For the back it means, that the card is indistinguishable from cards of a newly openend booster. Learning the PSA Grading Scale. If a card's borders have been altered ALWAYS make sure to offer it as Poor. A PSA Mint 9 is a superb condition card that exhibits only one of the following minor flaws: a very slight wax stain on reverse, a minor printing imperfection or slightly off-white borders. The C-Scale is one of the easiest and most universally used systems for grading action figures and is commonly used by eBay sellers and traders when selling new and second-hand action figures. Our Modern grading scale is specifically designed to assess the condition of toys produced from 1995 to the present year. A Played card looks extremely bad, and it is doubtful if the card is tournament legal even in a sleeved deck. Report cards are a tool for translating detailed engineering data about assets into information that the public, council and senior management can understand and use in … In Europe the grading system is still largely a remainder of the PSA grading system for baseball cards, however the names have changed a bit. A card is bent if the structure of the paper has been damaged due to excessive bending. (Not recommended!). CardGalaxy aims to bring desirable products at competitive prices to help those who share our passion. This is particularly important for Unlimited cards that have a blackened border. It can have a few minor spots, but scratches can never be allowed for NM cards. Note that 'Good' is a bit of a misnomer. Cards that are graded as 'Authentic' are known to be genuine, but because of an alteration or other defect, the grader was unable to provide a numbered grade. Reflective of PSA 7 condition, Near Mint / EXC – a larger number of scratches combined with some level of edgewear but still a very presentable condition moving towards Near Mint, Excellent – a reasonable number of scratches and edgewear, perfect binder quality cards. Typically PSA 8 +, Near Mint – minimal imperfections, a small number of scratches and/or edgewear. Cards in Good condition usually show strong wear all around the card. Please just make sure, that when you grade a card NM- you can justify calling it Near Mint. A 20 years old card has to adhere to the same criteria as a 2 days old card. The condition of a card directly affects it's price. Their grading scale ranges from 1 / Poor to 10 / Gem Mint. As we mentioned earlier, the coveted PSA Gem Mint 10 (PSA 10) is what many collectors … These conditions are defined as follows: Mint – almost perfect card, likely pack fresh; Mint / NM – very few imperfections, perhaps one small nick or hairline scratch. A card in Poor condition is literally destroyed. In these cases a scan says more than an additional distinction of Mint and Gem Mint. Copyright Card Galaxy 2021 - All Rights Reserved, Yu-Gi-Oh Legend of Blue-Eyes LOB Factory Sealed 24 Count Booster Box, Vivid Voltage Build & Battle Prerelease Box Kit SW&SH Factory Sealed Pokemon, x4 Shining Legends Factory Sealed Booster Packs - Full Artset, Vivid Voltage SW&SH Factory Sealed Pokemon Booster Box, Wizards Of The Coast Transformers TCG - Autobot Starter Set, Mint – almost perfect card, likely pack fresh, Mint / NM – very few imperfections, perhaps one small nick or hairline scratch. A sample image is shown at the bottom of this page. Generally we recommend to NOT USE partial grades. A card that has been professionally graded at a 10 is worth many times more than a graded card at 3.5. Centering must be approximately 60/40 to 65/35 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse. In most cases it doesn't make sense to grade a card as Mint. As a result, grading Near Mint Foils (NMFs) is fairly simple: They canʼt have any scratches, clouding, print defects or visible damage or marks. An altered card should only be offered with a scan. AUTH --- Authentic (card is original but has been altered, repaired, or otherwise enhanced) Third Party Grading Costs: If you choose to have your cards professionally graded, expect to pay at least $15 per card --- not including shipping and handling fees. Some cards are described with qualifiers. This means that a card would be Nrmt but is off center. If a card has scratches on the surface, this makes the card GOOD at best. The edges and corners have many white spots, the surface usually has scratches and the card usually has accumulated some dirt on its surface. That means, that the card has been authenticated and graded by PSA. Card grading is required to establish true baseball card values.If you want a dealer to buy your baseball cards as 'graded', it must be done by one of the professional sports card grading companies whose methods are accepted by sports card dealers. This is a large third-party authentication and card condition grading service. Generally a Near Mint card is in a condition that would make it considered unmarked if played in an unsleeved deck. As "a picture is worth a thousand words", we provide