Common Acronyms for Buying and Selling Vintage Toys and Games

Buying or selling vintage toys and games on auction sites often means navigating a shorthand language collectors have been using for decades. While acronyms can save space in listings, they can also cause confusion, especially for newer collectors.

Here’s a collector-focused guide to the most common acronyms you may encounter when reading listings or could use when posting your own listings organized by category

Condition and Packaging

These acronyms matter more than almost anything else in vintage toy and game listings.

• MIB – Mint in Box
• CIB – Complete in Box (all original parts included)
• MOC – Mint on Card (typically blister-carded toys)
• NRFB – Never Removed from Box
• NIB – New in Box
• NOS – New Old Stock
• EUC – Excellent Used Condition
• VG – Very Good
• G – Good

Completeness and Authenticity

These acronyms help buyers understand whether a toy is original, altered, or missing pieces.

• COMPLETE – All original components present
• OEM – Original parts (not replacements)
• OG – Original packaging or components
• REPRO – Reproduction parts or packaging (should always be disclosed)
• VAR – Variant (box design, mold change, color difference, etc.)

Rarity and Desirability

Common shorthand used to signal scarcity, sometimes overused or claimed without verification

• HTF – Hard to Find
• VHTF – Very Hard to Find

Collector-Specific

More common in higher-end or graded collectibles.

• GRADED – Professionally graded (AFA, CGC, etc.)
• RAW – Ungraded
• POP – Population count (grading context)

Sales Format and Pricing

These acronyms describe how an item is being sold.

• BIN – Buy It Now
• OBO – Or Best Offer
• NR – No Reserve (auction format)
• AS-IS – Sold as shown, no guarantees