General question regarding new tires

[samp55]

Hi,

This problem is not specific to Toyota Corrolla but concerns the new tires I installed on it. The question might seem silly but I'm not sure what to do about it. I went to an auto shop a few days ago to have brand new Michelin Harmony tires installed on my Corolla. The shop didn't have my tire size in stock and had it ordered for me. After I paid the bill and went out to my car, I was surprised to find that the new tires didn't look new. They were Michelin Harmony but they looked like tires that have been used for a while. Not in terms of tire tread or anything but by their appearance. I went right back to the dealer and asked whether the tires were new or not. He said it was but they would be a little dusty since they came from a warehouse. Of course, I then had no choice but to take the car.
Is there any way to verify whether the tires are brand new without judging by their appearance? I expected new tires to look new just like the tire models auto shops have on display. I don't want to accuse the auto shop (or the warehouse they ordered it from) without first verifying this. Looking at the tire treads won't help since tires used for a short time won't have much tread wear. Can anyone help me out on this? Thanks.

[pasopaul]

I would say if the thread looks new. Sometimes they have little ridges of rubber that stick out. But after a few miles these disappear. So if the thread is new they probably are new. Also sometimes tires may lay around a warehouse for several years before they are sold. There is a code date on all tires. If I remember correctly the last four digits signify the week and the year they were made. Example if the last digits are 2601 they were manufactured the 26th week of 2001. Hope this helps.

[onchiemerx]

did you notice any marks on the thread surface, there should be colored markings on the thread. this will signify that the tires are new if the marking s on the threads are still visible.