Monday 3 December 2012

Use of the word , 'Vintage' ! My Monday protest!! ;-)




What does the word 'vintage ' mean to you?

I ask... because this has irritated me for ages ...and ages!

Yes, really!

Incorrect use of the word ' vintage ' really annoys me!;-)

Firstly, let's look at the origin of the word ,'vintage'.

Did you know that the word "vintage" is a combination of the Latin of vinum, or "wine,"

and demere, or "to take off"?

 A "vintage" was originally the yield of a season's harvest at a vineyard.

  • Today in wine-making, "vintage" means the process of picking grapes
     for the purpose of producing a finished wine product.
     A bottle of wine's "vintage" is the year in which the grapes that
     produced it were originally harvested.

    And now, moving on...

Vintage is a word that can have a variety of meanings.
 Primarily it means, ' Of old, recognized and enduring interest, importance or quality."
 Either as a noun or as an adjective it is usually associated with the quality of aging, enduring or improving over time (a bit like some of us!!)


During the nineteenth century, the word "vintage" began to be used to signify  something being old, 
old-fashioned, classical, or "from another time."
 Thus, objects other than wine began to be referred to as "vintage,"
This  included furniture, books, cars, clothing, musical instruments etc



    • Nowadays , "vintage" is generally used as a euphemism for "old" or "old-fashioned." 
      However, in antiquing, an item is considered "vintage" if it was manufactured between 1830 and 1930. In car collecting, a vintage car is one made between 1919 and 1930.

      And so...all that considered...why are people using the word 
      " vintage" in the name of their products, shops, organised fairs etc...when, in truth
       what you get is modern or reproduced copies which  simply is,  'pretend' and there
      isn't a true vintage item in sight?!!

      That's what really gets my goat!!;-

      It seems to me that everyone wants to jump on the "vintage" band wagon yet they haven't taken the time to find out exactly what is meant by the word  "vintage".

      The phrase, ' trades description ' springs to mind!!

      And so...I say to all those people who are snitching the word, 'vintage'

      and mis- labelling whatever they have to offer....go and find your own word

      to describe your modern 'copies' but leave the word ''vintage''

      well alone!! 


      What do you think?



      :-) 


10 comments:

  1. Here! Here!
    I agree with every word you say and yes me included is on the bandwagon because I now have labels that say 'I make vintage'! But saying that I do ONLY use patterns from 1900 to 1950.
    Its the word 'Retro' I have a problem with!
    Julie xxxxxxx

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  2. I agree with you! When I hear the word vintage I expect something of age, and if I go to a 'vintage' fair I don't want to see lots of mass produced items from China. To my mind, vintage is 40s and before, maybe 50s at a push! Anything within my lifetime has just got a bit of age to it and may be of more interest in the future! I think lots of the things described as 'vintage' would be more properly described as 'retro' (as in retrospective) but people often take that to mean 60s and 70s, so it wouldn't be a good solution!
    x

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  3. To me vintage is pre-1950 but I recently read that something only 25 years old or older can be correctly called ''vintage'. It is ndeed a bandwagon and a very crowded one.
    Carol xx

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  4. Such a great informative post Sal...thankyou!
    As a vendor of so called 'vintage' and 'retro' items I fully understand your annoyance! I have a similar irk with some peoples' interpretations of the term 'shabby chic'!
    I posted a photo on my Facebook page a few weeks ago of a bottle of recently purchased Bathroom Flash...the label proclaimed it to be the 'vintage edition' ...uummm NO! IT'S LOO CLEANER!!!
    gggrrr!!!
    Love Amanda (Shabby Chick) xxx

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  5. All I can say is: if it's from my childhood it can't POSSIBLY be described as vintage! (Can it?)

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  6. Along the same lines is this-- A stand at the Country Living Fair in Harrogate (and a very large stand) called Forever England selling quilts, aprons tablecloths etc. All made in CHINA (I did ask the stallholder). Now, if you don't use fabric you would assume, with the name on the stand,that they were English made. Or is it me?

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  7. That is ridiculous! They should change their name immediately!!;-)

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  8. Maybe items should be called 'tomorrow's vintage' in much the same way that books are now being published on the antiques of tomorrow - utems that are set to be collectables of the future dating from the sixties onwards. All got too silly for me I'm sfraid X

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  9. How abou

    All fings ingrish

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Thank you for taking the time to comment! ;-)