| Near Mint (NM) | Cards in Near Mint (NM) condition have either few or no visible flaws. These cards have defined corners, near no whitening, and very few, if any, dings or scratches |
| Excellent (EX) | Cards in Excellent (EX) condition have minor visible flaws that keep them from being NM. These cards may show slight edge wear or very light surface scratches, but remain visually appealing and are free of major damage |
| Good (GD) | Cards in Good (GD) condition will have clear flaws that prevent them from being NM or EX. These cards may show noticeable whitening on edges or corners, light creasing, moderate surface wear, or other visible imperfections that are apparent at first glance |
| Played (PL) | Cards in Played (PL) condition show significant wear from regular use. These cards may have creases, heavy, whitening, border wear, or surface scratches that are immediately noticeable, though the card remains intact and fully identifiable |
| Heavily Played (HP) | Cards in Heavily Played (HP) condition show clear signs of damage and wear in one or more areas. This damage may include deep creases, tears, heavy scuffing, water damage, or significant border damage that substantially affects the card's appearance |
Common Factors Affecting Condition
Whitening - Cards that have whitening around the edges may fall into a lower condition grade, especially if particularly noticeable
Dings - Dings are small impacts that a card has experienced through use or handling. One or two small dings are acceptable in most tiers
Scratches - Light scratches on a card may not affect the classification depending on the tier. Deep scratches limit cards to obtaining a classification of Good or below
Corners - The closer the corners are to the factory finish, the better. Through use, corners can become blunt, bent or develop visible whitening
How To Protect Yours Cards
Sleeves - Putting cards in sleeves can help prevent wear, scuffs and scratches. Sleeves don't protect from all damage but they're an inexpensive to prevent the most common forms of card damage
Toploaders - Toploaders are rigid plastic containers with a gap at the top for the card to go in. They offer more resistance against accidental bending and drops
Storage - Store cards vertically instead of in stacks. In a card stack, some cards will be under more pressure than others which may cause them to deform over time
