CARD CONDITION GUIDE

Conditioning

The condition of a card is determined by the number and extent of imperfections that a card exhibits. Imperfections include wear and damage as a result of play, handling, and/or storage as well as any atypical printing or manufacturing defects. Imperfections are characterized by both a Type (ex: scratch) and a Severity (ex: slight). Some imperfections may impact the integrity of a card, as defined below. Typically, imperfections that impact a card’s integrity will result in the card being considered Damaged. We consider these 3 aspects with regards to the integrity of a card:

• Structure: The physical structure and stability of the card and its cardstock
• Playability: The ability of the card to be used as a game piece
• Authentication: The ability for the card to be verified as legitimate using the manufacturer’s authentication markers

 

Near Mint /// Near Mint Foil

Cards in Near Mint (NM) condition show minimal wear from shuffling, play, or handling and can have a nearly unmarked surface, crisp corners, and unblemished edges outside of a few slight flaws. A Near Mint card may have slight edge wear or a couple minor scratches, but overall look nearly unplayed with no major defects. Certain manufacturing defects such as miscuts/shifting may cause an otherwise Near Mint card to be considered Damaged and no longer eligible for Direct. These cards can still be listed on the Marketplace as Damaged, or as a Listing with Photo at the condition the card would be at if it was not defected.

The acceptable range of cards within the Near Mint condition includes both cards with no imperfections and cards with few, minimal imperfections.

 

Lightly Played /// Lightly Played Foil

Cards in Lightly Played (LP) condition may have minor edge wear, scuffs, or scratches. There are no significant imperfections or issues with the structural integrity of the card. Noticeable imperfections are okay, but none should be too severe or at too high a volume.

The acceptable range of cards within the Lightly Played condition includes both cards with few or a handful of minor imperfections.

 

Moderately Played /// Moderately Played Foil

Cards in Moderately Played (MP) condition can have edge wear, surface wear, scratching or scuffing, bends with creases, or a combination of moderate examples of these imperfections. Some imperfections, such as bends, peels, or liquid exposure may be acceptable at Moderately Played as long as they do not impact the structural integrity of the card. Measurements provided with the standards will determine acceptability.

 

Heavily Played /// Heavily Played Foil

Cards in Heavily Played (HP) condition show a major amount of wear. Cards can show a variety of moderate imperfections along with creasing, whitening and other faults. Heavily Played cards can also have defects or severe imperfections that do not impact the integrity of the card. While Heavily Played cards can have many imperfections, they must still be able to be authenticated and cannot be structurally damaged.

 

Damaged /// Damaged Foil

Damaged cards show wear or imperfections beyond the standards for other conditions. Cards in Damaged condition may have major border wear, scratching or scuffing, as well as bends, tears, splitting, foreign substances such as food or liquid, or other damage that impacts the integrity of the card. Damaged cards are not eligible for Direct, but can be listed on the Marketplace or as a Listing with Photo, except cards with foreign substances.

For a more in-depth condition guide please refer to this link.

https://mktg-assets.tcgplayer.com/web/seller/guides/Card-Conditioning-Standards.pdf