Introduction

The purpose of this article is to provide guidance on correctly determining the condition of trading cards. The condition of trading cards is important as it has a large impact on the value of the trading cards, but also on the collectibility for you as a collector.

We understand that collectibles are very nuanced, both due to the different variations that exist of every collectible but also due to the varying conditions of the different variants. The two most impactful aspects of a collectible are the variant determination and condition as these determine (amongst others) the value, price, rarity and desirability. On the one hand, the variations are fully mapped out by our databases, with deep dives into all the sets to further qualify the different variants. On the other hand, determining the correct condition is an overarching concept that applies to all trading cards in exactly the same way.

This guide is not simply a set of rules, it is a collective commitment to preserving the integrity of the trading card experience created to empower our community to make informed decisions and to foster trust. This article will provide this overarching condition guide, with concrete guidance.

Raw vs Graded

We will not elaborate too much on the difference between raw condition and graded condition.

In the listing process of collectibles on Collexy, after selecting the correct variant, the users have to add either the raw condition or graded condition. For the raw condition, i.e. the condition of a card that has not been graded by a reputable third party grading company that has an extensive track record in accurately grading trading cards, to reduce the risk of any inconsistencies, this condition guide is designed as a standardized approach to help determining the correct condition of the card. For the graded condition, i.e. the condition of a card that received a grade from a reputable third party grading company that has an extensive track record in accurately grading trading cards. At the time of writing this article, the third party grading companies that currently qualify are PSA, BGS and CGC (“Third Party Grading Companies“). Determining condition is for raw condition cards, grading is for graded cards.

At Collexy, we respect the decisions of the recognized the Third Party Grading Companies with respect to determining the condition of trading card games. This condition guide will thus be limited to determining the raw condition of raw cards, i.e. ungraded. This condition guide is based on the current best practices and on the aspects taken into account by the Third Party Grading Companies.

In order to align on the one hand determining the condition for raw conditions cards and on the other hand grading the cards, we have decided the best approach is to determine the raw condition as if you graded a card, i.e. use an identical approach.

Determining the condition

1. Optimize you surroundings

Before determining the condition, optimize your surroundings to accurately determine the condition.

Ensure bright lighting to see any imperfections like dents or scratches on the holofoil.
Use a soft, preferably black or another darker color, underlay.
Foresee a microfiber cloth to remove any dirt from the trading card.
Place sufficient supplies, like penny sleeves, top loaders, card savers, post-its, … within your reach.

Everything ready? Let’s continue to the next step!

2. Determine the condition

Now that you are all set up, you can start going through your stack of trading cards to determine the condition. When determining the condition of each trading card, you have to understand the general principles:

Condition is specific for each trading card, you cannot generalize it and apply it blindly. For example, even though some trading cards are freshly pulled from a pack, i.e. “pack fresh”, it does necessarily mean that the cards have a near mint (NM) or mint (MINT) condition.
Pictures speak louder than words. Show the condition of the trading card by taking high definition pictures, with close-ups of specific parts of the trading cards.
If you are on the fence between two conditions, be conservative and undersell by selecting the lower condition.

Now let’s get down the nitty-gritty!

2.1. Terminology

There is a lot of jargon involved in determining the condition due to different names for all the different imperfections.

2.1.1. Edges and Corners

Small chip (“dot”): a whitening dot on the card that can only be seen from up close.

Large chip (“ > 2 mm whitening line”): a whitening line on the card that is more obvious from afar. It differs from a “small chip” as the amount of whitening is larger. This applies for the sides, not for the corners.

Whitening corner: a corner that has whitening around it that is more obvious from afar

2.1.2. Surface

Hairline scratches: (very) faint scratches on the holofoil of the card.

Scratch: a mark or scrape on the card that sometimes removes part of the card.

Grime / Dirt: undesired particles or substances on the card, diminishing its cleanliness.

Indent: a concave or depressed area on the card, often caused by pressure or impact affecting the smoothness of the card.

2.1.3. Structural imperfections

Curvature: a gentle or gradual bend or curve in its surface that affects the straightness of the card.

Damage: impairment or negative alteration of the physical condition of the card, other than bend or tear.

Bend: a fold of the card that permanently impacts the straightness and overall condition of the card.

Tear: a damaged area where the card has been ripped or split, resulting in a visible gap and impacting the overall condition of the card.

2.1.4. Factory imperfections

Factory imperfections are imperfections of trading cards as a result of factory errors, printing errors, … etc. If a factory error is deemed a variant, the print cannot be deemed a factory imperfection but is simply a variant of that collectible. Pictures will help determine the impact of the factory imperfections on the condition of the trading card.

