How old does a sewing machine have to be to be called vintage?
 

Just curious.

Thanks.

I think there will be a variety of answers because that can vary from person to person but I think a lot of people consider vintage to be machines that have all or mostly metal parts (versus plastic). I tend to think of vintage as mid 1970's and older for machines. Then you have "antique" which I tend to see as like 100 years or older, but that's a big gray area too.

I think officially the definition of vintage is either 40 or 50 years and antique is 100 yrs or older. That pretty much works for me. My definition of vintage stops when plastic became the dominant material used, I would still call some machines made into the early 80s vintage. Also consider the style and construction of machines. Machines from the mid 70s and earlier are primarily metal in construction. After that point more and more plastic found it's way into machines. The problem with machines that have plastic gears from the 60s and 70s is the usable lifespan of the plastic is at it's end. The plastic gears are starting to fail and aren't always available for replacement. That's one of the reasons so many of us here favor machines with all metal construction.

The cheap modern machines you can buy now are completely different beasts with plastic clamshell bodies and ether stamped metal or plastic internals everywhere the manufacturers can get away with it. They're built just well enough for your warrantee to wear out (if you're lucky and only give them moderate use). The better quality new machines aren't as bad. Another big difference is sewing was accomplished mechanically on vintage machines. These days it's more likely to be computer controlled servo motors doing the work.
Rodney-king of long winded answers

Rodney, some of us like your "long winded answers" as that is how we learn. Keep up the good work and explain away. Thank you.

Great answer Rodney. I'll only question one thing. Computerized machines use stepper motors.

Cari

Antique = 100 years and older

Vintage = all metal mechanical machines, no plastic, no electronics

That's my description at any rate.

Joe

WEBSTERS: VINTAGE

noun

1.the wine from a particular harvest or crop.

2.the annual produce of the grape harvest, especially with reference tothe wine obtained.

3.an exceptionally fine wine from the crop of a good year.

4.the time of gathering grapes, or of winemaking.

5.the act or process of producing wine; winemaking.

6.the class of a dated object with reference to era of production or use:a hat of last year's vintage.


adjective

7.of or relating to wines or winemaking.

8.being of a specified vintage:Vintage wines are usually more expensive than nonvintage wines.


9.representing the high quality of a past time:vintage cars; vintage movies.


10.old-fashioned or obsolete:vintage jokes.


11.being the best of its kind:They praised the play as vintage O'Neill.


verb (used with object), vintaged, vintaging.
12.to gather or harvest (grapes) for wine-making:The muscats were vintaged too early.


13.to make (wine) from grapes:a region that vintages a truly great champagne.


verb (used without object), vintaged, vintaging.
14.to harvest grapes for wine-making.

WEBSTERS: ANTIQUE

adjective

1.of or belonging to the past; not modern.

2.dating from a period long ago:antique furniture.


3.noting or pertaining to automobiles approximately 25 years old ormore.

4.in the tradition, fashion, or style of an earlier period; old-fashioned;antiquated.

5.of or belonging to the ancient Greeks and Romans.

6.(of paper) neither calendered nor coated and having a rough surface.

7.ancient.

noun

8.any work of art, piece of furniture, decorative object, or the like,created or produced in a former period, or, according to U.S. customslaws, 100 years before date of purchase.

9.the antique style, usually Greek or Roman, especially in art.

10.Printing. a style of type.

verb (used with object), antiqued, antiquing.

11.to make or finish (something, especially furniture) in imitation ofantiques.

12.to emboss (an image, design, letters, or the like) on paper or fabric.

verb (used without object), antiqued, antiquing.

13.to shop for or collect antiques:She spent her vacation antiquing in Boston.

That's what I was taught: At least 100 years old to be an antique.
Cars are classed as 'vintage' if they're at least 25 years old, and Etsy allows you to list anything as vintage if it's 25 years old (not that Etsy's an ideal reference) but like Joe, I'd find it hard to think of a 1990 plastic sewing machine as vintage (well, without laughing a bit).

I think I like #9 for vintage the best - and that would knock out the plastic ones because they don't represent high quality. It has to have stood the test of time - I have every reason to believe my vintage machines will be around and working when they get old enough to be considered Antiques - the rest are just old junk

representing the high quality of a past time:vintage cars; vintage movies.