May 13, 2010
“Look at this great t- shirt Aunt Tura!” I heard my niece yell these words across the rows of clothing racks at my local Goodwill. I went over to see what had excited her so much. “This is cool, huh? And, it is old; it says 1978 on it!” she said. My heart gave a flutter; at last, I have a protégé to teach the finesse of vintage shopping. Upon closer inspection my fluttering heart sank. I always check the tags of clothing first and it read Old Navy. “Oh, it’s a cute top, but its retro” I said. “Retro? Isn’t that old?” she asked. Protégé, she may still be! Here was a perfect opportunity for me insert a quick tutorial on shopping for clothing and items considered vintage and collectible.
Generally speaking, clothing and mass produced goods that were manufactured before the 1920s are referred to as antique. Items from the 1920s through the mid 1980s are considered vintage. Retro, short for retrospective usually refers to items that imitate the style of a previous decade. Goods that are produced currently are usually called modern or contemporary. Opinions can vary on these definitions. This is how I determine the age of clothing and items and describe them as vintage. Do I consider all vintage items collectible? Uh, no. So, how can something that by its age can be considered vintage; be considered valuable or collectible? That’s easy: supply and demand.
The best way to see supply and demand work is on eBay. Nowadays people want green options and so recycling clothing and household items is a big motivator. Online commerce has created a whole new batch of vintage dealers because buying and wearing vintage clothing and accessories has become tres chic as well as responsible. Searching for buying opportunities online is the perfect place to see vintage vs. old crap being sold. I am in constant awe of people and their ignorance. For example; I found a listing for a Vintage 50’s Poodle Skirt. Yes, it was a skirt. Yes, it had a poodle on it. Was it vintage? Uh, no. The skirt was a costume reproduction. Was it crap? Not necessarily. I was very let down though, because I really wanted to purchase a vintage poodle skirt for $1.00! Did the seller try to deceive me with his description? Perhaps he did try. I do not condone this selling practice but this is how the supply and demand premise works. If a seller puts the word vintage in front of an item it will attract buyers. I do believe that many a seller and buyer of vintage are being led astray.
There are several online sites to help the novice vintage buyer educate themselves. I have found sites dedicated to indexing the RN number of clothing manufacturing. These numbers are found on garment tags and the number will correspond to a certain date. The RN numbers were assigned by the Federal Trade Commission for clothing manufactured in the US. This tag number makes it easy to look up it’s “circa” date. I also love to peruse costume sites for references. I might find parts of a dress or suit that was popular in an era to help determine its age. Because retro clothing of the 50’s is becoming more popular, we know a lot of it is mimicking the WWII era. So, be an educated buyer. Do some google-ing and become an expert of vintage vs. crap.
So; back to my little shopping tutorial. “So, how do you know if it is old and collectible, Aunt Tura? Some of the stuff I see in your store just looks old and ugly!” Nikki said. “Years of experience, Nichole. According to my standards for aging items I, myself would be described as vintage!”
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