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Defining mint condition in collecting
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Often I'll receive phone calls from sellers looking to move their collectibles while describing their items as mint condition. Unfortunately mint is loosely used by most sellers and rarely seen by buyers. The word is used throughout collecting. For a coin, it means the condition as if it just left the mint. For stamps, it means straight from the post office into a mount or album with gum intact. For baseball cards, it means straight from a pack with very little handling in between. No dings or dents, scratches or scuffs. There’s really no fuzziness but sellers sure seem to be confused.
The conversation always starts – “I have this collection I received from my…” and ends with “they’re in MINT condition”. The excitement is just a way of hiding truth. Upon further inspection the corners are bent or rounded, the piece is stained or there’s parts missing. Sitting in a box for thirty years doesn’t guarantee “mintness”. Chances are the item was played with regularly before it was ever stored away. People always want to describe their items better than they are to attain the highest possible market value.
For most collectible(s) to be considered mint, the following criteria must be met:
- there should be no creases or wrinkles
- no fading and no discoloration
- no tears or cuts
- no stains or marks
Please refer to the following questions and answers for properly identifying mint condition. Does it look perfect? Yes. Has it seen the light of day? No. When licked, does it leave a refreshing minty taste in your mouth? Yes. Is it still mint? No.
Take caution with items described as mint unless they’ve been qualified as such by an authenticator. Autographs fade over time, original packaging gets tattered and torn, and things sometimes break. Poor is always accurately described, pretty good usually means ugly, and most of the time, mint is ok with some "but". Always remember there's a big reason the truly mint collectibles sell for a substantial premium. They are rare!
