Grading condition

A grading condition is used to value a Magic: The Gathering card's worth. The better condition a card is in, the more it's worth for players and collectors.

Description

There are four areas of interest in determining a card's condition. Centering, corners, edges, and surface are taken into consideration for imperfections, such as color spots and blurred images, and wear, such as creases, scratches, and tears, when determining a trading card's value. Cards are considered poor to pristine based on their condition, or in some cases, rated 1 through 10.

A card in pristine condition, for example, will generally be valued higher than a card in poor condition. Older cards are generally more sensitive to wear and tear, meaning a '7' might lessen the value of a card printed in 2018, but could significantly increase the value of a card from 1994. While the grade has a major impact on the card's value, the population (the available number of the card in the same condition) does as well.

The back of a card counts the same as the front. If you have a messed-up back, this is what the grading will focus on. There is no "average" between front and back; the worst aspects of the card will represent the overall grade.

Americans use a different grading terminology from PSA and Cardmarket. Different stores have different techniques, but it generally comes down to something like Mint/Near Mint (M/NM) being the best, followed by Slightly Played (SP), Played (PL), Heavily Played (HP), and finally Poor.

Casual grading

A less strict rating system is used for the secondary market that is aimed at active players who seek to buy singles.

Four-tier system

Star City Games uses a four-tier grading scale:

• Near Mint (NM): Minimal or subtle wear.
• Played (PL): Obvious wear.
• Heavily Played (HP): Major wear.
• Damaged (DMG): Unsuitable for tournament play.

Five-tier system

TCGPlayer specifies that they look at the physical structure and stability of the card and its cardstock, the ability of the card to be used as a game piece, and the ability for the card to be verified as legitimate using the manufacturer’s authentication markers. The company uses a similar system as Star City Games, but splits the "Played" category into two:

• Near Mint
• Lightly Played
• Moderately Played
• Heavily Played
• Damaged

Six-tier system

"Three for One Trading" applies a six-tier system, said to be aligned with the commonly used European grading system.

• Near Mint
  • A card in Near Mint condition appears as though it has never been played without protective sleeves. Small imperfections are acceptable, such as tiny white spots at the corners caused by the production cut or minor scratches that don’t affect the color of the card. Under natural daylight, the card should still look clean and well-preserved.
• Excellent
  • Cards in Excellent condition typically show some white spots on the edges and corners, a sign that they may have been handled without sleeves occasionally. There might also be a few minor scratches on the surface. However, these imperfections should be barely noticeable under normal lighting. It’s important to note that there’s a key difference in the grading system used in the USA. Cards graded as Excellent in Europe are often rated as Lightly Played (LP) or Slightly Played (SP) in the US. On the other hand, European Light Played cards are usually considered Heavy Played (HP) in the USA, which can lead to some confusion.
• Good
  • A card in Good condition appears as though it has been played without protective sleeves for a longer period, such as during a tournament. Cards graded as Good typically show clear signs of wear across multiple areas. This means white spots on the corners and edges may be more noticeable. In many cases, the card’s surface may have a few scratches or slight dirt marks. However, these are simply normal signs of use and don’t affect the overall playability of the card. In the USA, cards in this condition are frequently referred to as Moderately Played (MP) or Light Played (LP).
• Light Played
  • A Magic card in Light Played condition looks as though it has been played without protective sleeves for a long period. The edges and borders may show noticeable whitening, which can be quite pronounced and appear throughout the card. In the USA, this condition is often referred to as Moderately Played (MP) or Good (GD).
• Played
  • A card in Played condition shows noticeable wear from regular use. This can include heavy surface scratches or damage, often described as “snow-covered.” Despite the wear, the card must remain tournament-legal when played with sleeves. However, alterations like black-painted edges or similar modifications are strictly not allowed. In the USA, this condition is commonly referred to as Very Played (VP) or Heavily Played (HP).
• Poor
  • Anything rated lower than Played is considered Poor. These cards often suffer from damage that goes beyond normal wear and tear from playing. Examples of Poor condition include bent cards, blackened edges (“ink” or “inked”), water damage, cracks, and similar issues. In the USA, cards in this condition are regularly labeled as Poor (PO) or Damaged (DMG).

Seven-tier system

Cardmarket provides ratings in a seven-tier system with the added Mint condition. They provide the following table, comparing their scale to the American usage.

Expression	Condition	US-expression
Mint	Perfect	Mint
Near Mint	Pack-fresh	Near Mint
Excellent	Minor Wear	Slightly Played / Excellent
Good	Visible Wear	Moderately Played / Very Good
Light Played	Severe Wear	Played / Good
Played	Damaged	Heavily Played
Poor	Destroyed	Poor

Collector grading

Scale 1 to 10

Major card grading companies that provide ratings on a scale of 1-10 for collecting purposes include Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA), Beckett Grading Services (BGS), and Sportscard Guaranty (SGC). They can provide individual grades for the centering, corners, edges, and surface of the card to eventually combine for one final grade. These companies authenticate and grade cards for a fee, but do not trade themselves.

A graded Magic card is encapsulated in a plastic case to preserve its condition for collecting. The authenticity is verified, the quality of the card is evaluated, and numerical grades are given and printed on its label. The case is designed to protect the card but also to guarantee that the grade on the label corresponds to the valuation made at the shop. If a case is brute-forced, it can't be closed again.

Rating	Code	Condition	Description
10	GEM-MT	Gem Mint (Pristine)	Perfect card. No imperfections or damage to the naked eye, and upon close inspection.
9	MT	Mint	No printing imperfections or damage to the naked eye. Very minor printing imperfections or damage upon close inspection. Clean gloss with one or two scratches.
8	NM/MT	Near Mint / Mint	No printing imperfections or damage to the naked eye, but slight printing imperfections or damage upon close inspection. Solid gloss with very minor scratches.
7	NM	Near Mint	Noticeable, but minor, imperfections or wear on the card. Solid gloss with very minor scratches.
6	EX/NM	Excellent / Near Mint	Noticeable, but minor, imperfections or wear on the card. Mostly solid gloss with minor scratches.
5	EX	Excellent	Noticeable imperfections or moderate wear on the card. Some gloss was lost with minor scratches.
4	VG/EX	Very Good / Excellent	Noticeable imperfections or moderate wear on the card. Heavy gloss lost with very minor scuffing, and an extremely subtle tear.
3	VG	Very Good	Heavy imperfections or heavy wear on the card. Almost no gloss. Minor scuffing or very minor tear.
2	GOOD	Good	Severe imperfections or wear on the card. No gloss. Noticeable scuffing or tear.
1	PR	Poor	Destructive imperfections or wear on the card. No gloss. Heavy scuffing, severe tears, or heavy creases.

Occasionally, you will find something like PSA 8.5 in the description of a card. That means that the card has been authenticated and graded by PSA. 1.5 is coded as "fair" and 0.5 as "half-point".

External links

• TCG Grading Services: The 101 About PSA, BGS, ARS, and Their Differences. Snkrdunk.com (December 30, 2024).
• Cassie LaBelle (February 7, 2023). "Condition, Grading, and Magic Finance". TCGPlayer.com.
• GRADED MAGIC 101. Magicgraders.com.
• The Ultimate MTG Card Grading Guide. Draftsim.com.
• The Top 15 Card Grading Services for TCGs Ranked. Draftsim.com.