Card conditions

A card’s condition decides its price, both when you buy and when you sell it to us. We use the same scale as Cardmarket, so if you buy or sell there, you will feel right at home.

MT Mint

A perfect card, as if it just came out of the booster. Sharp corners, edges without a single white dot and a surface free of scratches even under a lamp.

NM Near Mint

Almost perfect. Up close, at most one or two tiny white dots on an edge or minimal corner wear. No scratches on the front and no bends. Most cards that went straight from the pack into a sleeve look like this.

EX Excellent

Light wear visible at first glance: more white dots on edges and corners, fine scratches on the surface. The card is flat, with no bends or creases.

GD Good

Clearly used: worn edges, chipped corners and scratches on the front and back, maybe a slight curve. Still no significant bend.

LP Light Played

Heavy wear: many white spots, deeper scratches, worn corners or a light bend you can see in the light.

PL Played

Badly worn but complete: creases, heavy scratches, dirt or signs of moisture.

PO Poor

Very damaged: tears, creases through the artwork, water damage, writing or glue. Mostly valuable only for very rare cards.

Check a card in 2 minutes

  1. Angled light. Tilt the card under a lamp or by a window. You will see scratches and light bends that are invisible when you look straight at it.
  2. The back. White dots on edges and corners are easiest to see on the dark back of the card.
  3. Corners. Sharp corners mean MT or NM. Rounded or chipped corners mean EX or lower.
  4. Bends. Lay the card on a table and look at it from the side. Any crease means PL at best.
  5. Holo and reverse. On shiny cards, check the foil for scuffs too. They lower the condition just like scratches.

When selling to us

  • If you are unsure between two conditions, pick the lower one. The offer will then still fit after our check.
  • We check every card when it arrives. If the condition differs from your list, we will get back to you with an adjusted offer.
  • For graded cards, choose the company (PSA, BGS, CGC, SGC) and the grade in the form. You do not set a condition for slabs.
  • Ship cards in sleeves and toploaders inside a sturdy box so their condition does not suffer on the way.