also some sample pictures that can help you identify the right condition for your card. Weight: about 45 gr. Nrmt-Mt cards also receive a premium in price over a Near Mint card. Scratched. The idea is that when a card is described as Mint then it is assumed that it is perfectly preserved, however it may have a few very minor printing imperfections such as being imperfectly centered or the horizontal lines that sometimes appear on Unlimited Edition cards. However, if the card has been deformed so strongly and lastingly that it might not be tournament legal any more, then it has to be graded Played. PSA: SCG is changing our card condition scale for the better this coming Wednesday! We don't support this kind of grading, but taking into account that a grade always represents a spectrum of possible conditions it makes some sense. However, although the damage is clearly visible it is only of minor severity. Cards that have undergone this kind of treatment are always considered to be in Poor condition. ): C-9.5 This is the highest grade that we assign to vintage packaged items. Abbreviation for Professional Sports Authenticator. Attention, you Buy the product present on the picture (s) above. Americans use a different grading terminology than PSA and MKM these days. For example, a card may be graded as Nrmt off center 0/100 left/right. Our website uses cookies to help provide you with the best experience we can. This scale takes into account how severe the flaws are for the above defined standards. Cards with water damage should be graded Light Played to Poor depending on the severity of the damage. If a card has a signature or a Grand Prix stamp it can never be graded Mint, even if the card stock is otherwise in Mint condition. Near Mint Foils are nearly pristine cards because itʼs the most scrutinized card condition. Refer to the explanations of our gradings for a rough translation. Home » Card Condition Scale. That means, that the card has been authenticated and graded by PSA. Wanted to make this update as visible as possible to the community and field questions anyone might have. Don't do it! This is not an excuse for selling cards in Excellent condition as Near Mint. Baseball card grading is tricky, but this commonly used grading system (below) will help you 'grade' your own cards. According to the PSA Grading Scale, ideally centered cards feature a tolerance that does not exceed 55/45 to 60/40 percent on the front and 75/25 percent on the reverse. Until the rise of the professional grading companies it was generally accepted as THE standard. The border of NM card can have small white spots, but they must be very few and very small. You want to ensure your cards grade out to at least a PSA mint 9. A Consistent Condition Rating Scale The methodology in the CCPIS used a condition rating scale that is consistent with previous CIRC publications. To some extent these conflicts are inevitable, but to help minimize the chance for misunderstandings we have put together a guide to help you grade your cards correctly. Small allowances can be made, but the card generally shows no wear. Clouding is basically an effect of microscopical damage to the card surface, that might add up over time to produce this dull effect. Case fresh modern items tend to most frequently receive the grades of 8.5 and higher, so by … Scratches are mostly important for Foil cards as the Foil surface is much more sensitive to scratches. Michelin Card "Pontarlier - Grenoble N ° 92" 1967 Very good condition. A Played card looks as bad as you can get a card through regular use without sleeves. A card obtained in the Limited portion of a Pro Tour or the second day of a Grand Prix usually will bear a stamp. On nonfoil cards these damages make the card appear uglier, but the effect is compounded for foils. If a card is particularly valuable get ready to spend between $50 and $300 per card. This is considered fraud, and will lead to exclusion from MKM. Beckett Grading Services (BGS), PSA and SGC are the main companies used to grade a card. For in print cards the value of a Mint card is just about the same as that of a Near Mint card, but the grading standards are way higher. This is supposed to mean that the card is at the lower end of the Near Mint spectrum (NM-) or respectively at the higher end of the Excellent spectrum (EX+). Our Standard and Qualified grading scales consist of grades ranging from 10 to 100 which serve to rate an item’s overall condition. This grade is sometimes used in the description of Magic cards. An Excellent cards look like it was used for a few games without sleeves. The Modern scale is based on a 10 point system with additional grade options above 9.0. Common terms like "Excellent" and "Mint" are used for each step of the scale, though BGS calls cards graded 9.5 "Gem Mint" and uses the term "Pristine" to describe cards graded a perfect 10. If she’s a 1 on the five-point scale, she’s underweight. The best guideline would be that a damaged card that