I recently sold an item MIB on ebay.. it was the animated prime megatron 2 pk with DVD.. buyer opened a case with ebay b/c it was opened and had been used.. am I the only that thinks that when you see MIB it means it was opened and displayed and only when it says MISB does it mean its a new sealed product. granted the buyer has a 7 rating so he's new, but since Ebay is likely to side with the buyer I've just told him to return it.. but I just wanted to see what everyone else thought.

 

You are not wrong. MIB is generally accepted as meaning it has been open, though the figure is in prime condition along with the box.

Hell, that's why MISB as an acronym exists, to make taht distinction between opened/sealed. Did you make yourself clear in teh description taht it was opened, but mint?

 

If it has dust all over it and maybe a scratch ot two, I wouldn't say it's mint in box. To me, mint in box is something that looks brand new in an opened box. If he could tell it was used, then more than likely it isn't mint condition. But that's my opinion on the matter.

 

I agree, MIB = Mint In Box, but you know how ebay works, anytime a buyer finds a flaw in an auction, they exploit the hell out of it!!
Unfortunately, these days you have to spell out everything and I mean everything!
I try my hardest to stay away from that hell hole.

 

yeah in all my other MIB auctions for that group, i stated opened and displayed and that one I just stated MIB.. one of those forgot to add parts, but I thought usually its generally accepted, that you are dealing with an open box item... the figures had only been displayed, no play, they were in mint condition. the reason he knew they were "used" was b/c they were no longer attached with the ties, hence loose in the box though i did include the internal casing that hold the figures in place.

 

If the ties were the only reason he said something, then that stuff is most likely MIB.

 

I don't think it's safe to rely on the same people's understanding of what "MIB" means, without an explanation of at least the acronym. Hell, maybe he thought it meant Men in Black.

MIB is fine for the title, the body of the auction should clearly state "opened and displayed, provided in original unsealed box."

 

It depends on what type of collector the buyer is. If the buyer is new to collecting, or doesn't really collect and just wanted a Megs and Prime that looked cool; then I could see how someone might think MIB = NEW. I understand the MIB vs. MISB, but I've also spent a lot of my time in the past year buying and talking about toys online.

 

thats also why in big bold red letters i put in all my auctions

SOLD AS IS NO RETURNS NO REFUNDS AND NO EXCHANGES

everyones definition of MIB, MISB, loose, complete blah blah blah is different. thats why i put that disclaimer to cover me, if youre not sure then dont buy my stuff, but if you ask and i mislead thats my fault.

i had someone try to screw me once but ebay sided with me since i said that disclaimer. plus in your listing you can choose no refunds so its not your fault ppl cant read.

 

Sellers usually add another more specific description after stating the item is MIB, for example:

"opened only for inspection"

"displayed but never transformed or played with"

Other sellers just say "mint with box" meaning the item is used but in mint condition and the box is included.

Even the term MOC has different meanings to different people. Some sellers will describe an item as MOC eventhough it has been opened and just returned to the bubble and card. I always thought MOC meant never opened. Others even say MOSC when the item has been opened then returned to the package and resealed...

 

I hate the description MIB. It's wrong. Mint is mint, as in untouched by human hands (beyond the factory). What MIB has come to mean is "complete with box and in good condition".

 

Touche. You don't really know what you're getting anymore unless the description is super-detailed or you know/trust the seller. Acronyms are practically worthless.

 

Honestly, I know what MIB means and I wouldn't have made a big fuss about it. However, on ebay the rule of thumb is to just spell it out. When I sell something, I clearly state the Condition, whats included and/or missing, Sealed, loose, etc.....

Buyers on ebay have burned me a few times so I just do that for protection.

 

you probably could have returned the animated deluxe prime verse megatron 2 pack to walmart for store credit without the receipt. all the animated toys are still in the walmart systems.

 

i'm just paring down my collection right now.. the guy was new to ebay.. I told him to ship it back.. easier than dealing with the hassle of a negative as my current rating is perfect so ... every once in awhile if you sell on ebay regularly you take one bending over.. I realize it happens, just was checking to see if MIB still mean what I thought it did and yeah next time, I'll be spelling it out opened and displayed.. unfortunately i didn't on this one... though as shown on here my definition is the generally accepted one... thankfullly this was not a high dollar item. so in the end not a huge deal, just a PITA

 

I know this might sound... I don't know... Kinda dumb, but shouldn't at least some of the fault lie with the buyer for not maybe shooting an email to you asking "Hey, it says MIB, does that mean it was opened?"... I ran into that trying to buy a reissue Prowl... The auction said MIB, but that was it. Only after I emailed the guy did I find out it was actually MISB... Doesn't ebay reprimand the buyer for not doing thier due diligence?

 

This.

 

MIB vs. MISB, these 2 words are sometimes used interchangeable for the same "brand new condition" by some sellers. So partially, it's not the buyers fault in that respect. Both acronyms mean mint in box except one is more specific. If it up to me, I say Ebay should get rid of MIB and used MIOB (mint in opened box).

Here's an example of a seller who used the word "MIB" instead of "MISB" to sell a sealed content. Sure, the seller uses the word NEW and describe it as factory seal. The bottom line is, sometime MIB is used interchangeable with MISB:
NEW Set Of 2 Transformers Gen 1 Playing Cards MIB - eBay (item 170534963264 end time Sep-08-10 07:41:43 PDT)

Here are AFA figures listed as MIB (It could be MISb, could have loose tape, or Qualified grade. Unless you ask the seller, you wouldn't know much):
transformers afa mib items - Get great deals on Toys Hobbies items on eBay.com!

With 7 years experience as an ebay buyer, whenever sellers said MIB, I just assumed opened box just to be in the safe side.

My recommendation is, if it's MIB/opened condition:
- Always photograph the toys and insert out of the box. This picture will tell the whole story and no confusion.

 

MIB has always been an ambiguous term to me. Many sellers use MIB to describe things that are factory sealed. In my experience, MIB does not automatically mean that it has been opened. If the seller is not clear, I'll usually send a question asking if it has been opened or if it is still factory sealed.

I generally do not like it if someone says MIB and does not specify if it has been opened. I view it as a somewhat dishonest description as something that is factory sealed will always command more money than something that has been opened but happens to be complete with the box. Sellers could use it to hide behind a "legal-ese" play on words to command more money.

You may have acted innocently on an assumption but I probably would've been just as unhappy as your buyer. Then again, I would've clarified and not got to this point but that's besides the matter.

It's always best to be absolutely clear in your descriptions. Even with brand new items I sell, I always say MISB and factory sealed so there's no dispute. MISB could also be deceiving as it could've been opened and resealed. Always be on the side of clarity and full disclosure.

 

CYOB on Ebay people. I don't ebay selling or buying but if th i did I would spell out everything in in minute detail so there can be no questions on condition and if there is a specific issue Id have a picture showing said issue.

MIB can have many interpretations my personal one is in same condition it was removed from the box/card and transformed a max of 1 time to achieve desired display mode.

MISB/MOSC is just that, never opened never touched after the package was factory sealed.