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Defining eBay, Auction and Classified Ad Acronyms
By Vangie Beal
November 11, 2009

With the growing popularity of online buying and selling, auction and classified ad lingo has also grown.  In auction listings and in online storefronts, sellers are often limited to a maximum number of characters in their item title. Classified ad sellers may also be limited to a set number of characters in ad descriptions.

Abbreviations and acronyms on eBay and other marketplaces are important to sellers. They allow you to say as more about the item you are selling without going exceeding any character-length requirements in the title and description.

Let’s say, for example, that you want to tell prospective buyers that your item is available for local pick up only. Adding that phrase alone plumps your title by 18 characters (including spaces). Using the abbreviation LPUO instead of typing out the entire phrase leaves you with an additional 14 characters in which to highlight other item features within the title.

Other common abbreviations on eBay include NWT (new with tags) and NRFB (never removed from box). Since eBay and most online auction sites do not put a hefty limit on the amount of text one can use in an item description, you may see title abbreviations spelled out in full form within the ad itself.

The following list includes commonly used Internet abbreviations and acronyms found on eBay and online classified ad marketplaces.

• 1TO: One time only
• A+: Good condition
• BIN:  Buy it Now
• BK:  Broken 
• CCG: Collectible card game
• GF: Gold filled (jewelry)
• MIMB:  Mint in Mint Box 
• NEG: Negative feedback
• NIB:  New in box 

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Vangie Beal is a seasoned online marketplace seller, frequent contributor to ECommerce-Guide.com and avid online bargain hunter. She is also managing editor of Webopedia.com.

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