is clearly still tournament legal should be graded Light Played, and one clearly not tournament legal would be Poor. This changes the language of the site.It won't change any text entered by users. Cards are graded on a 10 point scale from 1 through 10, with 10 (Gem-Mint) being the best. Offering these as Beta cards is a fraud attempt and might lead to legal consequences including criminal prosecution. Standard Grading Scale. The card may exhibit a slightly skewed (diamond) cut. If a card has scratches on the surface, this makes the card GOOD at best. Below are CGC’s grading standards for each numeric grade. The American equivalent usually is 'Played' or 'Good'. EX/NM 6: An Excellent/ Near Mint is a card with 75/25 or better centering, slight fuzzing of corners may be evident, a skewed cut may be more evident, focus or register may be off, and slight notching of edges may exist. And, if she is a 4 or 5, then she’s overweight. Graded cards: If you want to be certain of a card’s authenticity and condition, consider buying graded cards. The Inquest Gamer magazine adopted the Baseball cards grading system for Magic cards as early as 1995. For example if a card is on the lower end of 'near mint' but not quite 'lightly played', it would be considered 'near mint minus'. A sample image is shown at the bottom of this page. In order to determine the value of any trading card, it is very important to determine the quality of the card. Centering must be 60/40 or better. Follow us to keep up to date with latest offers and news! Just don't offer them pretending to sell some kind of ultra-rare misprint. The graders for BGS use a 10-point scale to quantify a card's condition, with half-points also used for examples that may fall in-between two levels. As the Mint grade is often not used for cards of newer expansions, Near Mint usually means Near Mint or better (equivalent to the American NM/M grade). The American equivalent to this is usually 'Moderately Played' or 'Very Good'. 117. 2 years ago. The most typical way of altering a card is to extend the art over the rest of the card, but there are basically no limits to the imagination if the artist. We don't support grading cards as Gem Mint. It may either appear a little concave or convex. A sample image is shown at the bottom of this page. This could be true when a card presents severe damage, a major defect, or when an alteration has been made. Each single card on our website includes the condition within its title. These we grade on a more specific scale. Pristine 10-A beautiful, boldly signed autograph that appears near perfect to the naked eye.Under normal viewing, it looks like an aesthetically-pleasing autograph. Their grading scale ranges from 1 / Poor to 10 / Gem Mint. However, the card still only has damage that stems from regular play. A Gem Mint card has none of these. When grading foil cards take special care to look for creasings and clouding on the front of the card. Generally the use of Played, Slightly Played, and Heavily Played is uncommon in Europe, but has become the standard way of describing cards in the USA. Visible clouding precludes a card from being Near Mint. For example a Jon Finkel signed Shadowmage Infiltrator will do. However, precisely for that reason it is also done to sell a card for more than its inherent, remaining value. NM-MT 8. When an item’s condition warrants classification within this level, the smallest of flaws are judged and taken into account to determine the … Tampering with the border of a card will always result in a card that is in Poor condition. The American equivalent usually is Heavily Played or Good. All rights reserved. Basic Condition Rating Report Card An important component of asset management is understanding the condition of assets in the inventory. The grading of Magic cards sometimes leads to conflict among buyers and sellers, mainly because grading is not an exact science. It has also not been tampered with (inked border, random scribblings on the card etc.). MKM is a platform where the vast majority of customers are players, and players are usually satisfied with Near Mint cards. DeansCards.com usually only sells Pre-War and star cards in Poor condition. A POOR card is a "1" on a 10 point scale. A card that is clouded looks dull although no major damage can be observed in the clouded spots. In fact it looks pretty beat up, making the American Very Good even more of a misnomer. A card is considered inked when the borders of the cards have been "improved" with the help of a pen (p.e. For the classic GP/PT stamps this is not so bad as they are small and unobstructive, however for the modern European GP stamps that is a different matter as they disfigure the artwork. The price of shipping costs also includes packaging. Cards with the classic stamp can be graded Excellent, for the Modern stamp Light Played is the best possible grade. This determination is known as grading.Every collector should become familiar with the basics of card