"NIB"

[FredRydr]

Perhaps a senior pen collector in the hobby the last several decades can answer this. Did the acronym NIB for "new in box" originate from a source other than pen collecting and creep into use? The confusion with pen nib suggests no-one in their right mind would start this in the pen community. Watches, perhaps?

NIB is a PITA.

[Jon Szanto]

I'm fairly certain it is a more broadly utilized term, more than likely an outgrowth of auction sites. I see it on eBay all the time and not, by any means, restricted to the pen area. Yeah, makes some searches a bear.

[Stickler]

Comes from collectors. My first time hearing NIB was for toys (e.g. star wars figures, star trek, barbie, etc.)

[Kaputnik]

I belong to a shaving forum (seriously), although these days I confine myself to their pen subforum, known as "The Nib". One subject there is the collecting and use of vintage razors, and you frequently see NIB applied to those. Mostly from collectors urging people not to take their NIB vintage razors out and shave with them, but to get used ones instead. The not quite identical term NOS (new old stock) also gets thrown around.

A mild source of amusement on some pen forums is when people who are new to the subject of fountain pens use "NIB" when they clearly mean just nib, e.g. "a pen with a gold NIB". I wonder if they think that nib is an acronym, say for "no inferior ballpoints" or "need ink blotter".

[jar]

Yup, NIB was toys and even then I could never understand the mentality. But of course that was long before Star Wars and usually referred to something from Hoot Gibson or Lash Larue, Hopalong Cassidy or Tom Mix.

[Gunderson]

More commonly, at least way back in my day, was MIB - mint in box. This was for toys.

[FredRydr]

Comes from collectors. My first time hearing NIB was for toys (e.g. star wars figures, star trek, barbie, etc.)

YES! Now I remember discontinued Dinky Toys advertised as new in box. Thanks for tickling the grey cells.

[penwash]

"New Ink, Baby!!"