Trading Card Condition - Guide

Before we begin, if you are looking to purchase a card for grading purposes, please drop us an email first so we can send you pictures of the individual card (please be patient with our replies), we will always do our best to be as transparent as possible when it comes to the condition of our cards. Our condition rating is as follows:

Mint (M)

The 'Mint' condition represents a theoretical level of perfection, requiring flawless corners, edges, surface and centring. This is rarely achievable in the TCG world and you will never see us selling a card as Mint. In grading terms, this would be a BGS Black Label 10 not a PSA 10.

Near Mint (NM)

Near Mint (NM) cards may show very light surface wear, consistent with a card that has been handled carefully and never played. There must be no bends, folds, creases, stains or any signs of play. A maximum of 2 or 3 small imperfections (such as tiny scratches or white dots on the corners) is acceptable as long as the card still looks like new and unused.

Excellent (EX)

Excellent or slightly / lightly played cards show minor imperfections on top of the Near Mint criteria. There is no serious or structural damage to the card. Light signs of wear are allowed (such as small surface scratches or minor imperfections on edges and corners).

Moderately Played (MP)

Moderately played cards show more noticeable wear on top of the Excellent criteria, with several visible flaws, but still reasonably contained. They may have scratched, scuff marks, worn edges or slightly damaged corners. Minor pressure markers, mostly visible when held against the light, are acceptable. The overall appearance remains acceptable. The card has clearly been used, or played with but is generally still in good condition. 

Heavy Played (HP)

Heavily played cards show obvious wear and multiple defects. They may have significant and very visible damage on the edges, corners or surface, including dirt, deep scratches, light bends or pressure marks,. The damage may affect the card's appearance but not its structural integrity. It should not be noticeable to the touch through as sleeve. The cad must still remain playable according to tournament standards.

Poor / Damaged (PR/DMG)

Poor or damaged cards have suffered severe damage and are often unusable in official gameplay. They may have deep bends, extensive scuffs, heavily damaged edges, pen marks, water damage or any defect that is easily noticed even inside a sleeve. The cards integrity is compromised and is often not legal in competitive play. This condition is intended for collecting purposes or cards to be used in non-competitive games.