Vintage, Antique, Reproduction — What's the Difference?

Three words the trade uses every day, often interchangeably, and priced very differently. Here is the short version — the one a good dealer would give you if you asked them across a table.

Antique

Traditionally, at least 100 years old. In practice, most serious dealers keep to that line. An antique piece was made by hand, in materials that are no longer standard, using joinery that machines cannot cheaply replicate. It carries provenance, patina and — if kept well — appreciates over time.

Vintage

Roughly 25 to 100 years old. Vintage covers Art Deco, mid-century modern, industrial pieces and 1970s design. Vintage is often part-machine-made, uses materials that are still available, and appeals for its style rather than its age. It does not always appreciate — but the best pieces do.

Reproduction

New furniture built to look old. There is nothing wrong with a well-made reproduction sold as a reproduction. There is a great deal wrong with one sold as an antique. Reproductions do not appreciate; they depreciate like any new furniture. If a piece is described as 'antique-style' or 'in the manner of' — it is a reproduction.

How to tell the difference

Turn the piece over. Look for hand-cut dovetails, hand-planed backs, oxidised hardware and irregular tool marks. Ask for a written note of age and provenance. Any dealer worth buying from will provide one, and stand behind it.