Mini Rant about BBags with flaws listed as MINT

hmwe46

hmwe46

why bother
O.G.
Jun 27, 2006
10,739
30
#1
Sigh, I know when I sell on eBay I want to make a sale. Goes without saying really ;) But I always list my items as accurately as possible.

Lately I have seen a whole lot of bbags with warmed handles, scuffed corners, and other minor flaws listed as MINT.

As far I as I know MINT condition means flawless, like new.

Using English . com lists it as Meaning:

  • If something is in mint condition, it is in perfect condition.
Wikipedia gives more background:


Mint condition is an expression used in the description of pre-owned goods. Originally, the phrase comes from the way collectors describe the condition of coins. As the name given to a coin factory is a 'mint', then mint condition is the condition a coin is in as it leaves the mint. Over time, the term "mint" began to be used to describe many different items having excellent, like-new quality.

So why oh why do items get listed as MINT when they are clearly used in some way?!?!

(yikes, I must be feeling ermm, SPUNKY, today :angel:)
 
#2
I know what you mean.......lately it's gotten to the point where even though I can save a good amt of $$ if I buy through eBay, I'd rather buy new so that at least I know that it is new, mint condition. :yes:
 
#5
I am with you on that. There is a thread on the ebay forum about people listing things as NWT when they have carried them a few times. It destroys the credibility of the honest sellers too.
 
#8
I agree with you ladies- been seeing bags that are NOT mint or even NEW but because of the color and year- they are listed like that (IMO)

Ebay trivia from Wikipedia:

Origins and early history
The online auction web site was founded in San Jose, California on September 3, 1995 by computer programmer Pierre Omidyar as AuctionWeb,[1] part of a larger personal site that included, among other things, Omidyar's own tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Ebola virus.[2]
The very first item sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer for $14.83. Astonished, Omidyar contacted the winning bidder and asked if he understood that the laser pointer was broken. In his responding email, the buyer explained: "I'm a collector of broken laser pointers."[3] The frequently repeated story that eBay was founded to help Omidyar's fiancée trade PEZ Candy dispensers was fabricated by a public relations manager in 1997 to interest the media. This was revealed in Adam Cohen's 2002 book[2] and confirmed by eBay.
Chris Agarpao was hired as eBay's first employee and Jeffrey Skoll was hired as the first president of the company in 1996. In November 1996, eBay entered into its first third-party licensing deal, with a company called Electronic Travel Auction to use SmartMarket Technology to sell plane tickets and other travel products. The company officially changed the name of its service from AuctionWeb to eBay in September 1997. Originally, the site belonged to Echo Bay Technology Group, Omidyar's consulting firm. Omidyar had tried to register the domain name echobay.com(this company's slogan is now "What eBay could have been.") but found it already taken by the Echo Bay Mines, a gold mining company, so he shortened it to his second choice, eBay.com. [4]
eBay went public in 1998, and both Omidyar and Skoll became instant billionaires.[3] The company purchased PayPal on October 14 2002.
 
#9
tooshies said:
Totally agree!!!:yes:

What's "mint" or "excellent" seems entirely different individually...trusting your own eyes and getting as many pics as possible is the only way to go!
Click to expand...

I really think that's the only way ...ask for a tun of pics, because what bothers one, another doesn't even see and the other way round...it's like the word CLEAN which has a totally diffrent meening when in the mouth of my kids...:P
 
#10
Sadly I totally agree.

'Excellent condition' seems to me subjective though.

Whereas MINT has a true and universal meaning: like new quality, in perfect condition. This should be an easy standard, not up for interpretation. Sigh. In a perfect world right? :rolleyes:
 
#11
I agree. It's supposed to be a sort of "term of art." But some sellers also play pretty fast and loose with BNWT. That can mean anything from what it's supposed to, to I still have the tags and the bag still looks new, though I've used it a few times. For me, any use is a material fact, and it's the first thing I disclose, no matter how great the condition of the bag remains after use.
 
#12
Exactly!

That is where the term MINT *should* come in: you used it once or twice, didn't take the tags off or whatever, but it remains in LIKE NEW/PERFECT condition.
 
#13
I just sold my LE Magenta. You may remember back a while ago that I posted asking if other people have bags that they never carry, becase my poor Magenta and Calcaire were just never getting into the rotation. I had still not used it, never even put anything in the bag, never left the bedroom with it, so it really truly was MINT (and I described it as such.)

But I was surprised, just checking other listings to see what seemed fair, at how many of the mint or NWOT bags at least had really scratched up metal tags, even if few other signs of use. If the bag was really never used, how did the tag get so banged up? Mine was still pretty pristine, so I don't see how it happens unless there's stuff in the bag and it's getting carried around (which would then mean it's not mint.) I wanted to be like - no, really, look at the tag, mine really is MINT!!!
 
#14
OMG I have had a RASH of bad buys lately on "Mint" or "Like New" Bbags.

1. "BRAND NEW" 2005 AG Twiggy, paid $1895.00 and it was TRASHED when it arrived...totally gross.

2. "MINT and LIKE NEW" 2004 First.....totally floppy and used handles when seller told me in an email that they were "like new" and "perfect."

3. "MINT" 2005 BG Twiggy....arrived and had totally warmed handles and scuffs on the body of the bag, MAJOR color fading as well.

OK, I am done ranting now. It just stinks because I will NOT keep a bag that has gross handles so that means I have to sell the darn bag and disclose EVERYTHING on it so I usually take a loss on it.

Anyways, it just stinks because common knowledge is that MINT is just about brand new and if it has been used..you cannot tell AT ALL. Ugh, sorry this thread just hits close to home lately!!!

Plus I ask TONS of questions before I purchase and the seller ALWAYS tells you what you want to hear NOT what reality IS.
 
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#15
kristie said:
OMG I have had a RASH of bad buys lately on "Mint" or "Like New" Bbags.

1. "BRAND NEW" 2005 AG Twiggy, paid $1895.00 and it was TRASHED when it arrived...totally gross.

2. "MINT and LIKE NEW" 2004 First.....totally floppy and used handles when seller told me in an email that they were "like new" and "perfect."

3. "MINT" 2005 BG Twiggy....arrived and had totally warmed handles and scuffs on the body of the bag, MAJOR color fading as well.

OK, I am done ranting now. It just stinks because I will NOT keep a bag that has gross handles so that means I have to sell the darn bag and disclose EVERYTHING on it so I usually take a loss on it.

Anyways, it just stinks because common knowledge is that MINT is just about brand new and if it has been used..you cannot tell AT ALL. Ugh, sorry this thread just hits close to home lately!!!

Plus I ask TONS of questions before I purchase and the seller ALWAYS tells you what you want to hear NOT what reality IS.
Click to expand...

Don't take the hit for having to resell- file a SNAD dispute with Paypal ASAP for each and every one of those bags. I'm sick of sellers misrepresenting their items too!
 
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