Card Grading
The condition of a card is determined by the number and extent of imperfections that a card exhibits.
Imperfections are any atypical printing or manufacturing defects, and any wear or damage to the card after that printing process. Imperfections are characterized by both a Type (ex: scratch) and a Severity (ex: slight).
Near Mint / NM
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 scratch or three, but overall look nearly unplayed with no major defects.
The acceptable range of cards within the Near Mint condition includes both cards with no imperfections and cards with a few slight imperfections.
Slightly Played / SP
Cards in Slightly Played (SP) condition may have minor border or corner wear, scuffs or scratches. There are no major defects such as grime, bends 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 Slightly Played condition includes both cards with few or a handful of minor imperfections.
Moderately Played / MP
Cards in Moderately Played (MP) condition can have border wear, corner wear, scratching or scuffing, creases or whitening or any combination of moderate examples of these flaws.
A Moderately Played card may have some form of imperfection impacting a small area of the card from mishandling or poor storage, such as creasing that doesnʼt affect card integrity, in combination with other issues such as scratches, scuffs or border/edge wear.
Heavily Played / HP
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 bends. Heavily Played cards can also have flaws that impact the integrity of the card, but the card can still be sleeve playable.
Damaged / DG
Damaged cards show wear or imperfections beyond the standards for other conditions. Cards in Damaged condition can also exhibit an imperfection that may make the card illegal for tournament play, even in a sleeve. Cards in Damaged condition may have major border wear, corner wear, scratching or scuffing, as well as folds, creases, tears or other damage that impacts the structural integrity of the card.