Vintage Vs Antique: How To Know What Category Your Old Cookware Falls Into

Social media is filled with influencers flipping a vintage gem found at their local thrift store or discovering a valuable antique among their grandmother's kitchenware, which might have you wondering what treasures your own kitchen cupboard might hold and whether they could be considered vintage or antique. You'll see these two terms applied to a wide range of styles, and often interchangeably. Ask an expert, however, and they will tell you that the words do have specific meanings. 

An antique is anything more than 100 years old, while vintage is considered to be anything 20 to 99 years old. Putting an age on these definitions rather than a particular decade means that the category certain items fall into will change as time passes. What does this mean for your cookware? Well although it's a useful distinction to know, the value of any old cookware will depend on more factors than simply what label can be applied to it. 

Although serious antique dealers will abide by these definitions, for the most part, the words vintage and antique can be used to describe anything old. So whether you're buying or selling, it pays to brush up on the history of vintage cookware.

True antiques are rarer simply by nature of their age, but this doesn't necessarily mean these pieces are more valuable. Some are kitchen items nobody uses any more and, in some cases, the antique style just isn't attractive to collectors. On the other hand, older cast iron pans are highly sought after as they are considered to be higher quality and have a practical use. Antique copper cookware can be extremely valuable, but depending on the lining it might be better used as decor.

The value of vintage cookware tends to be more based on the brand than the material, and even among these you'll find there are changing trends as to which styles are more sought after. The best designs are the ones that you like the look of, but vintage cookware sets from Cathrineholm, Le Creuset, and Corningware can be very valuable if they're in good condition. But, just as with antiques, some vintage finds are better left behind.