How old is vintage?

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by rodmonster

So my question is where do you cut off your definition of vintage?

I sometimes enjoy "pushing" this type of subjective term. Basically, to me, anything that is from early in the life of that type of item is "vintage", (or even "antique", if you want to have fun and/or annoy some people!).

So, I have no problem calling my 2000 digital-TV tuner a "vintage" model. I also have an antique 1970s hand-held calculator, if I remember right. But, no 1980s TV set could be called "vintage". My 1970s VCRs are definitely vintage machines.

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by ChrisW6ATV

I sometimes enjoy "pushing" this type of subjective term. Basically, to me, anything that is from early in the life of that type of item is "vintage", (or even "antique", if you want to have fun and/or annoy some people!).

So if you purchased a brand new, curved screen OLED 4K TV tomorrow, you could consider it to be "new" as well as "vintage" or even "antique" ?

Seems like *some* time scale should be applied, but I agree that normalization to the introduction period of the product is relevant. (I consider my 1968 Trinitron to be a "vintage" 'tron and *perhaps* my CT-100 could be called an "antique" color tv, but I am more comfortable with the term "vintage" for both.

jr

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

So if you purchased a brand new, curved screen OLED 4K TV tomorrow, you could consider it to be "new" as well as "vintage" or even "antique" ?

Well, obviously some amount of time has to go by with any type of device. There are already collectors of early plasma TV sets. Hmm, maybe 10 years is a minimum, and there have to be definite general changes in that time period, for me to think of anything having "early" (and therefore "vintage" ) versions. Any HDTV set or tuner from the 20th century, I would enjoy calling an "antique" at this point, just for fun as noted above. I think my oldest HD tuner is from 2000, though. I know that is when I bought my first one, but I do not have that one anymore.

The original-style Toyota Priuses are over ten years old now, but likely not being "collected", yet. They WILL be, though. That, I would take to the bank.

[rca2000]

I expect VERY few plasma sets to be around long enough for them to legitimately be considered "vintage". They just do NOT last that long !! For that matter ALL flat-panels fall into this category. Few will be saved to be "collectible". not at all like the goodies we seek after--that are still " out there", waiting for us to find them.

[Jon A.]

The person who sold me my 1988 Zenith console called it an antique in the ad. She didn't try to price it like one though. It was a genuine "best offer" ad, and I easily doubled the only other amount offered. It was originally her grandparents' set and her parents were sick of storing it.

[Jon A.]

Mine's a 9-516, pretty neat inside IMO. I've taken apart a few sets that were a total rat's nest of wires inside, and they were older.