eBay Abbreviations
Have you ever wondered what the abbreviations you see in eBay auctions and titles mean? Here's a list of common (and uncommon) abbreviations and their meanings.
Depending on the market you sell to these abbreviations may be understood by your buyers. If you are unsure if people understand them, don't use them.
If they are commonly used in titles in your category, you should use them because they take up less space in your titles.
This list explains the abbreviations in eBay titles and descriptions.
AS-IS Buyer beware
BIN or B-I-N Buy It Now
C or CA Circa (Usually lowercase)
cm Centimeters (Usually lowercase)
COA Certificate of Authenticity
CW Clock work (wind up is more commonly used)
DJ Dust Jacket (Used for books)
EUC Excellent Used Condition
EX Excellent
ft Feet (Usually lowercase)
HB Hard Bound (Used for books)
HTF Hard To Find (Usually a false statement)
in Inch (Usually lowercase)
LE Limited Edition
LN Like New
LNOB Like New in Original Box
MIB Mint In Box
MISB Mint In Sealed Box
MIP Mint In Pacakge
MOC Mint On Card
NIB New In Box
NM Near Mint
NOS New Old Stock
NR No Reserve
NRFB Never Removed From Box
NWT New With Tag (used for clothing)
OB Original Box
OOP Out of Print or Out of Production
OOAK One Of A Kind (used with custom dolls)
PC Personal Computer
pc Pieces (usually lowercase)
SH or S/H Shipping and Handling
SZ Size
Vint Vintage
Vtg Vintage (a search using "vtg" returns listings with "vintage" in the title)
VG Very Good (refers to condition)
VHTF Very Hard to Find (Usually a false statement)
W/ With
W/O Without
WU or W/U Windup
+ Plus or More
There are also abbreviations for specific types of items.
For example in the trains I sell Z, N, TT, HO, OO, S, O, G, and std all refer to the track size. (those are listed from smallest to largest gauge.)
I'll add more eBay abbreviations as I find them. If I've missed any, drop me a note.
At least once a week, a new article about Antiques, Collectibles, or eBay is placed in this section of the site. You can see previous articles in the column on the left. This is not a replacement for my regular emailed newsletter. The newsletter is usually two to three times as long and focuses on making money on eBay and/or achieving success in the antiques and collectibles business. Only about a third of the articles sent out as newsletters are posted on the site, so to avoid missing an issue sign up now using the blue box in the upper right hand corner of this web page.
Have a question about eBay or buying and selling antiques and collectibles you'd like to see answered here?
Submit your question here.
Terry Gibbs has taught over 7,000 people how to make a good living on eBay. Terry's most recent eBay instruction manual is The Auction Revolution . The Auction Revolution is your guide to eBay and beyond. Here on Iwantcollectibles.com, you will learn about buying and selling antiques and collectibles, and about eBay.
FREE eBay Resources:
| 
Free eBay Buyer's Guide