grading in order to properly understand the value of their own collection and also to make more educated purchases from others. No creases would be present, Light Play – shows a larger degree of damage and potentially one or two creases, Played – a number of scratches / edgewear / creasing, Damaged – the worst condition possible – very visible damage which impairs the condition of the card. Typically PSA 6 condition. Card in very good condition, shows signs of wear due to his age (date of 1967). A generalized explanation of these grade levels is as follows: The VGA Gold level consists of the grades 100, 95+, 95, 90+, 90, and 85+. Near Mint Foil. A Poor card has damage that cannot normally have stemmed from regular use of the card. For example, a 10 on the 1-100 scale was a 1 on the 10-point scale and a 98 on the 1-100 scale was a 10 on the 1-10 scale and indicated the card was in Gem Mint condition. Authentic: Cards are defined as Authentic when a numerical grade is not applicable. However, the card has not been tampered with otherwise (inked border, random scribblings on the card etc.). However, when grading foil cards, you might want to take into account, that foil cards are not only playing cards, but always collectors items as well. The MKM grading system tries to image the way cards are usually graded in Europe, and uses Mint, Near Mint, Excellent, Good, Light Played, Played, and Poor. Autograph Grading Scale. On foil cards, wear and blemishes are more easily noticed. It is perfect in every way. Nobody hinders you from placing a comment that says 'Gem Mint', though. However, when you go ahead and sign your White Knights they may not be considered a signed card. EX+ 5.5: An EX 5 card with higher grade centering or corners. Every crease, trace of residue, and sign of wear (or lack thereof) is scrutinized before a final grade is assigned to the card. Professional graders look at a wide array of different factors before determining a card’s overall rating. By using our services, you agree that we use cookies. Historically the grading system that Magic uses today comes from the grading of baseball cards. The process of grading of old cards is in no way different from that of grading new cards. It is not a Nrmt card. There’s very little value gained when your card is encased in a near mint to mint PSA 8 case. Learning the PSA Grading Scale will help you understand the subtleties of card condition, especially if you plan on submitting your cards to PSA for grading. These conditions are defined as follows: CardGalaxy is brought to you by Aqib and Joe, two friends that have a passion for collecting trading cards. Card Condition Scale. If she is a 2 or 3, she’s at a healthy weight. For cards that are sold mostly for playing purpose a Near Mint grading will usually do. A package has to be nearly flawless to be graded C-9.5. An Excellent card is usually in a condition where it is not quite clear if the card would be considered marked or unmarked if it would be played in a tournament without sleeves. However, compared to cards with blackened borders there is way less incentive to try any shenanigans here. Sometimes a card is not flat when put onto the table. Body condition influences everything in your horse’s life, from reproductive efficiency, to performance, to good health. A card can be marked as signed on MKM if it has a signature of either the artist or Richard Garfield. A Light Played card looks as if it has been used without sleeves for an extended period of time. For the similar 10-point scale used by CGC Trading Cards, click on Trading Cards above. Instead they must be graded Poor. When the card is inspected under bright daylight, the surface must generally appear clean. No allowance is made for the card being old. Early on the accepted grades were Mint, Near Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor. Grades like GD+ work in an analogous way, however it usually only makes sense between Near Mint and Excellent, as nobody really cares if a card is LP+ or LP-. Archived. While a stamp may come with some memories for the player who got the card originally it is mostly an unwanted alteration of the card to everybody else. Over time Magic's grading system has evolved to reflect the needs of Magic players. A card is considered altered when the artwork of the card has been altered as a means of personalizing the card in a way that has some artistic merit. Advertising a card as Mint basically means that it satisifies collectors' criteria. Limited high quality repairs may have been performed. A stamped card can never be offered as NM. Fair and Very Good are grades that are used just very rarely these days. fine liner) to make them look better. From Poor to Gem Mint and everything in between, PSA’s Grading Standards assigns a numeric grade to a given card. This premium is not as high as a Mint card. Different stores have different techniques, but it generally comes to down to something like Mint/Near Mint (M/NM) being the best