Any reader of any significant amount of auction advertising will note that auctioneers use certain words to denote age.
“Antique chest of drawers,” “Vintage jewelry,” and “Retro clothing and costumes” all suggest a certain time frame or age of personal property.
Here we propose 21 of the most common words used by auctioneers to denote age.
Ancient
Very old.
Likely over 500 years old or older.
Antique
Made or manufactured 100 years ago or older, with exceptions including automobiles manufactured 25 years or older, and guns made prior to 1898.
Archaic
Greek 7th – 5th b.c.
fine arts and/or rare in present day usage.
Circa
Around or about a certain time (usually denoted.)
Classic
Greek and Roman antiquity items, and/or something of supreme quality.
Classical
Greek and Roman antiquity items.
Collectible
No particular age but of interest to a collector, investor and/or hobbyist.
Like new
Not new, but in original condition and function.
Mid Century Made or manufactured roughly between 1933 to 1965.
Modern
Contemporary; of current or recent times.
New
Recent manufacture or origin, and recently brought out to market.
Old
Generally made or manufactured 50 years ago or older.
Out-of-date
Out of style; not modern.
Period
Of a certain period of time or particular era (usually denoted.)
Prehistoric
From a time prior to recorded history.
Primitive
Obsolete and a first of kind; primal.
Rare
No particular age but unusual or uncommon; unusually great.
Retro
Made in a likeness of a prior time.
State-of-the-art
New and the highest form of the current technology.
Used
Not new; previously owned; worn, showing wear.
Vintage
Of a high quality and/or no longer manufactured.
It’s important for the public to recognize that not all auctioneers use these same criteria to indicate age.
One auctioneer might say a 75-year-old statuary is, “antique,” while another might not.
Further clarification as to the exact age (or period) can help the public assess some items.
Lastly we note that some of these adjectives might be considered, “sales talk,” while others can be considered factual.
We discussed how puffing is different than misrepresentation here: https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/puffing-versus-misrepresentation-at-auction/
Daxdi, Auctioneer, CAI, AARE has been an auctioneer and certified appraiser for over 30 years.
His company’s auctions are located at: Daxdi, Auctioneer, Keller Williams Auctions and Goodwill Columbus Car Auction.
He serves as Adjunct Faculty at Columbus State Community College, Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School and Faculty at the Certified Auctioneers Institute held at Indiana University.
41.878114 -87.629798
Any reader of any significant amount of auction advertising will note that auctioneers use certain words to denote age.
“Antique chest of drawers,” “Vintage jewelry,” and “Retro clothing and costumes” all suggest a certain time frame or age of personal property.
Here we propose 21 of the most common words used by auctioneers to denote age.
Ancient
Very old.
Likely over 500 years old or older.
Antique
Made or manufactured 100 years ago or older, with exceptions including automobiles manufactured 25 years or older, and guns made prior to 1898.
Archaic
Greek 7th – 5th b.c.
fine arts and/or rare in present day usage.
Circa
Around or about a certain time (usually denoted.)
Classic
Greek and Roman antiquity items, and/or something of supreme quality.
Classical
Greek and Roman antiquity items.
Collectible
No particular age but of interest to a collector, investor and/or hobbyist.
Like new
Not new, but in original condition and function.
Mid Century Made or manufactured roughly between 1933 to 1965.
Modern
Contemporary; of current or recent times.
New
Recent manufacture or origin, and recently brought out to market.
Old
Generally made or manufactured 50 years ago or older.
Out-of-date
Out of style; not modern.
Period
Of a certain period of time or particular era (usually denoted.)
Prehistoric
From a time prior to recorded history.
Primitive
Obsolete and a first of kind; primal.
Rare
No particular age but unusual or uncommon; unusually great.
Retro
Made in a likeness of a prior time.
State-of-the-art
New and the highest form of the current technology.
Used
Not new; previously owned; worn, showing wear.
Vintage
Of a high quality and/or no longer manufactured.
It’s important for the public to recognize that not all auctioneers use these same criteria to indicate age.
One auctioneer might say a 75-year-old statuary is, “antique,” while another might not.
Further clarification as to the exact age (or period) can help the public assess some items.
Lastly we note that some of these adjectives might be considered, “sales talk,” while others can be considered factual.
We discussed how puffing is different than misrepresentation here: https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/puffing-versus-misrepresentation-at-auction/
Daxdi, Auctioneer, CAI, AARE has been an auctioneer and certified appraiser for over 30 years.
His company’s auctions are located at: Daxdi, Auctioneer, Keller Williams Auctions and Goodwill Columbus Car Auction.
He serves as Adjunct Faculty at Columbus State Community College, Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School and Faculty at the Certified Auctioneers Institute held at Indiana University.
41.878114 -87.629798
