Retro-Protect
Member
Everyone will interpret it the way they want whatever we put. If something has never been opened since it was made then what's inside should be mint condition.
Mint Condition
- Thread starter mrr19121970
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The same can be said if an Item was used daily for 20 years but always had a soft dust cover, was used gently and with respect and looks like new because it was so well looked after = Mint.
Mint just means used but in exceptional condition, like new, no marks, no damage, no discoloration and works perfectly with no faults.
Retro-Protect
Member
Like you said in your quote, more LIKE NEW than mint.
"LOOKS" like new, meaning it looks as good as if it was new.( Different from New in box never used)
Mint = exceptional condition, like new, no marks, no damage, no discoloration and works perfectly with no faults.
like I said previously it's NOT what we think "MINT" means, it's what a "SELLER" thought it meant and in the context of the statement used by the SELLER the word mint was used to describe the exceptional condition of the item,
"The unit is in MINT condition in its original box. Works nicely. Perfect collectors item. "
in this context I could change the word "MINT" to this
"The unit is in exceptional condition, like new, no marks, no damage, no discoloration and works perfectly with no faults in its original box. Works nicely. Perfect collectors item. "
both statements mean exactly the same thing.
Mint = exceptional condition, like new, no marks, no damage, no discoloration and works perfectly with no faults.
like I said previously it's NOT what we think "MINT" means, it's what a "SELLER" thought it meant and in the context of the statement used by the SELLER the word mint was used to describe the exceptional condition of the item,
"The unit is in MINT condition in its original box. Works nicely. Perfect collectors item. "
in this context I could change the word "MINT" to this
"The unit is in exceptional condition, like new, no marks, no damage, no discoloration and works perfectly with no faults in its original box. Works nicely. Perfect collectors item. "
both statements mean exactly the same thing.
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Just for the laughs I asked a few Germans and one French person last night if they understood what "Mint" means in terms of describing a product. None of them knew and some of their suggestions as to what it could mean were hilarious! : "Does it mean it smells nice?"
However, I fully agree with you Amon_RA, the person who uses the term in their sale should definitely know what it means or not use it at all.
Bryce.
Ahhh one of my favourite topics is this. The bulls**t terms used by sellers to try to big their products up for sale. "Immaculate", "Exceptional", "Perfect", "Mint" etc etc...
Trouble is one man's "Mint" is another man's "Turd". No two people seem to have the same level of standards in my experience. You especially find that when it's someone selling something that they're not that interested in or knowledgeable about. I'm sure plenty of you have experience of this from buying items through various auction sites. My C128 was described as "Excellent Condition with slight yellowing". SLIGHT??? SLIGHT??? If slight were to mean "Completely covered". Even the underside had yellowed - maybe they turned it over every other day worrying it wasn't getting an even tan? When I complained to the seller that it was not as described their excuse was, "I dunno much bout 'puters. I looked alright to me". OK it was fairly cheap to buy originally and he did offer a "PARTIAL" refund when I complained but if I had known it was that bad I wouldn't of bought it in the first place as it took a hell of a lot of retrobrighting to get it to an acceptable visual appeal. If he had been knowledgeable and/or interested in what he was selling I'm sure his description would of been completely different.
Hey ho...
Trouble is one man's "Mint" is another man's "Turd". No two people seem to have the same level of standards in my experience. You especially find that when it's someone selling something that they're not that interested in or knowledgeable about. I'm sure plenty of you have experience of this from buying items through various auction sites. My C128 was described as "Excellent Condition with slight yellowing". SLIGHT??? SLIGHT??? If slight were to mean "Completely covered". Even the underside had yellowed - maybe they turned it over every other day worrying it wasn't getting an even tan? When I complained to the seller that it was not as described their excuse was, "I dunno much bout 'puters. I looked alright to me". OK it was fairly cheap to buy originally and he did offer a "PARTIAL" refund when I complained but if I had known it was that bad I wouldn't of bought it in the first place as it took a hell of a lot of retrobrighting to get it to an acceptable visual appeal. If he had been knowledgeable and/or interested in what he was selling I'm sure his description would of been completely different.
Hey ho...
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Yellowing is a difficult subject. I find uneven yellowing much worse than if the yellowing is evenly spread over the entire device. Slight yellowing is also different depending on what the original colour of the device was. However, I've also bought devices that were described as slight yellowing and they were as brown as a Commodore Plus 4 when they turned up.
On the same subject, I was browsing ebay for a used mobile this week. There was a HTC 10 on offer described as "as new, minor traces of usage". The picture must have been a different phone, because the one in the picture had major dents and chips in the casing on all sides!
Bryce.
On the same subject, I was browsing ebay for a used mobile this week. There was a HTC 10 on offer described as "as new, minor traces of usage". The picture must have been a different phone, because the one in the picture had major dents and chips in the casing on all sides!
Bryce.
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Retro_Lover
Member
They're both the same thing as long as "Like New" is the same as when you first purchased it. Like I said, Mint can never be better than new, unless you have a Tardis and can pull a C64 directly off the assembly line in 1984.
I expect mint condition to mean "as new but opened" where as "new" is unopened and unused.
Some one once tried to sell me an iPhone with minor damage but the screen was completely shattered. His justification was that it only costs £60 to get that replaced which is a 10th of the cost of the phone and the damage he was referring to was the small dent where he dropped it.
I didnt buy the phone.
Some one once tried to sell me an iPhone with minor damage but the screen was completely shattered. His justification was that it only costs £60 to get that replaced which is a 10th of the cost of the phone and the damage he was referring to was the small dent where he dropped it.
I didnt buy the phone.
Retro-Protect
Member
NEW by definition means (Never worn or used) and MINT means (as new) so therefore an item that has never been opened and used... Ever.
So (New old stock) would be classed as MINT.
So (New old stock) would be classed as MINT.
Retro_Lover
Member
No, that would be BRAND NEW. New, could be taken out and tested but still new.
But NOS can yellow and you will only know this if you open it, so by your definition it's then not mint. Mint, to me, is a item that has had very little use and is as good condition as new - but opened.
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Well, in this case a skillfully framed photograph managed to trim the damage out of view.
This is interesting -- maybe there is just a scale from 1-10 or something where 1 is broken and 10 is new. Still lots of room for subjective calls, but it would eliminate some of the language confusion. I could see a buyer being very unhappy that their "mint" Amiga 500 doesn't smell like peppermint.
Retro-Protect
Member
Hey, I didn't make the definitions of these words. You can buy whatever you like and think its mint or not mint. Just saying! 
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Retro_Lover
Member
What about a stickied scale of 1 - 10, agreed with by everyone, and that can be used in sales ? Although I would reverse the scale and have 1 as top of the pile, Brand New, and 10 as bottom of the pile and found in a pig barn.
Sellers could then use the sticky scale for their items. for example, Amiga 1200 for sale, Scale 2, or Condition #2.
Perhaps a "Yellow" scale where 1 is white, and 10 is out-of-date Banana, smoker's paradise, Cat's urinal, Dogs and Cats living together, not even Super-concentrated Retrobrite can help.
LOL, seriously, I just spat water onto my display. "Smoker's paradise" and "cat's urinal" is how I'm going to describe super-yellowed stuff now.
Retro_Lover
Member
Ha, lol. I think this is how we should describe No 10 yellowed.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201809101914?clk_rvr_id=1165139622195&rmvSB=true
I mean, look at it. It's .....just....Well I don't know. I think it's the colour that many painted their walls in the 50's.
