Not an easy question to answer as much is subjective, such as overuse of the word 'mint'.
I've known people describe a refinished collectable as 'mint', which clearly it can never be or 'nearly Mint', which again there is no such thing.
To me, 'Mint' is brand new or in the case of a collectable, new old stock with no age related wear.
When it comes to considering an item that is for sale, one of the advantages of modern technology is the ability to provide clear pictures of said item, which can describe it better than the seller in some instances.
John
Currently looking for Baikal Makarov pistols with the following prefixes to the serial number: 98, T01, T09, T21, T22
Prefer boxed or cased but will consider loose examples too.