What's the threshold for "vintage" for this fourm?

[RJB44]

15, 20, 30, 40...years old?

[jetersbatboy]

I always thought it was pre 1980???

[xpress34]

To me, Vintage follows the same guidelines as cards... anything ca. 1977 and earlier, but others may have differing opinions whcih I can appreciate - especially when talking about bats and jerseys.

- Chris

[sox83cubs84]

I've seen different guidelines officially, ranging from 1976 for a Vintage Card Show that was held in the 1990s back east to the 1980 dividing line MEARS uses for postwar/modern jerseys. These years are pretty much the accepted range of the line of separation.

Of course, what's vintage and what isn't may well be the opinion of who's giving the opinion. A college-age collector like Kyle Hess would likely find items to be vintage to him that wouldn't be to me (an old fart of 51). That, of course, refers to personal opinion, not general hobby-suggested or accepted criteria.

Dave M.
Chicago area

[BoneRubbedBat]

I believe that each category of items has it's own definition of "vintage" based on the number of items produced and their perceived rarity. Is the cutoff of 19XX that we use in 2010 still going to be the same cutoff in 2046? Because time is constantly changing, I think a time frame, not an actual numerical year should be used when defining "vintage." I was going to throw out the number of 40 years to be considered vintage until I realized that I will be vintage next year.....

[legaleagle92481]

To me vintage is 40 years.

[David]

Different people have different definitions. Traditionally, 25 years and older is vintage, and 100 years for antique. But. as I said, different people have different rules.

[MSpecht]

It's an eye-opening moment when you realize that you are way vintage and seriously headed toward antique !!!!

I guess that people will define it in this section however they wish, but most discussions will likely deal with items pre-1980 or pre-1970. In my mind for baseball I consider the division of jerseys between flannel and knit, bats between old label H & B and new (1980 forward) label H & B, etc.

Mike Jackitout7@aol.com

[earlywynnfan]

To me vintage is 40 years.

Hey, I just qualify! Lucky me...

Ken
earlywynnfan5@hotmail.com

[harpt]

In this hobby we often see "vintage" used to desribe things added to an item as well...such as an autograph or a jersey number on the knob of a bat. Generally this designation has little to do with the age of the item, and more to do with when the addition was placed.

In other words, an autograph on a jersey from 1989 (only 21 years old) may be described as a "vintage autograph" but this just means it was signd in '89 and not at a card show last week.

Technically this may be a misuse of the word "vintage" but it seems to be pretty widely used (and accepted????) in the hobby.