Craft books-What constitutes vintage?

[triber]

Now when listing craft books and magazines there is a choice to put "vintage yes/no"?  I am not sure what age this type of book or magazine means it is vintage. If I list something from before 1960 I usually mention vintage, but what about 80's, 90's. Any other craft book sellers have any thoughts on this?

[vintagenorth]

Hi triber, confusing isn't it, since I think there is already a category for crochet or knitting pattern - vintage. Anyway, I agree about the pre-1960 usually being vintage and depending on the style of the item shown, possibly some 1970 pattern books. It's also important to always name the year or at least the decade when listing. Vintage doesn't mean anything without a date attached to it. I usually say Vintage 60s for instance in the title and then the exact year in the description.

I think the word vintage denotes a different era rather than an actual date so it really depends on the item and style of what you are describing.

[triber]

Thank you vintagenorth, yes, it is confusing. I am already having problems with the "new/used" option. I can have a 50 year old book in new condition, but I'm reluctant to say it's new, but it is not used.

I guess we will have to decide the timeline in which a book or magazine becomes vintage. Also, some of my patterns are recent publications but have vintage designs, another problem!

[vintagenorth]

I'm wondering now if this is a way to not need to put the word vintage into the title. If so, there needs to be a sub category for 1940s, 1950s, etc. I'm convinced that one day there will be no descriptions at all, everything will be in item specifics only.

That's not going to work if the people who set up the item specifics don't know anything about the items being listed. As in, Simplicity New Look for sewing pattern choices when those should be 2 separate titles, Simplicity and New Look. (Even though both manufactured by Simplicity). And don't get me started on just New and Used categories for patterns!!

[lucitabby]

No matter what the item, I usually go by the rule,

50 years or older is vintage and 100 years or older is antique.

[femmefan1946]

Whee! I'm vintage!

I agree that pretty well anything can be vintage-- provided the approximate date of manufacture is included.

And it depends on the category. A computer from 1999 could be considered vintage and collectible. Or magazines from 1975. In part it also depends on the age of the collector. If you played with it or wore it as a child, it's vintage. Even if you were born in 1990.

And yeah, patterns. New/used is not useful. We need uncut/ factory folded since many unused patterns are perfect but in a very frowsy packet.

[vintagenorth]

Suggested years ago but answer I got was sorry, but no.

Oh yeah, I guess I'm vintage too!

[triber]

Magazines are almost always listed, but not books. I listed an Alafoss book today, searched for a date, but none. I think that unless the powers that be at eBay understand the craft section, it will be hard to get it sorted correctly. I think a magazine should be vintage at 20-25 years old, maybe books and sewing patterns as well.

[femmefan1946]

Sewing patterns that are 15 or 20 years old are still useable as fashionable clothing-- or classics.

Before that we see the football shoulders of Dynasty. What were we thinking? Oh yeah? The comic strip Cathy once opined that the best slimming diet was 'shoulder pads and high heels".  It really does work. Also peplums.

In books, even ten years dates some stories. I sell Science Fiction and remember being confused by one story where the heroine was dashing all around the planet, communicating with her home base by fax. Then I noticed it was published in 1998. On the other hand a historical novel/romance wouldn't be much affected by being 30 or 40 years old.

[maggiebvintage2010]

This whole topic is a can of worms, isn't it?

Regarding "New" and "Used" eBay has definitions by category:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/item-condition.html

Since magazines are listed within the Books category, I use that guide for them.  I think that any book that has had an owner, or any magazine without a sealed plastic sleeve, is used.  Lots of sellers list all their Uncut patterns as "New", but if the pattern envelope has been opened, I use "Used".  In the Crafts category, if the subheading has a breakdown for Patterns and Books, patterns are only New or Use, but Books have all the choices that other books have - Like New, Very Good, etc.

Vintage is another thing entirely.  The actual definition applies only to wine, but it's now commonly applied to just about anything and has whatever meaning the user wishes to apply.  I do think it should always be used with a dateline - eg Vintage 70s, Vintage 60s-70s, Vintage 1972 - and my understanding is that, used that way, there is no particular cut-off date.  For example, one could categorize something as "Vintage 2001".  Here's eBay's breakdown of vintage in the clothing category:

•    Pre-1901 (Victorian & Older)
•    1901-19 (Edwardian, WWI)

•    1920-38 (20s, Depression)

•    1939-46 (WWII)
•    1947-64 (New Look-Early 60s)

•    1965-76 (Mod, Hippie, Disco)
•    1977-89 (Punk, New Wave, 80s)
•    1990s (Grunge, Goth, Hip Hop)
•    Other

Since eBay uses the above breakdown to apply to vintage clothing, I usually use that as a guide for everything else.   If a pattern is out-of-print, no matter what the date, I will probably use Vintage.  If it is still in print, but has since been edited or re-printed, it can still be Vintage.

IMHO "Vintage" is one of those "easy-queasy" catch-all phrases that means different things to different people, like "Collectibles", where the subcategory "Sewing" goes from 1930 to Now.  It's all in the eye of the beholder.

[rose-dee]

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@lucitabby wrote:

No matter what the item, I usually go by the rule,

50 years or older is vintage and 100 years or older is antique.

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Actually, when you think about it, both terms - "vintage" and "antique" -- are moving lines.  That is, for every few years that pass more things move into these designations.  

The term "antique" has probably been more specifically defined because professional dealers and auction houses use it.  For purposes of CBSA, 100 years is "antique", but for garments, 75 years is generally considered by most experts to be the approximate line.  These days I would call anything from the 1930's or older antique.   When I was young, they were just "old clothes". 

The word "vintage" covers a lot more ground, and I agree with the others here who have said that a date should always be mentioned along with that term because it is so vague and fluid.  So, for example, "Vintage 1990's" is completely understandable -- it's old, but not so very old.  Personally I'm always amazed when I see 1970's and 1980's clothing and household articles now designated as "vintage".  There's nothing wrong with that but it's a startling reminder of how time is flying and how even these familiar things have moved into the "vintage" area! 

In patterns and vintage clothing I simply use the decades, as per eBay's category list (quoted by 'maggie' above), and I call anything after about 1990 "newer vintage".  I originally listed uncut, factory-folded patterns as new, but have since changed to "used" (since most pattern envelopes have at least some wear and tear), with a clear indication in the title and item specifics that the pattern is like new and unused.