TheSkySearchers

I'm a little hazy of the whole vintage or classic idea. . So, to begin with what do we call classic and or vintage?

What might be some of the factors?
Age / Time
Manufacturer
Type of glass or mirror blank
Person who made the instrument or parts of it
Retailer
Purpose

The last is because I have what I consider a crystal clear instrument, the lens must be all of 10mm in diameter but made for sighting the 105 mm gun for a Leopard I. It seriously outperforms other optics I have. So there it is, where do we start?

If it were a car the 'usual definitions are - Classics are vehicles over 20 years old. Antique cars are over 45 years old, and vintage cars are built between 1919 and 1930.

Optics for a battle tank I reckon are :

1. Militaria
2. Mighty SWEET!

I think that makes ME an antique - sure feels like it anyway -lol

sometimes I get the impression that 'classic' instruments are a product more of nostalgia rather than specific qualities.

I think the term classic needs to refer to more than age. To me a 'Classic' is something that stood out above its contemporaries for its design and quality and is still revered many years later.
Automotive classics are things like the original BMW M1 and M3 or the Mercedes Gull Wing.

In our hobby classics to me are some of the Zeiss refractors (not the school ones but the specials).
Other scopes I consider classics are the early Nikon, Pentax and Takahashi. Quester and TEC Mak offerings also.

I would agree with Rainmaker (Matt) about the Classics. I would vote that for "Vintage", any of the scopes made during the "Golden Age", mid 60's to late 70's. This age came about because of the massive increase in interest for all things "outer space" caused by the "Space Race". To me, scopes in this category include Cave Astrola, Old Meade reflectors, and Orange Tube Celestron's. I'm sure you all can think of more for this category.

Cheers,
JT

As far as I'm concerned only wine should ever be considered "vintage".

so, can we have a consensus here and perhaps eventually place a sticky outlining what is which, for the people on this forum?

Can anything 20th century (1/1/1901 to 31/12/2000 inclusive), be considered as either?

A good source is the Stellafane website, at their annual conference they have an antique telescope restoration competition, for instance in 2021 there were two on this page, https://stellafane.org/convention/2021/2021-scopes.html . Check the other years too. Also the RTMC conference archives will have many examples.

My understanding from some pretty experienced, long time astronomers, from other respected sites, was that the consensus was a scope over 25 years old was recognized as a ' classic '. Department store non performers not included !