What is Vintage?

What is vintage, really?
According to Wikipedia, "Generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique clothing and clothing from the 1920s to 20 years before the present day is considered vintage. Retro, short for retrospective, or "vintage style" usually refers to clothing that imitates the style of a previous era."

Vintage teacup and saucer

According to answer.com, "vintage is considered to be items that are at least 20 years old. At this point, anything from the 80s and 70s would be considered to be vintage. It is antique when it is at least 50 years old, so at this point (2012) anything from 1962 and later."

Regardless of our working definition, vintage clothing and vintage items remain desirable in the consumer market. 

Featured here are a couple shops on Etsy currently successfully marketing vintage items. I can only imagine what their storerooms look like or how they keep track of all this stuff, to say nothing of the logistics in packing it up and shipping it out! 

There are all types of vintage items available in the online marketplace; photographs, postcards, jewelry, pottery, kitchenware, teacups, pitchers, housewares, clothing, toys, artwork. I have selected a few items from some of my favorite shops to feature here. Feel free to click on each item to see details on their shop page. 

These items are from Michele Caron's shop, Finding Maine Vintage

Lovely vintage lithograph

Vintage Brass Cups

Porcelain trinket box

Imagine all the wonderful things you could hide in here!












Ginger's Little Gems carries vintage jewelry and figurines.

 

Check out these green and white rhinestone earrings! 

And this completely adorable Royal Doulton figurine!

How would you like to serve your next glass of 

ice tea with this?

Ridgway and Son Antique pitcher, 1840 

Switching gears a bit takes us to vintage clothing ....

Here are some vintage women's shoes from the 1980s ... remember these?

atVintage is a classy storefront with a unique style of its own. 

She carries unusual and useful vintage items that bring us back in time to bygone days, memories long forgotten at the cottage.

Vintage housewares are still usable and with their tarnished look have their own glow and personality. 

 Can you just imagine pulling these out of the drawer on a Sunday morning to serve your meal? What a treat!

I just LOVE the tarnished look. 

  

Or maybe just showcase them on your curio cabinet.

Finally, one of my very favorite vintage shops, French Vintage Dream, carries vintage French items. 

Jane carries clothing and housewares of a wide variety. Here are some of my favorites. 

Love lace ....

Need a sexy nightie? 

Or some mint green with your espresso today? 

Regardless of your vintage persuasion, there is something for everyone!

Enjoy!