We’ve recently been asked what the difference is between vintage and retro and so we thought we would write a post on the subject and welcome anyone reading to make their comments too.
In this picture you will see a vintage 1952 Yonezawa toy car, currently worth nearly £7000! The Blue Wooden Race Car is retro and from one of our Brands, Candylab Toys, who are inspired by 60's Americana Modernist style but with a modern twist. And currently only worth £32!
Lets take it back a little further…..
According to Wikipedia ………..An antique (Latin: antiquus; “old”, “ancient”) is an old collectable item. It is collected or desirable because of its age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human society. An item should be at least 100 years old to be defined as an antique.
Generally speaking if the item is no older than an antique but not less than 20 years, it falls under the term vintage. I have heard the term ‘true vintage’ as being at least 50 years old. Interestingly however, the term vintage relates primarily to wine and is an altered form of the French word vendage, meaning “the grapes picked during a season.”
What can sometimes be confusing is that items that are vintage are often described as retro and so there is a one sided overlap of the two terms.
Wikipediadescribes Retro style as “a style that is consciously derivative or imitative of trends, modes, fashions, or attitudes of the recent past. It generally implies a vintage of at least fifteen or twenty years. For example, clothing from the 1980s or 1990s could be retro. Retrostyle is an outdated style or fashion that has become fashionable again. The word “retro” derives from the Latin prefix retro, meaning “backwards, or in past times” – particularly as seen in the words retrograde, implying a movement toward the past instead of a progress toward the future, and retrospective, referring to a nostalgic (or critical) eye toward the past”.
Retro items don’t have to be old, they can be brand new, but would have to be made in the style of the time or item they are trying to replicate.
So, perhaps the best way to think about the difference between retro and vintage is that vintage refers to the acutal construction, whilst retro refers to the appearance.
Someone once told me that you can describe a vintage item as retro but never a retro item as vintage!
It’s interesting if you ask people their interpretation! Generally speaking I have found the consensus is that vintage conjurs up images of antiques, dresses, lace, pearls and florals whilst retro implies geometric shapes, mod and iconic design led items.
Terms also used are vintage style and retro style. But surely they are the same thing?
Confused still? If so, head over to our Toys & Games section to see some great Retro items
FAQs
Vintage in its simplest meaning is “of age,” but usually a vintage item is over 20 years old, but less than 99 years old. Retro means a newly made item that mimics a design of an earlier era.
What is the difference between retro and vintage? ›
Vintage differs from retro because of age, or the lack thereof. Vintage items are at least 20 years old and bring back a feeling of nostalgia, highlighting good times of the past. Retro items are newer items that evoke styles of times past but do not actually come from a different time era.
What is the difference between vintage and retro age? ›
While there's no official expert consensus for an item to be considered vintage, many agree an item should be between twenty to ninety-nine years old. An item regarded as retro is made recently but designed or in the style of items from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and very early 2000s.
Is 20 years old vintage? ›
It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human society. An item should be at least 100 years old to be defined as an antique. Generally speaking if the item is no older than an antique but not less than 20 years, it falls under the term vintage.
How many years is retro? ›
Typically, the term retro is given to items which are at least 20 years old (but not yet 40 years old). Again using today's posting date, retro items would be those made between 1979 and 1998. Also found in antique malls like Fargo's F.A.R.M. are items which are not necessarily old at all, but still collectible.
Is 50s retro or vintage? ›
Within the vintage category, newer pieces, especially those dating from the 1950s to1980, are generally considered retro. By calling furniture retro, most people hope to assign sentimental or historical value to something that is simply no longer cool.
What defines retro? ›
: relating to, reviving, or being the styles and especially the fashions of the past : fashionably nostalgic or old-fashioned. a retro look.
Is 60s vintage or retro? ›
Retro: Recent Nostalgia From The 1960s-90s
Any item at least 15 years old can count as retro. However, you can also call something retro if it's new but still evokes vibrant styles like Mod or Maximalism. The 1960s was also a revolutionary time for fashion.
Is the 90s vintage or retro? ›
The 80s, 90s, and early 2000s are now the retro decades. For millennials, this constitutes anything from their childhood and early teen years.
Is retro 70s or 80s? ›
Retro design derives from trends and art forms of the past, including graphic design, music, and fashion. More specifically, it usually refers to design styles of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Retro design may be an updated version of an old design style or only inspired by its features.
The term vintage technically just means “old,” and vintage items commonly refer to any item that was created in the last 100 years. Typically, items marketed as “vintage” date to the 1930s, '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s.
Is 2007 considered vintage? ›
A generally accepted industry standard is that items made between 20 and 100 years ago are considered "vintage" if they clearly reflect the styles and trends of the era they represent.
Is 2001 considered vintage? ›
Difference between Thrift Store and Vintage Shops
To be considered vintage in the vintage around town guide, item must be at least 20 years old, which means that it must have been produced before 2001. However, most of the shops in this guide carry items that are much older.
Why is it called retro? ›
The English word retro derives from the Latin prefix retro, meaning backwards, or in past times. In France, the word rétro, an abbreviation for rétrospectif, gained cultural currency with reevaluations of Charles de Gaulle and France's role in World War II.
What qualifies as vintage? ›
Vintage items are much younger than antiques. These pieces are typically defined as being at least 20 years old but less than 100 years old. The term "true vintage" is a sub-category for items that are at least 50 years old.
How to tell if something is vintage? ›
Here are 14 ways to recognize vintage clothing based on the label!
- Check the copyright year. ...
- Keep an eye out for union labels. ...
- Check for labels that read “one size fits all” ...
- Pay attention to half sizes. ...
- Search for style or lot numbers. ...
- Look for a “woolmark” ...
- Look for large price tags. ...
- Notice the material on the tags.
Generally speaking, an item from the 1920s to the 1980s is considered vintage in terms of style and design. Items that were made or created in the 1920s to the 1980s are referred to as vintage. Vintage items and clothes are made using antique materials and by old manufacturers.
