New old stock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also: OEM
New old stock (abbreviated NOS) refers to merchandise being offered for sale which was manufactured long ago but that has never been used. Such merchandise may not be produced anymore, and the new old stock may represent the only market source of a particular item at the present time. Although not an officially recognized accounting term, it is in common use in the auction and retail industries. ebay uses the term on their auction website.
One web site catering to vacuum tube enthusiasts [1] defines it as, any stocked item which is either A: out of production; B: discontinued from the current line of product; C: has been sitting on a stockroom or warehouse shelf for some time; or D: any combination of the above.
While damage to the original packaging is common, damage to its contents is generally not acceptable in determining if an item is NOS, as it should be presentable in the same form as when new.
Some people also refer to such merchandise as New Obsolete Stock to further indicate that the parts have not been manufactured for several years.
