When is an item 'vintage'?

[HikaruNoGo]

I'm just curious. I see many auctions and sites selling 'vintage' items from dolls and kimono. When is an item considered vintage? Does it mean anything old?

I can understand something back in the Meiji or Taisho Eras can be considered vintage with no questions. How modern can something be so that it can no longer be vintage? I'm guessing anything made from 1990 to now is considered non- vintage. Thoughts?

[bawsin]

In my experience, this is how Ichiroya classifies kimono:

Vintage = The item is considered to be from the early Showa period (1926-1989) or Taisho period (1912-1926). Ichiroya also uses this term for anything earlier, e.g. Meiji or previous.

Quite old = The item is considered to be from the mid-Showa period to the end of Showa period.

Quite new = The item is considered to be from Heisei period. (Heisei period 1989- )

No way of knowing how other sellers use these terms, unfortunately. You'd have to ask each one. I wouldn't be surprised to see even late Showa kimono described as "vintage" by some, though.

[Kiyoaki]

It all depends on the users intent, but as a very general rule, anything that can be defined as belonging to an identifiable period, could qualify. I think we all know what clothes and furniture looked like in the '50's, so the term 'vintage, can easily be applied to them.

Practically speaking though, only after a few decades have passed can any kind of perspective be gained, and thereby a period style be defined. For my part, I find it's possible to identify some komono styles from the 1960's, but anything later is a bit more difficult for me to pin down. Nevertheless, a real aficianado could place a garment within a period of a few years, so variable (yet subtle) are the changes of kimono fashion.

The best way to define how 'vintage' is used, would be the ask the seller for further explanation (in each and every case).