[daycart1]

I thought it might help avoid some potential misunderstandings (e.g. in the Gear for Sale Forum) to standardize the use of NOS or "new old stock". Perhaps I'm being too picky, but here goes....

I've noticed that some people will call anything vintage "NOS". But it used to be that NOS meant "N old stock" that is new meaning UNUSED old stock.

So, for example, if you buy some NOS tubes and then use them in your gear for a while, they shouldn't be resold as "NOS". They are now USED old stock.

Of course, even used old stock might sometimes be preferable to unused new stock

 

[RickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by daycart1 Of course, even used old stock might sometimes be preferable to unused new stock

LOL, daycart1. You're definitely on to something there...

 

[HighwayStar]

Quote:

Originally posted by daycart1 But it used to be that NOS meant "N old stock" that is new meaning UNUSED old stock.

I'd still consider that to be quite valid. New, unsold (hence unused) stock. Doesn't have to be vintage, could just be last year's model...

 

[grinch]

Quote:

Originally posted by daycart1 So, for example, if you buy some NOS tubes and then use them in your gear for a while, they shouldn't be resold as "NOS". They are now USED old stock.

i agree. it is my feeling that once a tube has been used, it is no longer nos. it could have been purchased that way, but it is no longer that after use.

this has been bugging me as well.

 

[Sovkiller]

And if you had previously tested it (a tube) to determine if is good or not, in any of those military testers, it could not be sold neither as NOS, as some current has flown though the filaments.......is that what you mean guys???....you are being a little strict don't you think???

 

[vwap]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sovkiller And if you had previously tested it (a tube) to determine if is good or not, in any of those military testers, it could not be sold neither as NOS, as some current has flown though the filaments.......is that what you mean guys???....you are being a little strict don't you think???

I think he's meaning, if you've put it in your system longer than a test listen, you should make note of that. It goes from being New Old Stock to being Lightly Used Old Stock.

 

[daycart1]

Right, a good professional tube seller will have tested NOS tubes on a tester. They are still NOS.

It is different if they spend time functioning in a device.

The same is true for other kinds of equipment. Obviously new stuff can be powered up to make sure it is OK. But once it has been used a few hours, it is a DEMO, or "slightly used" or some such.

 

[Sovkiller]

If you have tube that is able to last for 2000 hours or more, and you had used it for 20, or 50, how do you consider it, slightly used? It is technically right, but you are being toooo strict to semantics IMO, a tube from the 50's is very hard to find in a real NOS state, at least you will never know for sure....

 

[john_jcb]

Quote:

Originally posted by Sovkiller If you have tube that is able to last for 2000 hours or more, and you had used it for 20, or 50, how do you consider it, slightly used? It is technically right, but you are being toooo strict to semantics IMO, a tube from the 50's is very hard to find in a real NOS state, at least you will never know for sure....

That is why the prices have continued to rise over the years. Many very shrewd people saw this coming and raided stores, TV/Radio shops and warehouses buying every unused tube still in the original box and stored them away. There were many made that were never sold and these are truly NOS. I agree totally with daycart1, tubes sold as NOS are tested but have never been used in equipment.

 

[braillediver]

How many miles can a virgin have have on it and still be considered a virgin?

There's a big difference between testing a tube and using it for a few hours.

I'll see ads listing NOS tubes and in the description they'll mention they used them for 60 hours. NOT

The hardest part is when you buy an unspecified group of tubes and there are tubes in the original box's that look cherry in every way. So they look excellent, test as new but you can't verify they haven't ever been used. But this is alot different than openly stating NOS tubes with only 100 hours use.


Mitch

 

[mbriant]

Used Old Stock tubes are also sometimes called "Pulls"....meaning they've been pulled from another piece of equipment.

 

[john_jcb]

One must be very careful in who you deal with. Unscrupulous sellers will even go so far as to remark tubes to make them appear to be rare high priced ones when they are just knock offs. I guess it is like every other commodity it really pays to be an informed buyer and to carefully verify your sources.

 

[vwap]

Quote:

Originally posted by john_jcb Unscrupulous sellers will even go so far as to remark tubes to make them appear to be rare high priced ones when they are just knock offs.

There's a guy on eBay that sells NOS Mullard 6922/E88CC tubes that I swear are remarked.. The print doesn't look like any Mullard tube I've ever seen. I can't find the auction right now, but he usually has a BIN for $49.00, which, to me anyway, seems well to cheap for a true pair of NOS Mullard 6922 gold pins. But maybe I've just been paying too high for tubes..

 

[Hirsch]

I've seen discussions at Audio Asylum on this. IIRC the "NOS" designation was applicable to a tube with less than 200 hours of use. "NIB" means new in box. No use at all. There's a difference between those terms.

I've seen tubes that obviously have had some use test as good as new, while I've also had sealed tubes test as though they were worn out. I tend to go for "pulls". They're often extremely cheap, and when tested are often indistinguishable from new.

Incidentally, don't be too sure that the seller did the relabelling. For example, there are a lot of Amperex tubes out there that are obviously made by GE. However, Richardson Electronics, which distributed GE bought out Amperex. They owned the brand name, so putting it on a GE made tube was perfectly legitimate, although confusing.

 

[john_jcb]

Or some of the tubes in my Fisher. Some are Bugle Boys marked Fisher others are Mullards marked Fisher.