What is "Mint" to you?

[TimMechEngr]

Thank you. To clear this up, the guideline I created was a collaborative effort amongst myself and several other well known collectors in order to give some "common ground" guides to follow so that folks on B&B could better understand the general knowledge rating of a razor. This was indeed tracked along based on coins as Tom mentioned above.

Thanks for your input, Ray. I think your guidelines provide the best example. To quote your guidelines and my opinion,

"1. Mint: Looks to be in the original new condition, never used, no damage to plating, no signs of wear like dullness of plating or scratches/dents etc. There must also be no signs of usage like soap scum on the razor. This segment of razors must also include the other extras such as cases, blade packs still wrapped, outer shippers, instructions unopened etc.
Note: Silver Razors may show some patina or natural tarnish.

Please Note: "Looks to be in the original new condition" - There are razors that might have been unused or used just once or twice by the original owner and never used again and hence show no signs of wear. There might be a slight signs of usage like soap scum that comes off in a slight cleaning (with soap and water, no polishing or restoration). This is not Mint.

Please note (2): Restored/re-plated razors: Should be classified as such and not using the ratings “mint” or “near mint” etc.

 

[English]

Great guidelines. We all know what MINT means onthis forum.

Mint can mean different things to different people. A user may have a different definition to say a collector.

Let me give an example of a new DOVO straight razor.
Many DOVO razors leave the factory in a sealed box. Now that razor is mint.
The box is factory sealed and unopened.

The serations on the seal tear when the box is opened for the first time. Some dealers will open the box to resharpen the razor. Some dealers will open the box, take the razor out of its wax paper wrapping and display it in a shop window. Some dealers will let customers handle the razors to inspect them prior to a possible sale.

Straight razors rust when exposed to the atmosphere. Oils from fingers can tarnish the blade. People who are not knowledgeable about how to handle a straight razor can very easily damage a blade etc.,etc.,

Now all of the razors I have described are sold as new and on a daily basis.

 

[TimMechEngr]

Great guidelines. We all know what MINT means onthis forum.

Mint can mean different things to different people. A user may have a different definition to say a collector.

Let me give an example of a new DOVO straight razor.
Many DOVO razors leave the factory in a sealed box. Now that razor is mint.
The box is factory sealed and unopened.

The serations on the seal tear when the box is opened for the first time. Some dealers will open the box to resharpen the razor. Some dealers will open the box, take the razor out of its wax paper wrapping and display it in a shop window. Some dealers will let customers handle the razors to inspect them prior to a possible sale.

Straight razors rust when exposed to the atmosphere. Oils from fingers can tarnish the blade. People who are not knowledgeable about how to handle a straight razor can very easily damage a blade etc.,etc.,

Now all of the razors I have described are sold as new and on a daily basis.

It seems to me that most of those examples should be sold as "Display Models" at a reduced price. The dealer should only open a razor to sharpen it once bought and at the buyer's request.

 

[thirdeye]

Great guidelines. We all know what MINT means on this forum.

Mint can mean different things to different people. A user may have a different definition to say a collector.

Not really, Mint by definition is just that, Mint for user or collector.

Let me give an example of a new DOVO straight razor.
Many DOVO razors leave the factory in a sealed box. Now that razor is mint.
The box is factory sealed and unopened.

The serations on the seal tear when the box is opened for the first time. Some dealers will open the box to resharpen the razor. Some dealers will open the box, take the razor out of its wax paper wrapping and display it in a shop window. Some dealers will let customers handle the razors to inspect them prior to a possible sale.

Straight razors rust when exposed to the atmosphere. Oils from fingers can tarnish the blade. People who are not knowledgeable about how to handle a straight razor can very easily damage a blade etc.,etc.,

Now all of the razors I have described are sold as new and on a daily basis.

Yes, sold as New never used, not Mint. True Mint is few and far between although I would have a tough time not saying Mint for a str8 that was taken out of a package and the factory edge made shave ready providing there was no signs of other damage.
The store display is just that and a merchant (including myself) should only sell unopened razors. The display models should be sold at a reduced price.

Good point....

 

[ozzy_scl]

I think this is pretty good

 

[thirdeye]

I think this is pretty good

Interesting....

 

[TimMechEngr]

It all seems pretty simple to me:

It's only new if you're the original/1st buyer from a store/dealer etc. If you have the store/dealer open the item for sharpening, etc., it is no longer mint. It is no longer new for anyone else.

It's only mint if the item has never been opened or used.

Period

 

[English]

I tend to agree with Tim.

When I sold some expensive new old stock Puma's recently, one purchaser wanted to know that the razor was in totally original condition.

It wasn't, because I had polished the blade and touched up the edge to remove any oxidation. The blade looked dull and the edge after sitting for 50 years need the metal refreshing.

He was happy with this full, frank and honest answer.

Infact that is all that is required. Full and honest disclosure.

It's when sellers hide the truth or lie that the problems begin.

I don't like it being done to me, so I don't do it to others. Well not willfully or knowingly.

 

[asmaan]

I can somewhat see where you're coming from, but let me elaborate a little bit on your comparisons.

If I go to buy a new car, of course I expect it to be new. New in that instance means the car has never been owned since being produced by the manufacturer. It has to be loaded on a truck at the manufacturing plant, then offloaded at the dealership, so I would also expect to see a few miles on the odometer. As soon as I drive it off the lot, its value drops considerably because it has now been owned. If instead of driving the car home, I have it loaded on a truck and delivered to my house where it is offloaded, driven into my temperature controlled garage, completely covered with a protective car cover, and left there, its value has still dropped because it has now been owned. Now, let's say that after some period of time passes, I decide to sell the car. It is no longer new because I have already owned it. It is definitely as close to like new as one could possibly ever get, but it is still not new. However, I think I would call that mint due to practicalities. The only miles on the odometer were a result of transferring the car from the manufacturer to the dealer to my garage. If I were the 2nd buyer, I don't think I could view the car as new because it's already had one owner before me. I would view it as mint because it was never driven as evidenced by the odometer.

Now, let's apply that same theory to the CD. If I buy Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" CD (Great choice here!) at a music store, take it home and never open it, then it was new when I bought it. If I sell it to someone else, it is no longer new because I've owned it. However, it is mint because I never opened it. Again, If I were the 2nd buyer, I couldn't view the CD as new because it was previously owned. If I break the seal, play it only once, and then store it in plastic as you described, it is no longer mint because it has been opened and played.

No matter how many times something is bought and sold, it remains mint if never opened or used. Once an item is opened and used, even if only once, it's no longer mint. But, it can only be new until purchased the first time.

I agree with you regarding the car example. The car is aged based on the sale date alone and as the time goes, the dealer gets updated price lists which, of course, drops in value every year.

As far as razors and other small items concern; I see your point but I don´t share your view. I personally really don´t care if a sealed item is stored for two years at the dealer´s warehouse (after been shipped around the world) or in a private drawer. Even if there was fifty previously owners, everything would bee exactly the same as a warehouse item. It´s just a way of thought and have absolutely nothing to do with the product. I would of course mention the number of previously owners, but still rate the item as new (except if there are guidelines, as in this forum).