The Energon Pub

[Nemesis Destron]

One thing that I've always questioned since my return of collecting our past time is that a lot of sellers have the habit of posting "MISB" on the condition of that TF they are selling. Then they go on to say that the item has either been opened for inspection only OR was simply on display only and put back into package/box. That is neither "MISB" or "New" to me, more like "MIB" or perhaps "Like New".

I understand the need for sellers to make sure the item is the actual item inside and to make sure nothing is broken or missing. But for me "MISB" means new, unopened and untouched by any hands but mine if I buy that TF. I find a great feeling (especially something rare) knowing that I'll be the one to handle a brand spankin' new TF since it left the manufacturer. Does this matter at all to you, or not really? All I'm saying is if it's new and unopened then great it's "New". But if it's been opened for any reason then maybe it shouldn't be listed as "New" or "MISB"

[BeastProwl]

As I see your point in "The thrill of the Catch!" I can honestly see people opening it just once for inspection, but to me MISB Is no Longer MISB Once the B beocomes not S.

[PrymeStriker]

As I see your point in "The thrill of the Catch!" I can honestly see people opening it just once for inspection, but to me MISB Is no Longer MISB Once the B beocomes not S.

Mother In Bull is no longer Mother in Bull once the Bull becomes not...wait, nevermind...

I'll have to agree though. I don't think it would necessarily be mint either, but that's just me. They could just note it as "Opened" like BBTS does...

[Chaoslock]

S: SEALED =/= Opened

Even if the duck tape peeled off, it is no longer considered sealed (I know a collector who collected only sealed figures, and he asked for pictures of the tapes before buying any figures)

[BeastProwl]

As I see your point in "The thrill of the Catch!" I can honestly see people opening it just once for inspection, but to me MISB Is no Longer MISB Once the B beocomes not S.

Mother In Bull is no longer Mother in Bull once the Bull becomes not...wait, nevermind...

I'll have to agree though. I don't think it would necessarily be mint either, but that's just me. They could just note it as "Opened" like BBTS does...

I hope all this clarafies things!

[Nemesis Destron]

As I see your point in "The thrill of the Catch!" I can honestly see people opening it just once for inspection, but to me MISB Is no Longer MISB Once the B beocomes not S.

Mother In Bull is no longer Mother in Bull once the Bull becomes not...wait, nevermind...

I'll have to agree though. I don't think it would necessarily be mint either, but that's just me. They could just note it as "Opened" like BBTS does...

I hope all this clarafies things!

No need for clarification really, except for that bull part... . Just looking to get everyone's 2 cents.

[Kibble]

The people that write MISB when it's not both mint (as far as you can tell) and sealed are either uninformed or shady.

[Atomatron]

without reading anything more than the subject line...

when its retaped and there is a dooky inside instead of metroplex. (must have been mexican night)

[WeatherManNX01]

I have plenty of gripes in regards to describing items, and this is one of them. I've never had a problem with anything I've bought, but there have been a few times when an MISB is not only not sealed, it's not in a freaking box.

[ZenPrime]

Here's another questions regarding "MISB", does the "M" (MINT) refer to the figure or the box or both? Lets say the outter box has dings/dents and scratches but the tape seal was never broken and the toy is in "MINT" condition. Does that still qualify as "MISB"?

[Court Jester]

When I used to sell on eBay, I always spelled it out for the ones looking for sealed items. Mint in factory sealed box - case fresh - "handpicked for paint applications" - little to no shelf wear. If someone says MISB and does't go into detail, you gotta ask specifics with a PM.

[fenrir72]

MISB is not always good. GPS among others is a great problem when you buy a sealed but damaged item. Sometimes opened for inspection is much better.

I managed to purchase a non MISB Sixwing re-issue original. Box was opened but the plastic packaging for the individual figures inside were all sealed for about $ 85.00(with shipping)

Cheap no?

[MGrotusque]

I bought a Mint In Sealed "Bubble" Grotusque a few years back. He was in the original box aswell. Stickers, parts and instructions were still in the original sealed bag.

I knew the box had been opened for inspection purposes but the card and bubble that held the figure was unopened, intact and still glued securely to the cardboard from the photos and from talking to the seller. I can't stress enough at how stoked i was to get this figure in it's sealed bubble!

BUT....when it finally arrived in the mail and i opened the box to inspect it (wide eyed and drooling with excitement the whole time) the bubble was shattered!!!!! Right around the nose area. I guess during shipping he got manhandled violently enough that he slid around in the bubble and his nose shattered the bubble. FAK was i furious and crest fallen all at the same time.

Couldn't really get mad at anybody about it though. He's still in the bubble but it's not "sealed" anymore.

I know this is sort of off topic but i had to mention it.

[bionic_radical]

I always wondered about that when it came to Henkei, because of it passing through customs. When I get the boxes, the bubbles are taped on. So I dunno if that means they were inspected, or not. Hmmmm

[alldarker]

I remember that the term MIMSB (Mint In Mint Sealed Box) was also used in the past, although I don't see it that much any more. Nowadays, shady sellers seem to like to call any toy that still has its box (opened and with/without insert) MIB.
Japan is always a bit strange when it comes to packaging. Henkei cards are indeed taped on, differently from Hasbro's cards. And I've been told that in Japan, the storeworkers like to be able to show customers the features of the product straight out of the box. It's why some Japanese toys are often not actually sealed with tape at all!

