understand the RRB tendency to ban topics that result in lively conversations about differing opinions. I thought that the whole point of a forum like this was to promote discussion.

 

[deorman]

Vintage means what year a bottle of grape juice was put on the rack to ferment into wine (or vinegar).

 

[mikeeebikey]

It's all antique, vintage, classic, retro, and collectible if I list it on Craigslist!!!

Antique =100+ years
Classic = 50 to 100
Vintage = up to fifty but not less than 20
Old = less than 20 years

 

[Bob Gray]

I think "vintage" to a large extent is more synonymous with obsolescence than age. In the bike world that would be things like downtube shifters, brake extension levers, banana seats, cottered cranks, etc... A vintage item is usually a variety that is no longer made. Vintage also often means, "hold on to your wallet, 'cause I just figured out a way to jack up the price of my questionable old stuff!"

 

[Euphman06]

Vintage to me is pre 1970. Antique is pre 1940.

 

[Bob Gray]

Anything as old as me is middle aged (68). Following some of the logic expressed here, then anything 98 or over is vintage. Antiques are old, before any of us, or our parents were around, so I propose grandparents age as antique or anything over 140. I guess the next category is neolithic.

I think "antique" is also somewhat relative to the technology involved. One of my hobbies is collecting and diving vintage scuba gear. Following the 100 year rule, none of it is antique, (the oldest stuff I've got is about 60), but most people that see it consider it antique.

 

[ctaccruiser]

There use to be an older thread on here with definitions of age. Think it was broken down into 5 year increments and they were really funny! Had to do more with peoples' ages than objects thou. Anyone else remember this? Regards.

 

[Loosenuts]

Old, Older, Very Old, And so rusty it returned to the earth. Vintage is for wine.

 

[deven_science]

When I was a kid I was told that for cars, older than 25 years was classic, older than 50 was antique. I generally use these same numbers for vintage/antique for bicycles, or most other stuff, for that matter. When ads on CL call a bike from the 90s vintage it drives me crazy. It's the most overused word in for sale ads.

 

[Rat Rod]

That being said, I'll never understand the RRB tendency to ban topics that result in lively conversations about differing opinions. I thought that the whole point of a forum like this was to promote discussion.

This makes it sound like we have a huge laundry list of topics we sit around waiting to ban.

After 8 years of running the forum you know exactly which hot button topics will never result in any productive ending...

1. What is a Rat Rod?
2. Which political party is best?
3. What is your opinion on religion?

As far as I know, those are the only three that we try to avoid.

Early on we allowed the "What is a Rat Rod" topics to go on freely and the topic just gets old....I mean, really old. Spend about 10 minutes on the site looking around and they should have their answer. If people need a dictionary definition of the term to be able to function here then they probably won't be happy.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Early on we allowed the "What is a Rat Rod" topics to go on freely and the topic just gets old....I mean, really old.

Those are some vintage posts.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Like CeeBee pointed out earlier, it's one of those terms that will always mean something a little different to everyone. There might actually be a definitive answer, but it won't change how people use or misuse the word.

I posted the question just because it was being discussed in other threads that were not started for that reason.

Ultimately it doesn't matter that much in the big scheme of things. However, it is interesting to see how different peoples perceptions can be.

 

[ZygoteLittle]

The collective incredulity for a definitive meaning to the word “Vintage” in this thread is entertaining – it has morphed into a semantic, yet civil discussion! Not easily achievable in this era of divisiveness.

 

[Bicycle808]

This makes it sound like we have a huge laundry list of topics we sit around waiting to ban.

After 8 years of running the forum you know exactly which hot button topics will never result in any productive ending...

1. What is a Rat Rod?
2. Which political party is best?
3. What is your opinion on religion?

As far as I know, those are the only three that we try to avoid.
...

Fair enough, although threads do get closed sometimes just as they're starting to heat up with real discussion. For the most part, ppl on here keep it respectful, and I think you can trust most of us to stick to the issue without any personal attacks....