What does Like New in Box Mean?

bikerector

bikerector

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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I've seen this several times in recent sales poats here and other forums.

Title says LNIB condition and then the description states "Only carried a few times. Opened a few packages. Perfect condition."

At least they are describing what they consider LNIB. To me, that's a used knife, albeit very lightly. I'm not even sure what I would consider LNIB as to me it's either an unused or used knife with "used" having a big spectrum. New, there is a much smaller spectrum and it's based on how well the knife was made, since not all new knives are perfectly executed.

Maybe LNIB for me is unused but fondled heavily, since there are some knives I've had that I never carries or used, just enjoyed their function or craftsmanship. Or, it was more expensive than I felt comfortable using and eventually sold it.

So, I'm curious what some other people think LNIB means as I'm genuinely curious how I should be interpretting that lingo.
 
“Like new in box” to me means “LIKE a knife that is NEW in the BOX”… meaning you took it out and flipped it open a few times, took some pictures and put it away. No use, so no indications of wear… therefore similar, or “like” a new knife.

If a knife is carried around clipped to a pocket, or even used to open a letter… it is “used” to me.

I personally don’t like the LNIB acronym because it is so often abused. Some people use it to describe a knife they only had out for pics, and some hang drywall, open bags of gravel with it, use it to break their fall down a rock face while rappelling, take a few grainy pics and claim “LNIB”.

Best for people to describe exactly what they’ve done with it rather than assume everyone knows their subjective standard… IMHO.
 
All the relative adjectives are horrible. "LNIB," "ANIB," "great condition," "like new."

Especially "like new." Like new is like being new, only it's not new.

IMO:

1. LNIB or similar descriptions always need more specifics - has it been used or carried at all? How much? What did you cut with it? Are there now snail trails on metal parts? Has it been disassembled?

To me LNIB means it has been out, opened, examined, and photographed but has not been carried or used.

2. Anything you bought secondhand cannot be LNIB because you can't say for sure what the prior owner(s) did with it, even if it looks to you to be LNIB.
 
Unless I know a seller well from past sales, "LNIB" often means I'll have questions that aren't answered in the listing. It's a useful starting point, but it's not a complete description unto itself.

In my own listings, if a knife looks new I'll say it looks like new, but also cover use/carry, lockup, and other details (the same stuff I want to know as a buyer), and my close-up photos complete the package.

IMO there's nothing inherently wrong with "LNIB," it's just that too often it's used as the whole description when in reality it means different things to different folks. And kind of like "CONUS only" (which makes no sense at all) it feels like some folks use it because they see it used, without putting a ton of thought into it.
 
(From Ebay ,"Creating a Listing " :)

Item condition

You can sell almost anything on eBay, from brand new products to items that have signs of wear and tear.

It's vital you're honest and accurate about the condition of what you're selling so your buyer knows exactly what they're getting.

Your options for describing your item's condition vary by category. Some of your options include:

New – A brand-new, unused, and unworn item (including handmade items) in the original packaging
New (other) – An item with no sign of wear and tear that is missing its original packaging, or the original packaging has been opened and is no longer sealed
Seller refurbished – A tech item that has been restored to working order by the eBay seller or a third party
Certified - Refurbished – A tech item in like-new condition, refurbished by the manufacturer. The item will be in new packaging with original or new accessories
Excellent - Refurbished – The item is in like-new condition, backed by a one year warranty. It has been professionally refurbished, inspected and cleaned to excellent condition by qualified sellers. The item includes original or new accessories and will come in new generic packaging
Very Good - Refurbished – The item shows minimal wear and is backed by a one year warranty. It is fully functional and has been professionally refurbished, inspected and cleaned to very good condition by qualified sellers. The item includes original or new accessories and will come in new generic packaging
Good - Refurbished – The item shows moderate wear and is backed by a one year warranty. It is fully functional and has been professionally refurbished, inspected and cleaned to good condition by qualified sellers. The item includes original or new accessories and will come in a new generic packaging
New with tags / box – Clothing or shoes that are unworn, and still have the original tags attached, or are in the original box
New without tags – Clothing or shoes that are unworn, and don't have the original tags attached, or are not in the original box
Used – An item that has been previously used. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended
For parts or not working – An item that does not function as intended and is not fully operational
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Many sellers ignore this guidance completely .

Many items are improperly listed as " New " , but seller than describes how little it was used . :rolleyes:

I mostly go by the photos of actual item and the seller feedback .
 
