Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ When is something "vintage"?

We often refer to cards as either modern or vintage, but when does something actually become "vintage"? What's the year at which everything from that point on is "modern"? For example, is it 1987 for baseball or earlier?

Is it different for each sport?

Does the year change as time goes on or did the production habits of the manufacturers in the late 80s and early 90s force a year in that period to always be the cutoff?

Let's hear your thoughts.

-Bob

Since Im older Vintage means something else to me.

In 1974 when Topps first issued a set that was not in series then the Vintage age stopped.

1973 was the last "Vintage" year for me, it marked a complete reversal in your collecting fortunes. No longer did you have to wait and hope for SS Kresgges, Shoppers Fair or WT Grants to get in the last series even though they had a box from all the other series. Nobody in Quincy even had Series 7 from 1972 Baseball. I had to complete that set thru Renata galasso INC buying singles in 1977.

I think as collectors look back and reflect on this monumental change in how cards were issued and distributed many "old-timers" would agree with me.

If you page thru a Beckett there is a marked distinction in price between the pre-1974 sets and those issued as a single series from 1974 on..

Of course by 1981 you add Fleer and Donruss to the mix and there is another line in the sand for cards issued before 1981 and those issued after..including the birth of the "traded series"...

Just my humble opinion...!

For baseball, cards were broken in to different series by numbers up until 1973. That means you couldn't make a full set until the next series came out later that year. A lot of the high-numbered cards were made in limited quantities. Example: The 1969 Nolan Ryan 2nd year - made much scarcer than his RC because it was made in the high-numbered series, yet is sold at only a fraction of the cost.

I guess 1973 would be the cut-off date for me and 1939 for pre-war.

From 1974 and after, they stopped making series and you could build an entire set with a box or two. But I would label them "pre-modern" until 1982 when the other manufacturers like Fleer and Donruss hit the market.

Since Im older Vintage means something else to me.

In 1974 when Topps first issued a set that was not in series then the Vintage age stopped.

1973 was the last "Vintage" year for me, it marked a complete reversal in your collecting fortunes.....
I think as collectors look back and reflect on this monumental change in how cards were issued and distributed many "old-timers" would agree with me.

If you page thru a Beckett there is a marked distinction in price between the pre-1974 sets and those issued as a single series from 1974 on..

Of course by 1981 you add Fleer and Donruss to the mix and there is another line in the sand for cards issued before 1981 and those issued after..including the birth of the "traded series"...

Just my humble opinion...!

OMG!

OMG!     

Wow! Now, that's amazing!

-Bob

1989 marked the year Upper Deck came out - the Premium card era had begun.

So, are we suggesting the following?

Before 1974 - Vintage
1974 - 1988 - Pre-modern
1989 - Present - Modern

I'm not sure that it's that common to go beyond vintage vs. modern. However, I'm also not sure that it makes sense to refer to cards from the late 70s and early 80s as modern.

-Bob

FYI - I just looked and NAXCOM refers to pre-1980 cards as "vintage".

-Bob

More like this:

???? to 1939 > pre-war vintage
1940 to 1959 > post-war vintage
1960 to 1973 > vintage
1974 to 1980 > pre-modern
1981 to present > modern

1989 began the premium card era
1990 to 1999 > insert-mania

That's how I see it.

FYI - I just looked and NAXCOM refers to pre-1980 cards as "vintage".

-Bob

i'd have to agree with you on this, bob. anything older than me is vintage. lol.

Indy, Great Minds think A like or we are really showing our age.

To further this period thing lets go to Dr James Beckett.

1890-1912 Tobacco cards
1912-1932 Caramels and exhibits
1933-1948 Goudey , Playball
1948-1973 Vintage Modern era packs nickel and dime ya to death
1974-1980 Topps Monopoly .25 cent packs
1981-1988 Dreck gray cardboard by three different guys (the era of corrected Errors (82 and 83 Donruss comes to mind!)
1989 - present - The chase is on....

I agree with Indiana.

???? to 1939 > pre-war vintage
1940 to 1959 > post-war vintage
1960 to 1973 > vintage
1974 to 1980 > pre-modern
1981 to present > modern

1989 began the premium card era
1990 to 1999 > insert-mania

The more people you ask the more different responses you'll get. I like pre 80's cards. And if I had a lot more $ I'd have a lot of pre-war cards.

Here is my take:

Pre 1940 - Historical Treasures
Pre 1970 - Vintage (this also includes pre 1940s when generalizing)
1970-1988 - Classics (a decade or two away from being Vintage)
1989-1999 - Old Modern (you can insert overproduced garbage here)
2000-2005 - New Modern

Cards printed prior to 1970 have become harder to find. They still exist but they have become scarcer.

Cards printed from 1970-1988 are starting to become harder to find, but you still run into larger quantities of them than the vintage items.

Cards after 1988 through 2005 you find lots of them. Especially, our favorite ones Pro-set!

so we actually dont have clear lines as to whether which cards are vintage.

you know what guys, we could all set it right here. we are the ones trading the blasted things anyway. lol

i'd have to say anything from the 1986 fleer set and older is vintage... pretty hard to find (and expensive if u buy)...

Well, I think the lines are not clear due to the nature of each sport and where you are located.

I have gone to dealers shops in Toronto and literally drooled on the cases, looking at the Vintage hockey cards from the early 1900s to 1960s.

I have gone to shows here in Pittsburgh and seen lots of Vintage baseball cards and some vintage football, but very little in Hockey and basketball.

What I am saying is that a lot depends on your region and the favored sport. What might be considered vintage here due to age and scarcity, might not be scarce somewhere else.

I think of vintage as pre 1979 - the 1st year I started collecting.

Vintage can also be described as a Brad Miller Sage Auto #52/??? (his jersey # in college) and have it sit in the sun for months and when you finally remember it - the auto and hand written serial # is gone - now that's vintage or is magic or is it stupidity!

I think of vintage as pre 1979 - the 1st year I started collecting.

Vintage can also be described as a Brad Miller Sage Auto #52/??? (his jersey # in college) and have it sit in the sun for months and when you finally remember it - the auto and hand written serial # is gone - now that's vintage or is magic or is it stupidity!

that may be pretty recent for a vintage card. although it would sure look like one if it's fried in the heat. just add sauce and topping and youre good to go. lol.

Sun Baked Brad Miller Autographed Sage cards, step right on up, that'll be $0.50 please?

Sounds like Brad gotta tan he did not deserve. I hate when junk happens to cards, like they slip out of your hand when your inserting them into a holder, etc.

What's the oldest card everyone has in their collection ? In any sport. If you want to brag thats ok too. Scans would be nice to see. My oldest card is a 1887 Old Judge Eddie Hogan. It's in vg condition. It's part of my pre-war player collection.

What's the oldest card everyone has in their collection ? In any sport. If you want to brag thats ok too. Scans would be nice to see. My oldest card is a 1887 Old Judge Eddie Hogan. It's in vg condition. It's part of my pre-war player collection.

An 1882 ad card depicting Iroquois winning the Derby