vintage gear

[mickb69]

hi guys, just a general question/musing...

at roughly what point does an item become regarded as "vintage"?
and is it me or are things becoming vintage faster these days?

[GlassWolf]

Hard to say, but a lot of my gear from the 80s and 90s is considered to be "vintage"

KEF Reference 104/2 mains, Adcom GFA-555II amplifier, Onkyo Integra T-9090II tuner M-504 stereo amp and P-304 control-amp, Nakamichi DR-2 and RX-505 tape decks, Pioneer F-19 301-CD Jukebox, Onkyo and Denon tape decks, Onkyo Integra EQ-35 equalizers, Integra CD changers, stuff like that..

I know 70s and earlier is for sure vintage, but it hurts a bit to realize that stuff I bought new is already vintage or obsolete.. haha makes me feel old!

[bauzace50]

Hi,

Difficult to define the "Vintage" threshold! A lot of my friends are recently becoming old-time pensioners, and many of them are dying. I don't know why the sudden rash. Does that make me "vintage"?

Some people who sell in eBay like to use the term in place of "truly old". Gives "old" a cachet, instead of a liability. The 1980's suddenly seem apt for the term, and 1970's for sure.

Regards ,
bauzace50

[jc_the_trucker]

I tend to follow the same rule for classic cars, 20 years. My pick-up truck just turned 20 so I call it a classic, all of my stereo equipment is over 20 so I call it vintage. Or maybe we should use the port wine vintaging system, where whenever the growing conditions are perfect, they declare a vintage year, like the bottle of 1994 port that I have at home (we had two bottles, one for my sister and one for me. we opened one for my sister's masters degree graduation and it is absolutely exquisite). So all perfect equipment would then be called vintage? Complicated....

[mickb69]

Hmmm, so, when things become "old", it's time to get rid, but when things become "vintage" we scour the planet to pay loads of money, funny old world.
maybe it's simply just the difference between old crap and old great.

i wonder if there is some degree of comfort in old stuff, as if the world is slipping out of our grasp faster and this is a way of holding on, digging the heels in against a modern world that is losing it's depth and integrity and humanity is declining.

[kelvinMunson]

I agree with JC, vintage can be any age you like; regardless of whether it's old or new, after all his 1994 port was vintage in 1994. If you think it's "excellent" then that particular item is a vintage example !

[13oots2]

Vintage in the case of wines just means that the grapes all came from a particular year, it doesn't denote any meaning of quality.

[jc_the_trucker]

Although you are correct for normal wines, port has a slightly different set of traditions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_wine

Yes all the grapes are the same year, but the "men in charge" determine which years will qualify as a vintage. I think this has to do with the fact that port takes about 15 years in the the bottle to mature, and won't reach its full potential for even longer. A well preserved bottle will be good for up to 50 years as I understand it.

[satanfriendly]

Vintage?

There are plenty out there who consider anything which plays vinyl to be 'vintage' even if it was made only last month.

[cats squirrel]

same thing applies to 'retro'. Apparently, some have it that 1960/70's turntables are 'retro'. No they aren't, retro is a look, to make an item look as though it was old, these turntables ARE old, not retro.

Why don't we say 'from the golden age' without defining what that really was..............

[bauzace50]

Hi,

actually, there are several uses for the term:

-1- A specific product. For example, the grapes of 2008. The preamps of 1973.

-2- Belonging to a group with similar characteristics but different years. "He is a vintage linebacker from University of K".

-3- Old.

-4- Referring to a specific year. Vintage of 2011.

Regards,
b50

[Jim Leach]

I would say 'vintage' is really any 'old' gear. To put a finer point on it, I'd go with 25 years, as that is the definition of "antique" for automobiles in CT and NY (and when you get the better rates!)

I think any piece of equipment that shines in many areas can be labeled as "classic". A 1985 BMW is an antique; however a 1995 M3 LTW is a classic (for example)

Generally a classic piece is one that had favorable reviews, and therefore a good purchase base, and has also stood the test of time with continued demand.

Conversely, a Tice clock is a piece of gear that is vintage (due to age) but truly a horrible piece of equipment that did not do what it said it did. So, just because it is 'vintage' does not mean it is good. And further, 'good' is so subjective that I always try to have several reviewer's opinions before I even go to the trouble to audition a piece of gear, because of this detail.

[13oots2]

I would say 'vintage' is really any 'old' gear. To put a finer point on it, I'd go with 25 years, as that is the definition of "antique" for automobiles in CT and NY (and when you get the better rates!)

With a definition of 25 years for antique no wonder people's perceptions are being clouded. Almost every car built could not be defined as an antique, people seem happy to throw words round without checking the meaning. Antique generally means 100 years old although the derivation means old. It seems words are used frivolously just to make an item look more desirable, Ebay has a lot to answer for.

[Jim Leach]

Well, as I said, in CT and NY the 'law' is that a car is considered an antique (and can then get antique plates and better insurance rates) once it is 25 years old. Although I agree that seeing the minivan from when I was in high school with antique plates on it rubs me the wrong way, that is the way the law is around here.

For furniture, I know that the 'accepted' age is 100 years for 'antique' status. In that regard I agree with you 100%. Not too many 100 year old hi-fi items kicking around...