Retro, vintage and antique – what's the difference?
Share
“Isn’t everything old just... old?” If you’ve ever been confused by terms like retro, vintage, and antique when talking about furniture and gadgets, you’re not alone. Many people throw the words around a bit. But there are actually quite well-established differences in meaning. Here, we’ll break down the terms in a clear and concise way, so you know what’s what the next time you’re finding or discussing old things.
Antique – a real old classic
Antique refers to really old objects, often with cultural and historical value. In the world of collectors and among dealers, the limit is usually set at at least 100 years old for something to be called an antique, according to cg-antikmarknad.se. That is, around the year 2025, anything from before 1925 would be considered antique. Some draw the line even further back, but 100 years is the rule of thumb.
The idea is that the object should have survived a century and stood the test of time to deserve the epithet antique. Antique furniture, artwork, jewelry or decorative objects often have value precisely because they are rare, well-made and carry history.
Examples of antiques could be a dining room piece from the late 19th century, a Rococo-style cabinet from the 1760s, or a peasant chest from 1850. They have both the age and a style that clearly belong to a bygone era.
Many antique dealers are strict with the 100-year limit, and even export laws in some countries use 100 years as a criterion for what is considered an antique worthy of protection to prevent the export of cultural heritage.
The term antique should not be confused with antiquity, i.e. ancient civilizations such as ancient Greece or Rome. Things from antiquity are of course also ancient, but in everyday speech we usually mean by antiques objects from the Middle Ages up to the early 20th century.
Antique means at least a hundred years old and often something with a classical, historical feel.
Vintage – contemporary and charmingly older
Vintage is a bit trickier to define exactly, but you can say that it applies to older objects of good quality that are typical of their time but have not yet achieved antique status. Often, people talk about things that are at least 20 to 30 years old to call them vintage, according to inteosnyggt.se.
In fashion, clothing from before the 21st century is usually considered vintage, and in the furniture context, it is often referred to as the middle and second half of the 20th century.
The key is that vintage items represent the style or aesthetic of their time. A teak armchair from the 60s with Danish design is vintage. A dress from the 70s with a flared model and a clear pattern typical of the time is also vintage.
An IKEA sofa from 2015, on the other hand, is only used, not vintage, because it is neither particularly old nor iconic for its era.
You could say that everything vintage is second hand, but not everything second hand is vintage. Vintage signals both age, quality and style.
The age range is a bit fluid. Nowadays, even the early 90s are called vintage in popular culture, but strictly speaking, it is more in the retro category. Many people believe that vintage should be at least 20 to 25 years old, according to inteosnyggt.se.
Examples of vintage could be a string shelf from the 50s, a floral armchair from the 60s or a coffee table from the brutalism of the 70s. They are not antiques yet, but they carry the spirit of their time.
Vintage items can also be things that have stopped being manufactured and have gained cult status, such as a porcelain series from the 1960s.
Retro – newer in old style or nostalgically period-typical
Retro is more of a style concept than an exact age. The word comes from the Latin retro, which means backwards, and refers to things that are newer but in an old style or objects from relatively recent times that evoke nostalgia.
Retro is often used to refer to design from the 1960s to the 1980s or 1990s. Much of what people call retro is actually vintage by definition, but retro is more about the feel than the age.
A product can be retro in two ways:
• It could be from the 70s, for example, and thus both vintage and retro.
• It may be new but designed with an old-fashioned look. A refrigerator made in 2020 in a 50s style is retro-inspired.
Retro is about nostalgia and recognition. A Nintendo console from the early 90s is often called retro because it has a clear iconic status and style.
There is no set age limit for retro, but many believe that things from around 15 to 50 years ago can be called retro, especially if they have a clear aesthetic, according to sv.dorit-meir.com.
A computer desk from 2005 might not be considered retro because it lacks iconic style. But a lot of 90s design is now considered retro precisely because of its nostalgia factor.
Why bother with the terms?
In everyday life, you can of course say old furniture. But the terms are useful in contexts such as:
• Trade: Retro, vintage and antique are often used in advertisements. Then you know what to expect. Antique should be at least early 20th century. Retro coffee tables can be 70s or new production in 70s style.
• Valuation: Antiques can have a higher value. Vintage design classics can also be valuable, but in a different category. The concepts help you understand quality and pricing.
• Inspiration: Searches on vintage interior yield different styles than retro interior. Retro is more colorful and 60s–70s-inspired, vintage appeals to older charm and patina, antique to historical environments.
The boundaries are fluid and people use the words differently, but the basics are:
Antique = at least 100 years old, often classical and historical.
Vintage = a few decades old, typical of its time and of good quality.
Retro = nostalgic style, either old and typical of the time or new in an old style.
Termination
The language surrounding old things can be perceived as nerdy, but it makes them easier to understand and appreciate. A 19th century chest of drawers is antique, a teak chest of drawers from the 60s is vintage and a newly produced chest of drawers in an old-fashioned style is retro-inspired.
So the next time you're at a flea market or antique shop, you can easily distinguish the two concepts. Regardless of what you call them, the essence is the same: old objects continue to live on in our homes and carry with them the charm of their era, whether it's antique timelessness, vintage nostalgia or retro coolness.