As a collector over the years I've come across some odd English terms, which can vary in meaning from place to place. Here are ten for starters:
1. Mystery Action: is this the same as Bump N Go?
2. Foxing: is this the same as Browning?
3. Perished: is this the same as decayed?
4. Deadstock: is this ex-shop stock?
5. Warehouse find: is this deadstock?
6. Spectraflame: is this the same as metallic?
7. Bubble Pack: is this the same as blister card?
8. Retro: is this the same as vintage?
9. Antique: does this mean over a hundred years old?
10. Loose: is this always unboxed?
What do you think readers? Can you think of any more grey terms?
Two I often encounter:
ReplyDeleteDistressed: something so beat up, usually furniture, that the paint/finish is peeling up and often gouges in the wood. "See how distressed this table is? Obviously that makes it very old and as such, a very expensive antique."
NOS/New Old Stock: see warehouse find.
Yes, distressed. I often feel like that when I don't win anything on Ebay! ha ha. And Lance, New Old Stock: that's a classic! An oxymoron if ever there was one, like cold fire or wet dry!
DeleteTo answer a few of your word questions:
ReplyDelete1: "Mystery Bump N Go Action" is what it says on the box of a toy so equipped - I have it on a number of tinplate toy Mustang cars by Yonezawa and possibly Bandai as well. It describes various means of making the vehicle reverse and turn after bumping into something (the Yonezawa mech is particularly good in also preventing the car to drive off the edge of a table!).
2: Foxing could be browning, in that foxing describes brown spots on/in old paper. Could be from mildew.
3: no idea, 4,5 not sure but sounds probable
6: Spectraflame is the shiny metallic finish applied to the first HotWheels cars. Metallic is a paint with tiny particles of metal/silver paint mixed in. So they're actually different.
7: Bubble pack is a US term for what Europeans call a blister card.
8: Retro describes a new item made to look like a similar item from the past in terms of style. Not necessarily the same thing as a copy (a new item looking like a specific item from the past) or a reissue (a new item looking identical to an item from the past, copied from an original or using original moulds f ex, and made by the same manufacturer as the original)
9: Antique is indeed defined as something over a century old (except in Egypt where it describes items from pharaonic times :) while anything younger is usually described as Vintage (which is originally a term to describe the age of wine). For those travelling to France, the word is Brocante (applies to both fleamarkets/junk shops and the items for sale), though there are plenty of Brocanteurs that fancy themselves as Antiquaires with prices to match!
10: Loose is indeed unboxed. Or a part separated from a toy.
I'll confess to being a nitpicker :) but I do notice quite a few of those words being used very indiscriminately indeed. The ones that I do my best to shrug off are:
"a great addition to any collection" which doesn't need any comment but generally translates as "I don't know what to say about this item".
"Rare" which usually is an extremely subjective description.
For starters it can depend on geography - something that's truly uncommon at one side of the Atlantic could be found (much more) easily on the other side, and with the internet operating worldwide this distinction actually loses much of its meaning.
Next it may mean a particular seller hasn't seen the item before, and that depends on his/her personal background and experience.
And usually it means (possibly in combination with the previous point) that the seller is hoping for a very good price, often much more than what the item in question actually tends to sell for.
Off the soapbox -- Paul
Small elaboration on 6:
ReplyDeleteSpectraflame gives a metallic-looking- finish, but I believe it's coloured varnish over fresh shiny diecast metal. Whereas metallic paint is more opaque and relies on the tiny particles of silver to provide the brilliant finish.
Best -- Paul
Superb Paul! A veritable dictionary and thesaurus in one! Just what I was after. Words can be very subjective but I think you'nailed most of them. BTW I recently remembered that OVP on German Ebay means Original Verpackung or Original Packaging. I don't think we have an abbreviation for that in English!
ReplyDeleteNot on its own, no, afaik.
ReplyDeleteI -have- seen MIMB and MIMP for mint in mint box/pack.
Best -- Paul