Whats the difference between Vintage and craft?

When is Vintage Craft

Yet again I have spent the better of 2 days sending messages back and forth explain why a lady can't stand at one of my fairs. 

I wonder what has the education of a nation has come to when people assume vintage is crafts.  No its wrong craft is not vintage.  If your going to have a craft fair have a craft fair if your going to have vintage fairs then have vintage but not a vintage fair that is all crafts and the odd vintage dealer thrown in just to make the numbers up.  Then call the craft dealers vintage inspired because they use reclaimed fabrics.  Its still crafts.  Don't get me wrong there is a place for these type of fairs and dealers are doing very well with them and organisers.  But can't you call em what they are Craft and vintage fairs. 

I organise Vintage collectors fairs.  Dateline fairs of pre 1980's and advertise those fairs as being vetted so why is it I have to explain to people that we don't have craft stalls and we don't do cup cakes (to be discussed at a later date).  Do you not know the difference or what dateline means. 

Vintage

Vintage is any item that is made after 1920's any item made before the 1920's is considered antique.  A vintage item can be any age even 1 year old basically any second hand item is vintage (of another age).  Within the vintage criteria there are Art deco, Art modern, Retro.  As time moves on these vintage items will in turn become antique. 

Dateline fair

A dateline fair is a fair where no item on display is after the date of the date line for example a 1980's dateline means nothing made after 1989 can be shown at this fair.

So if it was made after 1990 you can't show it but if it was made before it's fine.  I hope this helps to make it a little clearer.

Craft fairs

Definition of craft is something made from something else by hand.  whether the materials used are new or reclaimed the item is still a craft item.  If vintage fabrics are used the item is still new it has just been made.  Now here's where it gets tricky if a craft item has been made previously and been used then it is vintage. Reworked items are still craft if you make a cushion out  of a scarf its craft.  Curtains into an outfit its still a new outfit just made. 

I hear lots of names being bandied about like vintage inspired hell its new most of the fabrics used are new too. 

I hope I have helped in some way in defining the difference between Vintage and Craft.  I know a lot of people are getting confused.

 
The view of a few of our regular dealers Claire Cole and her daughter Maisie.  They work hard to find real vintage stock.

my good friends Ray and Joyce have a mix of vintage and antiques

 

That's me rant over I am sure I will still get people asking if they can stand with there vintage inspired crafts made from vintage fabrics and I will be explaining the difference once again.  But at least know I can tell them to go read my blog and blog off.