Guide 01 · Card conditions · 3 min read
Card condition guide
Every card I list gets eyeballed and graded by hand. Five grades, NM down to Damaged. Here's what each one actually means in plain English, so you know exactly what's coming in the mail.
The five grades
Grade 1 · NM
Near Mint
Looks fresh out of the pack. Basically brand new. Maybe one tiny edge tick or a surface scuff you'd need a magnifier to find, but nothing a normal collector would notice. If I'd happily slide it into my own binder, it's NM.
Spot it
- Crisp white borders, no whitening
- Sharp 90° corners, no rounding
- Surface reads clean under direct light
Grade 2 · LP
Lightly Played
Used, but used with respect. Played, but carefully. Maybe one small edge ding, a slightly soft corner, or a tiny surface scuff that catches at the right angle. A careful collector will spot it. A casual one probably won't.
Spot it
- Very faint border whitening on 1-2 edges
- Slight corner softening, no major rounding
- Minor surface marks visible only on close look
Grade 3 · MP
Moderately Played
It's been around the block. Played its share. Whitening shows on the borders at arm's length, the surface has real scuffing, maybe a soft bend you can feel but barely see. Still structurally fine. The card's lived, not dying.
Spot it
- Obvious whitening on multiple edges
- Noticeable corner wear, possibly minor creasing
- Surface scratches visible without tilting
Grade 4 · HP
Heavily Played
A whole story of survival. This one's been through it. Heavy whitening, surface scratches, real creasing, maybe a small tear at the corner. Still intact, still authenticatable, just unmistakably loved. Priced like it.
Spot it
- Strong whitening, significant border wear
- Visible creases, possibly rounded corners
- Surface clearly worn but card still flat
Grade 5 · DMG
Damaged
Took a hit. Priced for it. Real damage. Major creases, peels, splitting, water marks, ink, or anything else that compromises the card structurally. Still a legitimate card and still fine for casual play, just no longer pretty. Always listed honestly and photographed clearly.
Spot it
- Deep creases, edge tears, or splitting
- Foreign substance (water, ink, etc.) marks
- Visible miscut, alteration, or signature
Edge cases
Some cards don't fit the five-grade spectrum. They get tagged separately and disclosed up front so there are no surprises.
Defects / Alterations
Miscuts, misprints, signatures, paint, stamps. These get tagged separately, photographed clearly, and priced for what they actually are. Sometimes that adds story. Sometimes it doesn't. Always disclosed either way.
Foils & Holos
Same scale, same rules. Foils show certain imperfections more (curl, speckling, hazing) but I grade them by the same standards as anything else. No 'foil tax' on the condition call.
Print Languages
Japanese, Korean, German, whatever. The language doesn't change the condition, it changes the listing. Non-English cards get the language spelled out clearly in the title and description so there's no surprise on arrival.
Same care, every grade
NM or HP, the grade never changes how a card ships. Under $20: penny sleeve inside a semi-rigid card holder, eBay Standard Envelope with tracking. $20 and up, and every slab: bubble mailer, tracked, with signature confirmation from $100.