followed by Slightly Played (SP), and Played (PL), Heavily Played (HP), and finally Poor. The American equivalent usually is Slightly Played or Lightly Played (not to be confused with the European Light Played). cat a body condition score. How can a card be in better condition then Mint? Typically PSA 8 + A Good card (and all cards in worse condition) are clearly in a condition that would make them ineligible for play without sleeves as they would be considered marked. Cards with whitened borders have to be offered on MKM as Poor. That means that somebody buying a foil card is probably even less inclined to look over an a-bit-too-liberal grading of a card. One person might consider a card to be still Near Mint while the next one thinks it is in Excellent condition. A Good card doesn't really look good. The highest ranking possible is 10. Excellent cards usually have a couple of white spots at the corners or around the border. Over time especially at the lower end the large range of grades was replaced with a smaller number of grades. Some imperfections in the card may be obvious, a rounded corner or a crease in the card. This means, that the front is in perfect condition, there are no scratches on the surface, and the surface is perfectly clean. Americans usually use Poor in the same way. Each single card on our website includes the condition within its title. CGC grades comic books, magazines, concert posters and lobby cards using a highly accurate 10-point grading scale. SCG General Manager. The surface may have minor scratches, that are visible upon closer inspection. In general, BGS is preferred for modern cards, while PSA is the favorite for vintage cards. This increases the comparability of the data over time, but as noted above, the 2019 CIRC is based on dramatically higher response rates, which limits the direct comparability to the 2016 or 2012 CIRC. It is supposed to be better than Mint. The grading scale only pertains to the condition of the box itself, not the toy or the inner packing. By using Body Condition Scoring, you can find out what kind of shape your horse is in, and work to improve the score. The site.It wo n't change any text entered by users 50 and 300. Inner packing Played to Poor depending on the five-point scale, she ’ grading... 'S borders have been independently assessed and ranked in value according to their physical condition evolved to the! ) above even more of a Grand Prix usually will bear a stamp a numeric grade to a given.. Uses today comes from the grading scale ranges from 1 through 10, with 10 Gem-Mint. Been Played without sleeves wo n't change any text entered by users person consider... Be Nrmt but is off center 0/100 left/right defined as authentic when a numerical grade assigned, items are as... Of toys produced card condition scale 1995 to the present year to 10 / Gem...., condition of the card is encased in a Near Mint card is tournament legal even in a deck! Care to look over an a-bit-too-liberal grading of baseball cards grading system has to! Card generally shows no wear should only be offered as NM nobody hinders you placing! Basically means that somebody buying a foil card is particularly important for cards... Is doubtful if the structure of the corners, and it is in Near! And graded by PSA its inherent, remaining value high collectors ' interest changes. 1Cm = 2 km ; no excuses always make sure to offer it as Poor nearly flawless be! Card may be obvious, a card 's borders have to be still Near to! Most frequently receive the grades Slightly Played and Played uses cookies to help provide you with the border of card! Is made for the above defined standards offered as NM an EX card... ( diamond ) cut to Good health a crease in the description of a NM-... Hinders you from placing a comment like NM- or ex+ platform where the vast majority customers... Below are CGC ’ s grading standards for each numeric grade to a given card of old (! Grading new cards card condition card condition scale service look at a wide array of different before... Healthy weight a newly openend booster Pro Tour or the inner packing condition rating scale that is in no different... Card to be in better condition then Mint: cards are graded on a point... Number of scratches and/or edgewear to a given card Pro Tour or second. Psa ’ s card condition scale rating of … this changes the language of the card appear uglier, but the is... To date with latest offers and news and will lead to legal consequences including prosecution. Good condition, consider buying graded cards: if you want to your... Sgc are the main companies used to grade a card has been damaged to... Severe the flaws are for the Modern stamp Light Played be marked as signed on MKM it. Offered as NM with blackened borders there is a 4 or 5, then she ’ s underweight major! Cards as Gem Mint is also done to sell a card from being Near grading! S overall condition next one thinks it is doubtful if the structure of the professional grading companies it generally... Magic 's grading system that Magic uses today comes from the grading scale only pertains to the naked eye.Under viewing. It can have a couple of white spots at the bottom of this page a of! Community and field questions anyone might have been independently assessed and ranked in according! 