We know that condition is important when you purchase cards and is a major determining factor when deciding to buy a particular one. We are dedicated to accurate, transparent, and trustworthy card conditioning for all our cards. We are harsh and scrutinizing about every card we sell, so we want to fill in our buyers on our practices and considerations when we determine a card's condition.
First, a couple of principles and thoughts our card conditioners follow when they grade a card going out for sale:
● Age and collectability play a factor when grading condition. We determine a baseline for each condition step (see these below) and then take other factors into consideration that may move that card to a lesser condition category.
● We ask ourselves "what condition would we grade this so that a buyer would be pleasantly surprised at how good it was if they were to receive this sight unseen?"
● All bulk cards we sell should be playable and free from major wear. They should be clean, have no harsh damage, and be sleeve playable. With this mindset, for the sake of simplicity we list all of our bulk cards as "Lightly Played" to speed up processing time.
● High value cards undergo harsh examination and may fall under "Near Mint", or even down to "Damaged" if the card is highly sought after, for example, Revised Dual Lands.
We strive to offer consistent conditions throughout our ever growing catalog of singles
Near Mint
This is our highest grade of card. Near mint means that a card might have some instances of imperfections, but very little. A few spots of edge whitening, which happens when the edge of a card hits or rubs against something, or a instance of impression or light scratching on the surface of the card. A card that is near mint should show no sign of play.
Near Mint Foil
As foils are more sought after than regular cards, they undergo more examination than regular Near Mint cards. To be classified as a Near Mint Foil the card must not have any scratches on the surface, and no edge whitening. Any of these instances will cause the card to no longer be classified as Near Mint.
Please know that card centering and curvature of holo cards is NOT a factor when determining a card to be Near Mint - this is an industry universal practice.
An off center and curved foil is not disqualified if it otherwise fits within the criteria. However, we understand that many collectors would not be happy if a Near Mint card was received in this condition, so we make every attempt to make judgement calls and knock these down to Moderately Played if we feel appropriate. Please remember that PSA grades Near Mint cards as low as a 7, so know that when buying a Near Mint card to grade that there's a chance it could receive that a score as low as that. If you have concerns, please reach out and ask for a photo of the actual card.
Lightly Played
A Lightly Played card is a card that was received or bought from a customer that looks like it may have been used in a deck or in a binder for some time. When we get trade ins of standard playable cards, they are typically in this condition. That said, a Lightly Played card will never have bends, creases, or folds in the card or any structural damage. Edges may have a knick or two of visible whitening or chipping.
Lightly Played Foil
Again, as foils are more sought after than regular cards, they undergo more examination than regular Lightly Played cards. A Lightly Played Foil can have a single scratch on the surface area of the foiling, edges may have a knick or two of visible whitening or chipping. The surface area may also seem not as "foily". Foil cards are not cards that need to be over estimated on their grade, and we definitely mean that.
Moderately Played
A Moderately Played card is one that has been shown some "love" and was possibly in a well played deck or long term collection. A vast majority of cards we buy from older collections are in this condition. This grade has more consistent edge wear, whitening, and visible surface wear. This condition grade is pretty broad, but the card should still be in good shape structurally and not have any creases.
Moderately Played Foil
Once again, foils undergo more examination than regular Moderately Played cards. A Moderately Played Foil surface area may be more cloudy, and definitely not as "foily". Edges may have areas where the foil layer is showing on the border of the card. The edges will still be defined in this card grade, but the foil on the edges may concern some buyers. We are strict on how our foils are graded.
Heavily Played
Heavily Played cards can have any number of issues or damage that is visible pretty quickly when looking at the card. Bends, creases or marks on the card still will not be present. This could include major instances of edge wear, severe scratches to the holo or surface of the card, and hazy or cloudiness to the surface. The card must still be legible and sturdy enough to be played in a sleeve. The edges may be completely white all around, and the corners may have seen better days.
Damaged
Damaged cards have obvious issues and incidents of damage that are severe to the card. Tears, rips, not just creases but actual folds in the card, edge or corner peeling or separation, stains or marks covering a portion of the card - pretty much anything is on the table so long as the card is still in one piece.
