Vintage vs. Antique

[jhs5120]

I've always considered antiques to be items from the Antiquity; so by default, nothing related to baseball can be an antique.

[drcy]

Antiquities is something different. Antiquity means Ancient Greece and Rome, etc. George Washington's walking stick would be too modern for antiquity.

[jhs5120]

Originally Posted by drcy

Antiquity means Ancient Greece and Rome, etc. George Washington's walking stick would be too modern for antiquity.

All true, but I wouldn't really consider George Washington's walking stick an antique either.

I could be mistaken, but I consider antiquity to begin sometime before the middle ages. Those are antiques (ie. from the Antiquity).

Edited to add: I looked up Antiquity and found a similar definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquity

[drcy]

In the end, if someone wants to call his Goudeys or 1915 Cracker Jacks vintage or antique it's no big deal to me. But antique and antiquity are two different things.

[Eric72]

I believe the term, "antique" used to refer to an item made before 1830.

More recently, the definition has been modified and generally refers to an item 100+ years old.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Eric72

I believe the term, "antique" used to refer to an item made before 1830.

More recently, the definition has been modified and generally refers to an item 100+ years old.

That probably occurred in 1931.

[Huysmans]

Its simple. Anything around 25 years or older is "vintage". Once something is 100 years old or older it is "antique". Since time immemorial in collecting the term antique refers to any item that's at least 100 years old. Nothing more, nothing less.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by jhs5120

All true, but I wouldn't really consider George Washington's walking stick an antique either.

I could be mistaken, but I consider antiquity to begin sometime before the middle ages. Those are antiques (ie. from the Antiquity).

Edited to add: I looked up Antiquity and found a similar definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiquity

Antique = more than 100 years old
Antiquity = before the middle ages

[conor912]

Originally Posted by jhs5120

All true, but I wouldn't really consider George Washington's walking stick an antique either.

I agree, it sounds slightly off, but not more than calling it vintage
How about "historical artifact"?