Anyway, the right answer to your question should be: when it's "Mint In Sealed Bag"

[HoosierDaddy]

MISB Mint in sealed box means just that. It is new and factory sealed and never opened. Anything less is false advertising. Now they can still say MISB and have the box a bit beat up and if they don't describe the box condition it is the buyers job to inquire about it. If someone is a mint in sealed box collector and they want their boxes to be mint or near mint then the seller better be sure he is telling the truth or he gets to pay the refund. If I ever bought something advertised as MISB and it arrived opened (for whatever reason, inspecting the contents isn't an excuse) it better be just that. MISB.

[crossblades]

I recently bought a MISB HFTD Ramjet (the walmart exclusive one) from a UK seller.

Looked great in the pictures, and was packed into a box and shipped to me.

Unfortunatly when he packed it into the box, he pushed to hard to get it in, and the plastic on teh front of the box now has a White warp mark on it from being stressed, and the bottom of the box in crumpled.

Still mint in box, but not happy.

Thing is he was packed with banzaitron, and he arrived safe and sound no crumpling, but of course he has a smaller box (not entirly sure why i bought him,, his face mould & colour is aweful, but i like the ninja decepticons (bludgeon etc)

Anyhow, i'm thinking of making a claim via ebay over the damage, and he replied that he expected me to take the items out fo the box anyway... but has offered to make a postoffice claim if the figures are damaged.

what should i do, feels a bit churlish to make an ebay claim over the damaged to a box, but it was his packign that did the damage (the outside postage box isn't even dented!)

[fenrir72]

Force majeur ( Thanks to Mr. Butterfingers packing by the post office) my friend. So long as the item is indeed SEALED. Not false advertising. But I'd be flabbergasted if the item itself was severely damaged.

[crossblades]

without taking it out the box i'd say its not damaged, but still not entirely happy (he also charges £18 for postage, which cost £6) so overall just not impressed.

This is compared to some amercian ebayers, 1 who sent an item where the postage cost mroe than the total i'd paid, but didn't want any more money in return, and one who discounted the postage after they'd sent it as it cost less than expected.

Think i'm just bitter.

[Ravage XK]

without taking it out the box i'd say its not damaged, but still not entirely happy (he also charges £18 for postage, which cost £6) so overall just not impressed.

This is compared to some amercian ebayers, 1 who sent an item where the postage cost mroe than the total i'd paid, but didn't want any more money in return, and one who discounted the postage after they'd sent it as it cost less than expected.

Think i'm just bitter.

Please dont lump UK sellers together. I have always tried to charge the actual postage amount plus a small amount to cover costs of box, tape, labels etc. I have refunded shipping when I was able to get a better rate than expected. I imagine you were just unlucky and there will be people who overcharge and pack badly all over the world.

I have seen items described as MIB which were sealed. Which makes me think people dont really know what it means.

MISB means never been opened, I would be very cross if a bought MISB item turned out to be opened.

[crossblades]

Don't worry mate, i'm a Uk seller on ebay too, though not TF's, and if i can i will refund postage (if the postage costs 15%+ less than it cost me)

Its my own fault though, and i still got the items overall cheaper than i could elsewhere, just annoyed that having payd so much they arrived in a box with no padding, and ramjet had just been stuffed in there.

[MGrotusque]

I love buying from the UK. It's usually if not always 3 times cheaper and faster to get stuff to Canada form there.

The postage system between Canada and the States doesn't seem very fair to me sometimes.

If you want it sent cheap from the states ie- first class international, it can take up to a month or more to get your items. If you want it shipped any other way ie- priority post, the price jumps up to 30-36 bucks no matter how small the item is. It enrages me.

Hell....i just got a Trypticon sent to me from the UK via Royal Air mail for 15 bucks Canadian. It arrived in 5 days.

The average seems to be that if i want a deluxe figure from the States it will cost on average 15 to 20 bucks. From the U.K it usually costs me 5 bucks or less.

[REMINATOR]

OK, let's break up the word, MISB: Mint In Sealed Box.
My interpretation has always:

1. "S"/ Sealed - is it the box or the figure. According to the MISB acronym, it clearly stated Sealed Box. Therefore, if the tape is broken whether unintentional or intentional, then it's NO LONGER a sealed box or MISB. The figure should now be called MIB (mint in box).

2. Assuming the box is still sealed, then the question becomes "What is mint, is it the box or the figure?". It's the figure because if we analyze the acronym, "The figure is" mint in a sealed box. Therefore, even if the box are severely dent and bent (e.g. flap), the figure is still minted because no human hand has been touched since its factory debut.

The term Mint can be very subjective sometimes unless: The MISB tapes wear out or broken and no one touches the toy. Also, if the original owner wanted to open the box and very the condition of the statue. In that sense, both criteria are minted. All other cases are debatable because one man mint is another man so and so.

[GuyIncognito]

When I read a listing where the seller says they opened the box "just to make sure the item was correct/undamaged", I smell bull****. They had that thing on display and now they're trying to pass it off as new.

MISB means the figure is in mint condition and comes in the original factory-sealed packaging, period, end of story.

S: SEALED =/= Opened

Even if the duck tape peeled off, it is no longer considered sealed (I know a collector who collected only sealed figures, and he asked for pictures of the tapes before buying any figures)

I don't mean to nit-pick, but I'm sure you don't really mean duck/duct tape. If you see a TF sealed with duck tape, you can be sure something fishy is going on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape

[alternator77]

what makes me laugh is when you see MISB and c9-c10 next to it then you see the package and its scratched up, worn and faded. they just arbitrarily pull these ratings out of their asses sometimes.
for example

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRANSFORMERS-De ... 2c5ebd13b9

come on seriously?