What makes it vintage?

I love the word vintage.  Somehow it just sounds better than old. I'm watching Antiques Roadshow and they just discussed the value of a dinette set from the 1950s. I thought it interesting that the style of the chair legs was like those of the first dinning room set my husband and I bought after we were married. Who knew those chairs would become vintage.  Sadly they fell apart and are long gone. Ah well, I guess I'll continue to be the only vintage item in my household.