Determining what is vintage

[vintagetoppsguy]

Ten years ago, if you asked us post-war collectors, "What is considered vintage?" most of us would probably agree anything produced before 1979.

Well, ten years later, do the parameters change? Do we expand it by 10 years and now consider 1989 Topps to be vintage? After all, 1989 Topps are now 29 years old. Yeah, yeah, I know that they were mass produced and there are still cases and cases sitting in warehouses. But do we let that (mass production) determine what is considered "vintage?"

When I started collecting in 1986, a card that was 29 years old (1957 Topps) would be considered vintage. So all these years later, why doesn't the same criteria apply to us collectors? In another 10 years, when the 1989 Topps are 39 years old, will they be considered vintage then?

I guess the point is, why do we allow production runs to determine what is vintage (because that's really what it boils down to if you think about it)? At what point will 1989 Topps (or fill in any other year) be considered vintage?

Thoughts?