Etsy's 20-year vintage rule, explained
Etsy isn't a general resale marketplace. Apart from handmade goods and craft supplies, the only things you can resell there are vintage items, and Etsy defines vintage by age. If you sell estate finds, knowing where that line sits tells you which pieces belong on Etsy and which belong somewhere else.
The rule
To be listed as vintage on Etsy, an item must be at least 20 years old. The cutoff moves forward every year. In 2026, that means made in 2006 or earlier.
Age is the only test. An item doesn't have to be valuable, rare or in a particular style. A 1998 coffee mug qualifies. A 2015 mug in a 1950s style doesn't.
What doesn't count
- Vintage-style, retro or reproduction items made recently
- Newer collectibles, even if discontinued or sold out
- Items you can't reasonably date to 20 or more years ago
- New items made from old patterns or molds
Listing newer items as vintage breaks Etsy's rules. Etsy can remove the listing, and repeated problems can lead to a shop being suspended.
How to date an item
You rarely get a date printed on the piece. You get clues, and a few of them together usually settle it.
| Clue | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| "Made in Occupied Japan" | Made between 1945 and 1952 |
| "West Germany" or "W. Germany" | Made between 1949 and 1990 |
| A US address with no ZIP code | Probably before 1963, when ZIP codes were introduced |
| No care label on US clothing | Often before the early 1970s, when care labels became required |
| A barcode on the item or its packaging | 1974 or later |
| A website address on the label or box | Mid-1990s or later |
| Patent or design registration number | Look it up; the item was made on or after that date |
Other things to check:
- Maker's marks and backstamps. Potteries, glassmakers and silver companies changed their marks over time, and collectors have documented when
- Labels and tags. Typefaces, logos and union labels on clothing changed by decade
- Construction. Dovetail joints, slotted screws, zip types and stitching all changed over the years
- Materials. Bakelite, early plastics, certain glass colors and fabric blends point to particular decades
- catalogs and advertisements. Old catalog scans online can pin a pattern or model to the years it was sold
When you're not sure
If you can't make a reasonable case that an item is at least 20 years old, don't list it on Etsy. eBay has no age rule and suits newer and undated items well.
Etsy can ask a seller how they determined an item's age and where it came from. Keep photos of the marks, labels and details you relied on. They also make good listing photos, because buyers of vintage look for the same evidence.
Vintage or antique?
Antiques are generally understood to be 100 years old or more. On Etsy they fall under vintage, since they clear the 20-year line with room to spare. You can use "antique" in your title and tags when it's accurate. Buyers search for both words.
Listing vintage on Etsy
- Set "When was it made?" to the right decade. This field is what marks the listing as vintage
- Titles can be up to 140 characters. Put the item type, maker and era first
- You get 13 tags of up to 20 characters each. Use all of them, with phrases buyers search: "mid century lamp", "1960s barware"
- Describe wear honestly. Vintage buyers expect some, and want to know exactly what and where
- Include measurements. Vintage sizing varies, especially for clothing
What it costs to sell on Etsy
At the time of writing, Etsy charges $0.20 to publish a listing for four months, a 6.5% transaction fee on the item price plus shipping, and a payment processing fee, which is 3% plus $0.25 in the US. Check Etsy's fee page for current rates before you price.
Where LegacyList fits
LegacyList estimates each item's era from your photos and flags items that look too new for Etsy's vintage rule, so you can send those to eBay. The era is an estimate for you to confirm, and you make the final call on where each item is listed.