How to attribute an objective condition to cards
Cardmarket.com, a well-known single card trading site, helps us in the objective evaluation of playing cards!
Defining the condition of collectible playing cards can sometimes lead to conflicts between seller and buyer, mainly because grading a card is not an exact science. One person may consider a card Near Mint while another may consider it Excellent. Sometimes these conflicts are difficult to avoid, but to help minimize the possibility of misunderstandings, we have created a guide to help you evaluate your cards correctly.
Since "a picture is worth a thousand words", we will also provide some figures that can help you identify the right condition of a card:
Mint (M)
A mint card is in perfect condition; no excuses. This means that the front of the card is in perfect condition, there are no scratches on the surface and the surface is perfectly clean. As for the back of the card, it means that the card is identical to a card fresh out of a booster. If a card is signed or has a Grand Prix stamp, it cannot be graded as Mint under any circumstances, even if it appears as such.
In some cases it doesn't make sense to evaluate a card like Mint. Since the value of a Mint card is almost the same as a Near Mint, but the grading standard is much higher. On the other hand, very old cards (1993-94) can be worth much more if they are truly Mint. As a result 'Mint' is a grading grade that is primarily of interest to collectors. For cards purchased for gaming purposes, Near Mint status is normally ok.
Near Mint (NM)
A Near Mint card looks like it has never been played without sleeves. There may be small tolerances, but the paper generally has no marks.
The edge of an NM card may have small white dots, but they must be very few and small. When paper is analyzed in daylight, the surface must be clean. It may have some small stains, but scratches are not allowed for a NM card.
Generally a Near Mint card is in a condition where it would be considered unmarked if played in an unsleeved deck. (Not recommendedǃ)
Since the Mint grade is not often used for new edition cards, Near Mint usually means Mint or better (equivalent to the American NM/M grade)
Excellent (EX)
An Excellent card appears as if it has been used for a few games without booster packs. an Excellent card almost always appears in less than perfect condition upon first inspection. However, even if the damage is clearly visible, it is only minor.
Excellent cards normally have a couple of white specks in the corners or around the edges. the surface may have some small scratches, which are visible upon closer inspection. However, the paper cannot be rated Excellent if the scratches are so deep that they are visible at first glance.
An Excellent card is normally in a condition where it is not entirely clear whether the card would be considered marked or not if played in a tournament without a pack.
The American equivalent is normally Slightly Played or Lightly Played (not to be confused with the Light Played used in Europe).
Good (GD)
A Good card appears as if it has been used for a long tournament without a sleeve.
Cards in Good condition usually have very noticeable marks all over the card. The edges and corners have some white spots, the surface has scratches and has accumulated some dirt. However, this card's damage comes only from regular gaming use. The paper has no water damage or creases.
A Good card (and all cards in worse condition) are clearly in such condition that they could not be used for play without sleeves because they would be considered marked.
The American equivalent of Good is normally 'Moderately Played' or 'Very Good'. Note that 'Good' is a misnomer, a Good card does not appear "good". It's actually quite beat up, which makes the American name Very Good even less appropriate.
Light Played (LP)
The appearance of a Light Played card is that of a card that has been used without a sleeve for a long time.
A Light Played card can be legally played in a deck with sleeves. Furthermore, it has never been tampered with (inked edge, random scribbles on the paper, etc.). If both of these criteria exist, the card may appear to be in poor condition, but can be considered Light Played.
The American equivalent is usually 'Played' or 'Good'.
Played (PL)
A Played card appears in as bad a state as it is possible for a card to become with regular use without sleeves.
A Played card appears in poor condition and it is not certain that it can be used legally in a tournament, even in a deck with sleeves. However, the paper has not been tampered with in any other way (inked edges, random scribbles on the paper, etc.).
The American equivalent is normally Heavily Played or Good.
Poor
A Poor card has damages that cannot be derived from regular use of the card.
A card in Poor condition is literally destroyed. It is obviously illegal for tournaments or has been tampered with in a way that almost completely destroys its value (inked edges, random squiggles etc.).
Americans usually use the term Poor in the same way.
We therefore thank the source of this precious guide:
https://www.cardmarket.com/it/YuGiOh/Help/CardCondition
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