Card conditions explained: Near Mint to Damaged

Condition is the biggest thing that moves the price of an ungraded card. Sellers and marketplaces use five common grades of wear. Here is what each one means and what to look for.

Near Mint (NM)

Looks almost fresh from the pack. At most a tiny nick on an edge or corner. No creases, bends or scratches you can see without looking closely.

Lightly Played (LP)

Light wear you can spot up close: a little whitening on edges or corners, light scuffs or scratches. Still no creases or bends.

Moderately Played (MP)

Clear wear: whitening on several edges and corners, scuffing, scratches, maybe a small crease. Still intact and fine to play in a sleeve.

Heavily Played (HP)

Heavy wear: lots of whitening, creases or bends, heavy scratches, possibly marks or stains. Still one whole card.

Damaged (DMG)

Tears, water damage, large creases, holes, writing or missing pieces.

How to check a card

• Look at it under a bright light and tilt it so scratches catch the light.
• Check all four corners and edges on both sides. The back shows whitening best.
• Look for dents and creases by running light across the surface.

Why it matters

The gap between Near Mint and Lightly Played can be large for older holo cards. Our card pages show prices separately for each condition, and live eBay listings show the condition the seller chose. Always check the photos: condition is the seller's opinion, not ours. We never grade cards.