GLOSSARY
38 Terms Defined
- CIB Complete in Box Condition & Grading
- A game or hardware item that includes all original components: box, cartridge or disc, manual, and all original inserts. For Japanese imports, CIB typically also includes the spine card and registration card (hagaki). A CIB item commands a significant premium over loose at NOSTOS.
- Loose Condition & Grading
- A cartridge or disc sold without its original box or manual. The most common condition for retro games in the secondary market. Priced significantly below CIB on all platforms. Loose does not mean non-functional - NOSTOS tests all loose cartridges and discs at intake.
- Deadstock Deadstock / New Old Stock (NOS) Condition & Grading
- Apparel or merchandise that was manufactured and stored but never sold. Deadstock pieces are unworn, often with original tags, and represent the highest condition tier for vintage clothing. Deadstock commands a significant premium over worn vintage of the same era.
- NWT New With Tags Condition & Grading
- A garment that still has its original retail tags attached and has not been worn. Equivalent to deadstock in most collector contexts, though "NWT" is sometimes applied to pieces that were tagged but are not true old-stock.
- NWOT New Without Tags Condition & Grading
- A garment in new, unworn condition but with original tags removed. Lower value than NWT/deadstock but higher than worn vintage of the same era and condition.
- Famicom Family Computer (FC) Hardware & Platforms
- The Japanese home release of the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), released in Japan in 1983. The Famicom uses a different cartridge form factor than the North American NES and was only officially sold in Japan and some Asian markets. A core NOSTOS specialty platform.
- Super Famicom Super Family Computer (SFC) Hardware & Platforms
- The Japanese release of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), released in Japan in 1990. Uses SNES-identical game hardware but different cartridge shell and regional lockout. The Super Famicom library includes titles not released in North America and is a primary Japanese import platform at NOSTOS.
- PC Engine PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 Hardware & Platforms
- NEC's 1987 Japanese home console, released in North America as the TurboGrafx-16. One of the most sophisticated 8-bit/16-bit platforms, with a large Japanese-exclusive library. NOSTOS specializes in PC Engine hardware, HuCard software, and CD-ROM ² titles. Capacitor restoration is often required on aging units.
- Neo Geo AES Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System Hardware & Platforms
- SNK's 1990 home console version of the Neo Geo arcade system. Sold at approximately ¥58,000 at launch - one of the most expensive home consoles ever released. AES cartridges are produced in dramatically smaller numbers than MVS equivalents, creating the significant AES premium in the current market.
- Neo Geo MVS Neo Geo Multi Video System Hardware & Platforms
- The arcade board format of the Neo Geo system. MVS cartridges run the same game code as AES but use a different connector and shell. MVS was produced at industrial scale for arcade operators and is significantly less expensive than AES equivalents. MVS-to-AES conversion fraud is the most common deception in the Neo Geo market.
- WonderSwan WonderSwan / WonderSwan Color / SwanCrystal Hardware & Platforms
- Bandai's handheld game system, released only in Japan from 1999–2003. Designed by the creator of the original Game Boy. Notable for a library of RPGs and Final Fantasy ports not available on other platforms. A niche Japanese import platform carried at NOSTOS.
- HuCard Hardware & Platforms
- The credit-card-sized cartridge format used by the PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16. Named after Hudson Soft, the PC Engine's primary developer. HuCards are vulnerable to label wear at the connector edge and to the label-to-card adhesive failing on older examples. NOSTOS evaluates label integrity at intake.
- Spine Card Spine Card (スピンカード) Japanese Imports
- A small cardboard insert placed in the spine of Japanese game boxes, showing the title on the visible edge when shelved vertically. Spine cards are frequently the first component discarded and their presence adds 15–30% to CIB value on many Super Famicom and PC Engine titles. A key completeness factor at NOSTOS.
- Hagaki Hagaki / Registration Card (ハガキ) Japanese Imports
- The postcard-format product registration card included in most Japanese game releases. Equivalent to the warranty or registration card in US releases. Presence of an unfilled hagaki adds collector value. On rare titles with documented collector interest in the card specifically, the premium can be significant.
