Featured Tired of "excellent vintage condition"

In general don't purchase vintage jewelry on Ebay, but I like to view what is out there, and once in a while something catches my eye. Time and time again I see jewelry listed as "excellent vintage condition" in the condition box, which is the first thing you see on an Ebay auction. "Excellent" I get, but "Excellent vintage" seems incredibly vague. I could imagine receiving something near perfect condition all the way down to to a piece caked with verdigris or finish loss, but with all stones present. I also think it is a tiny bit disingenuous because the eye sees the word "Excellent". More accurate would be to say "Excellent for vintage" or something. Anyone else confused by this?

 

OK, I'll admit I'm guilty of something like that, and I will stop it right now!!
I sometimes state...Very good or good vintage condition, see listing for details, but then in my description, I list any and all flaws thoroughly.

 

Hi Lucille,
I concur. Though I used to describe china as mint if it was shiny no fleabites or
others as it came right from the factory. Unfortunely I sold a Stangl creamer in what I thought as mint still in the orginial box with the receipt. The buyer blasted me from high heaven, screaming that I was a complete idiot and etc etc etc. It seems that there was a tiny speck of over paint on the inside of the handle. Which is almost normal for Stangl. She sent several emails to me informing me that I was a
disgrace to all of other the sellers on eBay and should take classes on antiques as she had at a university. I never used mint or even excellent in my listings since
greg

 

I hate when they do that.
It's just their way of fudging the condition issue.
Either a piece is in "excellent" or "good" condition . . . or it isn't.
Doesn't mater how old it is.

 

I never use mint,excellent,gorgeous,etc. and only twice did I use rare as the items were rare.

How about titles with "Antique Vintage" ?

 

I shy away from using the word "mint" in all but a few cases but do use the word "excellent" or "pristine" often-- but only if it is in that kind of condition, but don't attach it to any other word, and am careful not to use it unless appropriate.

Antique/Vintage is overused -- but have to confess a few times I've written that in a description title -- mostly if I couldn't pin point the date of creation but had narrowed it down to 80 years plus or minus. But do think it is overused.

It is the "excellent vintage" that I've learned to recognize as a possible fudging of condition as Messi stated. I think with the way Ebay wants you to fill in a condition box, this being used (should there be a SNAD) the "excellent vintage" just seems like a loop hole where almost any condition issue could be argued by a seller.

 

I use it to mean "it's 60 years old, don't expect perfect NIB condition". Some people expect vintage jewelry to be in mint condition and scream if it isn't. They're generally the ones who can't figure out that 60s Coro wasn't made last week and bought in Claire's ... and that the Claire's junk from last year is going to be in even worse condition, like as not. Even NIB vintage pieces often have some signs of age on them. I had one set that had never been worn, still in the original box, but all of the stones were dead. The metal was perfect. It went into a repair/craft lot.

 

"Excellent vintage condition" -- The words "excellent" and "vintage" both modify "condition." The vagueness seems to come from the word "vintage," which doesn't imply any kind of condition at all. If you said just vintage condition, what would that mean?

 

I had a lovely little planter from Occupied Japan with high relief frogs in cutaway coat's playing instruments. Very detailed. I sold it as "near mint" and the woman threw a fit because there was an underglaze flaw on the back near the base. Good grief - you'd have had to turn it nearly upside down to see it. I refunded her money and told her to keep it. Bah humbug

 

I could fill pages here on some of the "Mint/Perfect/Pristine" ads for Glass I have read

Only 2 small flea bites... but it is Mint!

 

Love those auction that say perfect except for a large list of flaws. Kind of describes the entire antique and collectible market/human race doesn't it - perfect except for the/our flaws?

 

Could not resist - had to do the old ebay search on "excellent vintage." 154,000+ auctions at present.

 

I've been watching old Antiques Roadshow episodes recently, and seem to recall an appraiser saying something like this about an item.

I usually don't say anything's better than "good" or "very good" to try to keep buyer expectations reasonably low. And I don't say it as a qualifier for "antique" or "vintage" because I think that's not very clear.

 

Really good condition for its age ----- beat up.

 

The one that bugs me is the misuse of the word "unique". From uni, or one as in "one of a kind", sellers throw the word "unique" around on production pieces for which there are literally thousands of identical pieces. In 2012 I sold the Catalina Island plate pictured, describing it as "possibly unique". I paid $2 and sold it for $1900. I left off the "excellent vintage" part...

 

While researching on eBay I came across a "RARE aluminum bread tray" with the inscription,Our Daily Bread,very common. Anyway I messaged her to tell her I had several like hers and to enter the words on eBay and she would see a dozen or so listed EXACTLY like hers.

She got back to me and said..."well where I live they are rare!"...she never changed the title.

 

Shiloh, did she sell it for a tidy sum . . . or an untidy sum?

 

Rare means you only found one at the thrift store. Unique means there's only one in your attic. I don't use unique unless it's one of my own hand-made pieces and it literally is the only one in existence. Those don't tend to sell for much.(LOL)

 

I think some people use the word "rare" when they don't see their item listed on ebay. Other's don't even bother to look things up. - sheesh !

 

Yes the title RARE is such a turn off to me. Also Vintage Antique. What are these sellers thinking?????