Most common factory imperfections are:

Off-Centering: the alignment of the card and its borders are not proportional impacting the balanced presentation of the card.
Print lines: thin lines across the surface of the card due to issues in the printing process.
Ink spots: small dots, spots, or smudges of ink that appear on the card, as long as this is not recognized as a variant.
Crimps: indentations or damage along the edges of the card caused during the packaging process, often from the sealing packs.
Misaligned cuts: improperly cut cards resulting in uneven borders or an irregular shape.
Square cuts: cards that are not cut with the typical rounded corners, this could be due to machinery or deliberately cutting sheets.
Holo shift: occurs when the holographic foil on a card is misaligned, meaning the holographic pattern or image is shifted away from its intended position due to a misalignment during the printing or layering process when the holographic foil is applied to the card.

If no pictures are added, one can assume there are no obvious factory imperfections.

2.2. Condition determination

For the condition of trading cards, there is a tiered approach for determining the raw condition. We will determine the raw condition in line with the way the Third Party Grading Companies grade trading cards.

The connection between raw condition and graded condition is as follows:

Raw condition	Graded condition
MINT	9-10
NEAR MINT	7-8
EXCELLENT	5-6
LIGHT PLAY	3-4
HEAVY PLAY	1-2

2.2.1. MINT

The MINT condition is the best condition of a trading card.

Trading cards in this condition have (1) no imperfections, (2) one of the imperfections below, or (3) two imperfections below, but more difficult to see (i.e. smaller):

Small chip (“dot”)
Whitening corner
Hairline scratches

If the trading card has any other imperfection than the ones mentioned, then the trading card cannot be MINT.

2.2.2. NEAR MINT

The NEAR MINT condition is the second best condition of a trading card.

Trading cards in this condition have (1) two of the imperfections below, or (3) three imperfections below, but more difficult to see (i.e. smaller):

Large chip (“ > 2 mm whitening line”)
Multiple small chips (“dots”)
Multiple whitening corners
Hairline scratches
Curvature

If the trading card has any other imperfection than the ones mentioned, then the trading card cannot be NEAR MINT.

2.2.3. EXCELLENT

The EXCELLENT condition is the middle best condition of a trading card.

Trading cards in this condition have (1) three of the imperfections below, or (3) four imperfections below, but more difficult to see (i.e. smaller):

Multiple large chips (“ > 2 mm whitening line”)
Multiple small chips (“dots”)
Multiple whitening corners
Hairline scratches
Curvature
Scratch
Indent

If the trading card has any other imperfection than the ones mentioned, then the trading card cannot be EXCELLENT.

2.2.4. LIGHT PLAY

The LIGHT PLAY condition is the second worst condition of a trading card.

Trading cards in this condition have (1) four of the imperfections below, or (3) five imperfections below, but more difficult to see (i.e. smaller):

Multiple large chips (“ > 2 mm whitening line”)
Multiple small chips (“dots”)
Multiple whitening corners
Curvature
Multiple scratches and hairline scratches
Indents
Grime / Dirt
Damage (very small)
Bend (corner bend)

If the trading card has any other imperfection than the ones mentioned, then the trading card cannot be LIGHT PLAY.

2.2.5. HEAVY PLAY

The HEAVY PLAY condition is the worst condition of a trading card.

Trading cards in this condition have five or more of the imperfections below:

Multiple large chips (“ > 2 mm whitening line”)
Multiple small chips (“dots”)
Multiple whitening corners
Curvature
Multiple scratches and hairline scratches
Indents
Grime / Dirt
Damage
Multiple bends
Tears

Trading cards that are in bad condition, i.e. not light play or better, are always considered HEAVY PLAY.

3. Storage

After you have determined the right condition, you have to store the trading cards properly to retain the condition of the trading cards.

The best practice to handle your trading cards is to store your most valuable trading cards in penny sleeves, i.e. soft penny sleeves that do not tightly wrap around the trading cards, subsequently tagged with a post-it, i.e. to remove the penny sleeve with the card in it easily, into a top loader or card saver, i.e. a hard plastic storage contained for one single card. Optionally, you can wrap the top loader or card saver in shrink wrap to protect against water damage.

Step 1: Place the card in a penny sleeve
Step 2: Place a post-it on the sleeve
Step 3: Place the sleeved card in the top loader or card saver.

For all less valuable cards, penny sleeves are sufficient.

4. Keeping track

Once you have determined the right condition and have stored you cards properly, it is important to distinguish between identical variants in different conditions.

For each Master there are multiple Variants. However, you can have multiple cards of the same Variant, in differing conditions. It is therefore of great importance to distinguish between conditions of identical Variants to keep an overview. We recommend using a paper post-it with a location and number (e.g. A001, which stands for Box A, Card 1) to easily find the trading card in your inventory and/or collection that matches the pictures of the variant on Collexy.

Conclusion

This condition guide is to be perceived as a guide that should not be interpreted strictly. These are pointers to arrive at the right condition. At Collexy, we use this guide to determine the condition and so does our third party buyer protection service provider if a trading card is purchased on Collexy.

Aside of determining the condition, it is of equal importance to store your trading cards properly to maintain the condition and to distinguish between identical variants in different conditions.

Tom