Amazing - I'm still working on the system that I promised when this came up last November - yet the subject has come up again before I've had time to finish or ask for comments. Based on the recent messages, I'm wondering if I was going in the right direction. Briefly, here's how I've been viewing it: - Mint is a category describing an absolutely unused part. - NIP, NIB, NOS are "modifiers" intended to provide additional information about the piece in question. Note that NOS is not a description of quality, so it is not mutually exclusive of any other modifier. - Near-Mint is a category describing an unused part with flaws due to aging or handling. It also would apply to parts with the most minimal of use, such as take-offs. Perhaps it would apply to things like unused derailleurs with non-original pulleys. For example, I would rate the Simplex derailleur that started this discussion in November as Near-Mint. - Shopworn/Shopwear is a modifier that could apply to parts which are not in mint condition. (By the way, rims which have rusty ferrules and residue from rim tape aren't shopworn.) I don't want to go into the whole thing here. I just wanted
to solicit opinions for a scheme which uses a grading of overall condition such as Mint, Near-Mint, Excellent, etc. with the addition of modifiers like the ones I've mentioned. The rationale behind this is that something such as NIB does not entirely convey condition of the part. For example, you might find (as I have)an unused part, in its original packaging that is nevertheless corroded. On the other hand, you might find an absolutely unused part that is clean, unmarked but without the original package - like the Simplex derailleurs in Mel Pinto's showcase. That's it for now... best regards, Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia
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