October 12, 2020by ppearls3 CommentsThings We Love

How to BST Like a Boss: The Basics

So you’ve discovered the wild world of BST groups on Facebook. And to your surprise, there are actually several for wooden or open-ended toys! But…what now? How do you go about selling your least-loved rainbow stacker? How do you ensure you don’t get screwed buying off of the boards? May I present to you the first in my series “How to BST Like a Boss”. Today we will cover The Basics: the groups to join and the acronyms they use.

The Groups to Join

There are three types of BST boards: Independent Boards, Brand Specific Boards, and Vendor Chatter Boards.

An independent board is usually best for beginners. They’re run by people who aren’t running their own chat or making their own brand.

When you fall in love with a brand, you’ll find that brand specific boards are great for hunting down ISO/DISO’s (in search of/desperately in search of – acronyms will be covered next, I promise). I am not listing any brand specific boards this go around, as it is a huge article in and of itself. There are way too many brands for that!

Vendor chatter boards are run by store owners and are a great place to get information on restocks! However, this is also the most likely place to be involved in drama. The wooden toy small shop world is SMALL. Everyone knows each other. Everyone. I would recommend just casually lurking in these. Keep in mind that comments/posts left in one group will sometimes make it to another. Although it’s not the norm, some members have been known to get kicked out for an unsavory review or comment. However those experiences are usually outliers. Most vendor chatter is a really good way to meet the people behind the toys. The people who can feed their families and pay their mortgage, because we #shopsmall. While the bad apples exist, there are amazing store owners who I feel blessed to have met.

Vendor Chatter Boards

Vendor boards are really helpful to keep on top of restocks. That is, if you aren’t already signed up for The Piedmont List (and dude…why aren’t you?). Here are some of my favorites. I’ve only included small shop owners that I have personal experience with, so don’t read too much into me leaving someone out.

BST Acronyms

Starting off on your first board can feel much like learning a new language. Here is a handy guide to all the acronyms flying around. If your favorite isn’t on the list, make sure to comment below!

  • BNIB – Brand New In Box
  • NWT – New With Tags
  • NWOT – New Without Tags
  • EUC – Excellent Used Condition
  • VGUC – Very Good Used Condition
  • GUC – Good Used Condition
  • ISO – In Search of
  • DISO – Desperately In Search Of
  • HTF – Hard to Find
  • FTO – For Trade Only
  • NFS – Not For Sale
  • DOND – Deal or No Deal
  • MMAO – Make Me Any Offer
  • MMARO – Make Me Any Reasonable Offer
  • RTB – Right to Buy (you’re winning the opportunity to purchase)
  • PP – Paypal
  • PM – Private Message
  • ETA – Edited to Add
  • PPD – Postage Paid Domestic (meaning the price includes shipping domestically, but not internationally)
  • OOS – UK: On Other Sites USA: Out of Stock
  • XPOST – Posted on another board
  • NIL – Next In Line
  • NFS – Not For Sale
  • NFO – Not First Owner
  • IRL – In Real Life (usually used when advising that these aren’t stock photos)
  • LO – Little One (your child)
  • OOAK – One Of A Kind
  • PIF – Pay It Forward

I hope this has helped you in your BST Adventures! Stay tuned for the next part in our BST series: Sell Your Blocks Off!

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