- Region Lock Region Lockout Japanese Imports
- Hardware and software restrictions that prevent games from one region from playing on hardware sold in another. The Famicom and NES use different cartridge shapes as a physical lock. SNES and Super Famicom use a tab system. Many collectors use region-free or modified hardware to play Japanese imports on original hardware.
- NTSC NTSC (National Television System Committee) Japanese Imports
- The television broadcast standard used in Japan, North America, and parts of South America. Runs at 60Hz. Japanese imports (Famicom, Super Famicom, PC Engine, etc.) are NTSC and compatible with US NTSC displays. "NTSC-J" specifically refers to the Japanese market variant.
- PAL PAL (Phase Alternating Line) Japanese Imports
- The television broadcast standard used in most of Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia. Runs at 50Hz. PAL games run slower than their NTSC equivalents in many cases. PAL regional variants of retro games are collected separately from NTSC and NTSC-J.
- Reproduction Reproduction (Repro) Authentication
- A replica cartridge that contains ROM data from an original game, housed in a reproduction shell with a replica label. Reproductions range from obvious (clearly labeled "REPRO") to sophisticated counterfeits intended to deceive. NOSTOS uses board-level inspection and chip date code verification to identify reproductions at intake.
- Gamebit 3.8mm Security Screw (Gamebit) Authentication
- The proprietary screw format used in most Nintendo cartridges and hardware. The 3.8mm gamebit screw has a small post in the center requiring a specialized driver - a deliberate anti-consumer-repair measure by Nintendo. All authentic Nintendo cartridges from the NES through SNES era use this screw. Phillips head screws on a cartridge indicate a reproduction or post-market repair.
- PCB Printed Circuit Board Authentication
- The internal circuit board of a cartridge. PCB inspection is the definitive authentication test for retro cartridges. Authentic PCBs carry manufacturer markings, board identifier codes, and chip date codes consistent with the production era. Reproduction boards use generic PCBs or copies of authentic boards with missing or inconsistent markings.
- Date Code Chip Date Code Authentication
- A manufacturing date stamped on integrated circuit chips in the format YYWW (year, week). For example, "8934" indicates the chip was manufactured in 1989, week 34. Date codes on cartridge chips must be consistent with the game's release year to pass authentication. Modern date codes on claimed vintage cartridges are a definitive authentication failure.
- Mapper Memory Mapper (MMC) Authentication
- The additional hardware chip in NES/SNES cartridges that enables larger or more complex games than the base hardware supports. Nintendo's Memory Management Controllers (MMC1, MMC3, etc.) are documented and identifiable. The mapper chip type is used to authenticate specific cartridges - a wrong mapper for a given title indicates a reproduction.
- RGB RGB (Red, Green, Blue) Display & Signals
- An analog video signal format that carries the three color channels separately, avoiding the color encoding/decoding degradation of composite or S-Video. RGB is the highest quality analog output available on most retro systems. Requires SCART or SCART-to-component adapters for use with consumer displays. Most Japanese and European CRTs support RGB natively.
- SCART SCART (Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs) Display & Signals
- A European connector standard that supports RGB, composite, and S-Video signals in one cable. SCART is the standard connector for RGB input on European and many Japanese consumer CRTs. North American TVs generally lack SCART input - a key reason Japanese and European CRTs are sought by US retro gamers.
- PVM Professional Video Monitor Display & Signals
- Sony's line of professional CRT monitors used in broadcast production. PVMs offer RGB input via BNC connectors, higher dot pitch than consumer CRTs, and service menu geometry controls. The preferred display for retro gaming at the premium tier. Good PVMs are increasingly scarce and expensive - units under 14" commonly sell for $200–600+.
