You may have a point in absolute terms, but NIP and NOS have become well established in the classic bike community. I first encountered them in Bicycle Trader and the Rivendell Reader when I renewed my interst in cycling (and realized my old bikes were now classics) about 1995. I assume they were in use well before then. So I doubt there is much likelihood of changing them now.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
> In a message dated 1/13/02 5:23:30 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> LouDeeter@aol.com writes:
>
>
> > Grade:
> >
> > NIP: New in original packaging.
> > NOS: New, unused, old stock.
> > NEW: New, unused, recent production.
> >
>
> Wouldn't it be better to just always use the word "unused" for something
that
> is unused, but old? New Old Stock isn't too bad of a term, but NIP which
is
> "New in original packaging" can be misleading to some people. Most CR
folks
> know what it means, but someone buying an NIP part online might expect
their
> part to be a 2002 model. Nowhere in "NIP" does it say anything about
being
> old stock.
> "Unused" is self-explanatory, but "new' can mean different things to
> different people.
>
> Just my 2 Euros.
>
> Glenn Fahey