Card Condition Guide
Use this guide to accurately assess the condition of your cards before submitting a quote. When in doubt, grade conservatively.
Get a Quote →Cards in Near Mint condition look as though they just came out of the pack. Only the most minor imperfections are acceptable.
- Corners: Minor chipping only
- Edges: Minor chipping only
- Discoloration: None
- Creases: None
- Surface Indentations: Minor only
- Scratches / Scuffing: Minor only
- Staining: None
Lightly Played cards show small signs of wear but are still in great condition. They do not look heavily tampered with.
- Corners: Moderate whitening or chipping
- Edges: Moderate whitening or chipping
- Discoloration: Minor
- Creases: Minor surface wrinkles only
- Surface Indentations: Moderate
- Scratches / Scuffing: Moderate
- Staining: Minor
Medium Played cards have discernible flaws such as major chipping around edges and corners, moderate discoloration, creases or stains.
- Corners: Major whitening or chipping
- Edges: Major whitening or chipping
- Discoloration: Moderate
- Creases: Moderate to major creases
- Surface Indentations: Moderate to major
- Scratches / Scuffing: Moderate to major, some slight paper loss
- Staining: Moderate to major
Heavily Played cards show a large amount of wear and damage. Corners and edges may be rounded, chipped, or missing altogether.
- Corners: Major chipping, corners may be missing
- Edges: Major chipping, tears possible
- Discoloration: Major
- Creases: Multiple major creases
- Surface Indentations: Major
- Scratches / Scuffing: Major, with paper loss and pinholes
- Staining: Major
Condition Comparison
| Attribute | NM Near Mint | LP Lightly Played | MP Medium Played | HP Heavily Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corners | Minor chipping only | Moderate whitening or chipping | Major whitening or chipping | Major chipping, corners may be missing |
| Edges | Minor chipping only | Moderate whitening or chipping | Major whitening or chipping | Major chipping, tears possible |
| Discoloration | None | Minor | Moderate | Major |
| Creases | None | Minor surface wrinkles only | Moderate to major creases | Multiple major creases |
| Surface Indentations | Minor only | Moderate | Moderate to major | Major |
| Scratches / Scuffing | Minor only | Moderate | Moderate to major, some slight paper loss | Major, with paper loss and pinholes |
| Staining | None | Minor | Moderate to major | Major |
What We Look At
Corners
The quality of corners is determined by the number of flaws. Flaws include rounding, softening, or splitting.
Edges
The quality of edges is determined by the amount of apparent wear or damage along the border of the card.
Discoloration
Refers to any yellowing, cloudiness, staining, or sun-bleaching on the card.
Creases
Refers to any bends or folds in the card, visible from either side.
Surface Indentations
Refers to any dents, craters, pinholes, or cavities on the surface of the card.
Scratches / Scuffing
Refers to any marks caused by scraping or brushing on either face of the card.
Staining
Refers to any wax stains, ink stains, or bleeding colour on the card.