- BVM Broadcast Video Monitor Display & Signals
- Sony's highest-grade broadcast CRT monitors, above PVM in the professional hierarchy. BVMs offer the most precise color calibration of any CRT category. Generally more expensive and harder to service than PVMs. The reference standard for the most demanding retro gaming display setups.
- RetroTINK Display & Signals
- A line of video upscalers produced by Mike Chi that convert analog retro console signals to HDMI for use with modern displays. The RetroTINK 5X-Pro is the current community standard for high-quality upscaling. Handles RGB SCART, component, S-Video, and composite inputs. The recommended alternative when a suitable CRT is unavailable.
- Scanlines Display & Signals
- The horizontal dark lines between pixel rows visible on CRT displays, caused by the electron beam's scan path. Many retro games were designed with CRT scanlines as the expected display output - the lines create depth and perceived resolution beyond the actual pixel count. Absent on flat panel displays without software or hardware simulation.
- Phosphor CRT Phosphor Display & Signals
- The light-emitting coating on the interior of a CRT screen that glows when struck by the electron beam. Phosphor persistence and decay characteristics create the smooth blending effect that makes CRT images look different from flat panel - including the blending of adjacent pixels that retro game artists relied on for dithering and transparency effects.
- Single-Stitch Single-Stitch Construction Vintage Apparel
- A t-shirt construction method where sleeve and hem seams are sewn with a single row of stitching rather than two. Single-stitch is the definitive indicator of pre-1994 domestic US production. All US-manufactured t-shirts from before approximately 1994 are single-stitch. The double-stitch transition aligns with the offshore manufacturing shift of the mid-1990s.
- Reverse Weave Champion Reverse Weave Vintage Apparel
- Champion's proprietary sweatshirt construction method, introduced in the 1930s. The fabric is knit horizontally (across the body rather than along its length), reducing lengthwise shrinkage. Authentic reverse weave has a horizontal stretch characteristic and a specific waistband attachment. Vintage Reverse Weave from the 1980s–early 1990s bar tag era commands significant collector premiums.
- Bar Tag Champion Bar Tag Vintage Apparel
- The era-specific woven label sewn into Champion garments from approximately 1952–1993. The "C" logo appears with two horizontal color bars (blue and gold on most versions). Bar tag presence is the primary indicator of vintage Champion from the most collected era. The specific bar tag variant narrows the manufacturing window to within a few years.
- Screen Print Vintage Apparel
- A printing method where ink is pushed through a mesh screen onto fabric. Authentic vintage screen prints use plastisol inks that age with specific cracking patterns along print edges, slight fading, and a visible ink texture under raking light. These aging characteristics distinguish original prints from reproduction or modern prints on vintage blanks.
- Flock Print Vintage Apparel
- A textile printing method that applies a raised, velvet-like texture to fabric using electrostatically charged fibers. Popular for sports lettering and some graphic applications in the 1970s–1980s. Authentic vintage flock has a specific texture and adhesion characteristic that differs from modern flock application.
- PriceCharting PriceCharting.com Market & Valuation
- The primary market data source used by NOSTOS for retro game valuation. PriceCharting aggregates completed eBay sales to generate rolling averages by condition (loose, CIB, graded). NOSTOS uses 90-day rolling averages from PriceCharting as the baseline for all buy/sell/trade pricing.
- Disc Rot Disc Rot / CD Rot Hardware & Platforms
- Chemical degradation of the reflective layer of an optical disc over time, caused by oxidation or delamination of the lacquer coating. Disc rot causes read errors ranging from minor stutters to complete unreadability. PC Engine CD-ROM ² titles are particularly susceptible due to age. NOSTOS verifies all CD titles on original hardware before accepting as playable.
- Capacitor Restoration Capacitor Replacement / Recapping Hardware & Platforms
- The process of replacing aged electrolytic capacitors in retro hardware to restore proper function. Capacitors degrade over 20–35 years, causing audio distortion, video instability, and eventual component failure. PC Engine, Famicom, and Super Famicom hardware commonly requires recapping. NOSTOS has performed capacitor restoration on all three platforms.