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This may be a light-hearted thread that has no traction or interest. But here goes:

When I think of New Old Stock (N.O.S.) I imagine being in an old barn looking through a bunch of old stuff and EUREKA....there is an old unopened box. Carefully, it is removed from its dusty corner and placed in a prized place on the table. The tape that had secured the box for near a half century is removed like a grandmother opening her gifts under the Christmas Tree. When the box is opened....everyone's mouth is agape! Here lies a stash of perfectly preserved 1950s porcelain pump plates in their unbothered state...no rust...brilliant colors...shiny as new pearls...one on top of the other carefully separated by stock paper from the manufacturer! New Old Stock!!!!

At its very worse abuse, I see descriptions on Ebay that ring out... "N.O.S."...but the furtherest thing from the truth. Just a term to perk up the shopper's ears. Wow...it must be very valuable because it is N.O.S.!

Somewhere in the middle are great original signs that are very clean that are labeled as N.O.S. They may be in very good condition but are they N.O.S.?

Because I see the terms used so much these days, I thought that I might stir the pot just a little to see if others with much more experience and expertise in our hobby might want to chime in and shine a little light on the idea. What do you think? Is the term overused or simply misunderstood?

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Misunderstood and definitely over used. I see this term used on many old car parts and it is far from the truth.


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I think it is probably both misunderstood and overused. I agree the scenario you gave is a perfect example of NOS. I suppose a full oil can that was bought, never used, sat on a shelf and appears new is also, NOS.

I find it similar to people selling a classic vehicle that is covered in dust...all of them are “barn finds” nowadays regardless if they were behind a shed, stored in a garage or sat under a lean-to. Very few were probably found the vehicle in a barn but that is the term people use to describe it.

Another problem is that the term, NOS can be interpreted differently by people. It may mean one thing to you and me and something different by someone else. I was told once that common sense isn’t common.

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Something can be "NOS" can be in ruff shape. If the never used part or item was not stored properly in can be rusted or damaged. I knew some one with a NOS fender for a 47 Ford that had heavy rust pitting. There was remnants of factory primer and no marks around any of the holes where bolts would have been. It was NOS but not the "vision" of NOS.

I have a shoe box globe that was NOS. I say was because it has been on a pump for many years now. I still have the box but it has been used, so if I put it back it the box does that make it NOS again? No, it has been used.


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New Old Stock doesn’t guarantee mint condition but mint in original box should mean “”mint in original box.””


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New Old Stock should mean a vintage item that has never been used. Items can deteriorate sitting on a shelf over time for any number of reasons, so NOS does not mean "factory fresh". Of course a NOS item can be as pristine as the day it was made, but simply stating an item is NOS does not guarantee the condition. I pretty much agree with all the prior comments, NOS is both overused and misunderstood.

Last edited by SandPCollector; Sat Apr 20 2019 12:23 PM. Reason: Added more

Regards, Jim

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And we also beat to death the word RARE

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yes Rare is way over used!.

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Agree that N.O.S. can mean a part of varying conditions. NIce when a seller gives an accurate description beyond just N.O.S. such as shelf worn, minor surface rust, etc...


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