"Mint" or "Like New" Condition. What does it mean?

My interpretation of mint means new....no fingerprints.
Excellent condition means has been used but looks brand new.
My neighbor sold a car advertised it as mint. Had some door dings and a few light scratches. I have to see something before I believe it is Mint.
 
Bluebook would be a great way to judge a cue. The book doesn't necessarily reflect current price but the levels that are explained there are great and so are the conditions.

At least they have a standard and a set guideline. More than what we can say that is going on here.
 
Mint- should be brand spanking new and never played with. Perfect cue with no imperfection in the build.

Excellent- level below mint. No dings and scratches but has swirls in the finish. I see a lot of close up pictures on the for sale section that has swirls. You can see it with the ebony cues.

Like New- played with. Slight wear from play but finish is still glossy.
 
dom_poppa said:
Mint- should be brand spanking new and never played with. Perfect cue with no imperfection in the build.

Excellent- level below mint. No dings and scratches but has swirls in the finish. I see a lot of close up pictures on the for sale section that has swirls. You can see it with the ebony cues.

Like New- played with. Slight wear from play but finish is still glossy.
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Mint and new are not synonyms. Something could be new and not mint and something could be mint and not new.

First of all, new is not subjective. Mint is. There are not degrees of new. It is either new or it isn't. There are degrees of mint. There is mint and there is Gem mint.

Secondly, the definition of mint from wikipedia
"Mint condition is an expression used in the description of pre-owned goods. Originally, the phrase related to the way collectors described the condition of coins. As the name given to a coin factory is a "mint", then mint condition is the condition a coin is in when it leaves the mint."

If mint is meant to imply free from defect then age of the cue is completely irrelevant. What someone does to the cue is irrelevant provided the usage created no damage.

A cue can be mint and not original
a cue can be all original and mint or not mint
a cue can be new and mint or not mint
a cue can be used and mint or not mint

alas, new and mint have nothing to do with one another except that most new cues are mint, but it is purely the lack of damage and usage that supports a mint cue.
 
prewarhero said:
Mint and new are not synonyms. Something could be new and not mint and something could be mint and not new.

First of all, new is not subjective. Mint is. There are not degrees of new. It is either new or it isn't. There are degrees of mint. There is mint and there is Gem mint.

Secondly, the definition of mint from wikipedia
"Mint condition is an expression used in the description of pre-owned goods. Originally, the phrase related to the way collectors described the condition of coins. As the name given to a coin factory is a "mint", then mint condition is the condition a coin is in when it leaves the mint."

If mint is meant to imply free from defect then age of the cue is completely irrelevant. What someone does to the cue is irrelevant provided the usage created no damage.

A cue can be mint and not original
a cue can be all original and mint or not mint
a cue can be new and mint or not mint
a cue can be used and mint or not mint

alas, new and mint have nothing to do with one another except that most new cues are mint, but it is purely the lack of damage and usage that supports a mint cue.
Click to expand...

I disagree.

There is a degree of "new" and that is why they call an item "NOS", new old stock. Something that was made years ago but never used. Since there are items like this, I would just call it mint condition or like new, since it is technically no longer new.

A used cue is a used cue. You chalk and hit a ball with it, it is used.

I like to compare cues to bowling balls and golf clubs. If you test it, it is no longer new.
 
prewarhero said:
Mint and new are not synonyms. Something could be new and not mint and something could be mint and not new.

First of all, new is not subjective. Mint is. There are not degrees of new. It is either new or it isn't. There are degrees of mint. There is mint and there is Gem mint.

Secondly, the definition of mint from wikipedia
"Mint condition is an expression used in the description of pre-owned goods. Originally, the phrase related to the way collectors described the condition of coins. As the name given to a coin factory is a "mint", then mint condition is the condition a coin is in when it leaves the mint."

If mint is meant to imply free from defect then age of the cue is completely irrelevant. What someone does to the cue is irrelevant provided the usage created no damage.

A cue can be mint and not original
a cue can be all original and mint or not mint
a cue can be new and mint or not mint
a cue can be used and mint or not mint

alas, new and mint have nothing to do with one another except that most new cues are mint, but it is purely the lack of damage and usage that supports a mint cue.
Click to expand...

You've got it. Now we're getting to the heart of things. :thumbup: Unless sellers have this understanding, the ambiguity will continue.
 
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