Here’s how I used it (hopefully a correct example):

Demko AD20.5 Shark Foot Jade (SOLD)

Shipping will be via USPS within the US and US territories only. I accept Paypal only and will ship to members 18+ years old within the US with a US shipping/Paypal address. No trades. The first person to post in this thread “I’ll take it” gets first dibs. I also reserve the right to use my...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com

The knife being sold was absolutely flawless. You could not tell that it wasn’t BNIB directly from BladeHQ. It was never carried or used. I however, knew that I “played” (opened and closed) with it a few times around the house to try out the shark lock, and took that New Year’s photo with it. Therefore, it was no longer BNIB since it has been handled.

Knives I sold as BNIB/BNIT are ones that I literally open the box out of the mail, inspect it with nitrile gloves while taking photos, and then leave stored in original packaging in my gun safe or a plastic storage bin.
 
To me, LNIB means it "looks like new" with no physical "defects" that . . .

1) if they didn't tell you it was carried or lightly used, you wouldn't know that it was and . . .

2) that also includes the box, pouch or whatever it came in plus the COA, tools, paper inserts, etc. if any, such that it looks no different that a knife that is taken directly off the shelf (or as received in the mail from a retailer).

"Like new" would be the same as #1 but obviously w/o #2.
 
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Like New in Box is what you expect when you get the display model from a retailer. It's been flipped around a bit and handled, mostly by bored retail staff, but otherwise shows no signs of wear. If it's been used very lightly to cut a couple of things, provided it's not 3-5Cr steel and provided those things it cut weren't 500 meters of cardboard, it won't affect it much but it's been carried and used.

The box is a sign that they actually purchased the knife new and intended it to be a piece of a collection and some buyers of used knives insist on them. Some companies (White River, Boker) make boxes that are quite exceptional and others not so much (Condor). The only reason I keep my Cold Steel folder boxes is so I can keep track of all the spare, left hand pocket clips.

Just like watch collectors, there are a lot of knife collectors out there who want the experience of owning a knife but then sell it after carrying it around for a bit and using it a couple times, so they can afford to buy another knife and so on. After it loses that new knife glow it's just time to move on for some owners. I suppose it's one way to avoid ever sharpening a knife... :)

That or the knife looked cool but when they got it through the mail found that the ergonomics weren't quite right for their hand, so they're selling it. It doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with the handle; it's just that there are a lot of different hand shapes and sizes, with some knife handles fitting some perfect and others not so much. I have to pay as much attention to handles as everything else, because almost all the knife reviewers out there have tiny hands.
 
I am more interested in specific descriptions of the condition and use (or no use) of the knife than these adjectives. As a poster above said, if a knife is described as LNIB without further info, that means I'll need to ask the seller some questions if I am to buy the knife.
 
If the seal is broken it's no longer new.

If the seal is broken and the knife was inspected once or photographed it could be called LNIB.

Any fondling and it becomes ex-display, basically used and more details should be added to the ad depending on what price one is asking.

I might change my mind on all that later though. 😆 Especially the seal bit as I think that might be more a UK thing.
 
LNIB is a visual description to me. It only deals with visual aspect of the knife. I still need details on use, carried, cut,etc if Im the buyer and I give them if the seller. LNIB is used.
 
I would consider any description from a seller to be irrelevant. Show me pictures, lots of pictures, GOOD pictures. I'll decide "condition" for myself.

Sellers want to sell, and it's very easy for a less than scrupulous seller to fudge a little (or a lot) in their description of the knife. But pictures don't lie.

Descriptions are open to individual interpretation, as demonstrated by this thread. When claiming fraud against a seller, it's hard to argue what constitutes things like "used" or "LNIB", etc, but pictures are hard to dispute and offer the best possible evidence that what was sold is not what was advertised.
 
Actually pictures can be very misleading or hide details unless they are taken under shadow on a bright day outside. Also, pictures do not tell if the knife has gritty action or blade play. But I do agree that pictures that show the genuine condition of the knife are very important.
 
It comes down to trust...
If you have previous experience with a vendor: the entire process can be easier.
 
I once saw an ad that read "LNIB, sharpened to a razor edge by "XXX"....

Having it sharpened is nothing "L" "NIB" at all.

And why was it sharpened? Because it was used until the edge needed to be put back on? Then definitely not LNIB.

Not a fan of this descriptor at all... but as Bob says above, if you trust the seller they'll give you an accurate description and you'll be fine.
 
Paratrooper06 said:
“Like new in box” to me means “LIKE a knife that is NEW in the BOX”… meaning you took it out and flipped it open a few times, took some pictures and put it away. No use, so no indications of wear… therefore similar, or “like” a new knife.
Click to expand...
This ^
Perfect condition with no signs of use and original packaging.
 
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