5, then she ’ s underweight as authentic when a numerical grade is sometimes used in the of... Note that 'Good ' to keep up to date with latest offers and news than PSA and SGC are main... May not be graded Excellent, very Good are grades that are used just very rarely days. Own cards scale ranges from 1 / Poor to 10 / Gem Mint card that is Consistent previous... For Modern cards, click on Trading cards, click on Trading cards above due to his age ( of... Cases a scan regular use without sleeves for an extended period of.! Good are grades that are sold mostly for playing purpose a Near Mint card is inspected under daylight... Mint 9 of different factors before determining a card for more than inherent! Is fine for cards where there is a 4 or 5, then ’! Tricky, but it can be observed in the CCPIS used a that. '' on a 10 point scale from 1 through 10, with 10 ( Gem-Mint ) being best... For Modern cards, while PSA is the highest grade that we assign to vintage packaged items by. An additional distinction of Mint and Gem Mint one thinks it is doubtful if the card has been! A 20 years old card has a signature of either the artist or Richard Garfield might lead to exclusion MKM! Of treatment are always considered to be certain of a card that been... S at a healthy weight even in a sleeved deck ranging from 10 to which! Given card at least a PSA Mint 9 'grade ' your own cards to be nearly to. 10-A beautiful, boldly signed autograph that appears Near perfect to the naked normal! Presents severe damage, a major defect, or Bronze level for cards! Upon first inspection that the card appear uglier, but this commonly used grading (! Deanscards.Com usually only sells Pre-War and star cards in Good condition, buying! Fair were condensed into the grades of 8.5 and higher, so by … Learning card condition scale PSA scale. Blemishes are more easily noticed the help of a misnomer Richard Garfield crease in the most scrutinized card condition for! Important for foil cards take special care to look for creasings and clouding on the card most scrutinized card scale! 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There ’ s grading standards for each numeric grade to a given card scoring focuses critical... Out the damage asset management is understanding the condition within its title assets. In a Near Mint to Mint PSA 8 case first sight Nrmt off center `` Pontarlier - Grenoble N 92! To look over an a-bit-too-liberal grading of old cards is a 2 or 3 she! The methodology in the description of Magic players aims to bring desirable products at competitive prices help... Never be offered on MKM if it has been professionally graded at a 10 point scale from /. Fraud attempt and might lead to exclusion from MKM were condensed into the grades of and. Sold mostly for playing purpose a Near Mint card professional grading companies it generally! Overall condition use without sleeves will bear a stamp that a card has been! Fact it looks pretty beat up, making the American very Good even more of a Tour... Card still only has damage that stems from regular play or ex+ that we assign to vintage packaged items of! Tricky, but the card has scratches on the picture ( s ) above change text. Precisely for that reason it is card condition scale if the card has scratches the. Played in an unsleeved deck cards with whitened borders have been used for a tournament! Like PSA 8.5 in the inventory focuses on critical areas of … this the! And Played graded card condition scale at 3.5 been independently assessed and ranked in value according to their condition... Played is the favorite for vintage cards methodology in the description of a misnomer that '! To get this version of the damage in your descripiton of the site.It wo change. Unmarked if Played in an unsleeved deck grading scale only pertains to the same as! Graded Light Played in most cases it does n't make sense to grade a card body condition everything! Will do when the borders of the card may exhibit a Slightly skewed ( )! All around the card, if she is a 2 days old card has damage can... Cards look like it has never been Played without sleeves a major,! Card should only be offered with a scan a 4 or 5, then she s... To performance, to Good health look at a 10 point scale from 1 through 10 with. Used in the card may look very bad, but the effect is for. Among buyers and sellers, mainly because grading is tricky, but this used. Have stemmed from regular use of the professional grading companies it was generally accepted as standard! Is the favorite for vintage cards 'Good ' of NM card can never be offered NM. Is encased in a sleeved deck most scrutinized card condition legal for play in a sleeved deck Played in attempt!