Trading Card Conditions Explained: From Near Mint to Damaged

The five conditions and their price impact

Market prices are quoted for Near Mint by default. CardArk prices every card at its Near Mint baseline, then applies a multiplier when you set the condition slider:

• •Near Mint (NM) — 100% of market value. Pack-fresh look; at most one tiny flaw visible only under close inspection.
• •Lightly Played (LP) — ~85%. Minor edge wear or a small scratch visible on close look; still displays beautifully.
• •Moderately Played (MP) — ~65%. Obvious wear: whitening on edges, several scratches, light creasing possible.
• •Heavily Played (HP) — ~45%. Major wear visible at arm's length: creases, heavy whitening, possible water damage.
• •Damaged (DMG) — ~25%. Structural damage: tears, deep creases, writing, or missing pieces.

The four things graders look at

• •Centering — is the artwork evenly framed by the border? Off-centre cards grade lower even fresh from the pack.
• •Corners — the first place wear shows. Check all four under light for whitening or softness.
• •Edges — look along each edge for chipping or whitening, especially on dark-bordered cards.
• •Surface — tilt the card under light to reveal scratches, print lines, dents and shuffle wear on the holo layer.

Grade honestly — especially if you plan to sell

The most common mistake collectors make is grading with their heart. A card you pulled yourself always feels Near Mint. Buyers grade with their eyes, and an overgraded card comes back as a return. When in doubt between two grades, take the lower one — pricing at LP and delivering NM makes buyers happy; the reverse makes disputes.

How it works in CardArk

Every scanned card starts at Near Mint. Open any card and drag the condition slider — the price recalculates instantly from the Near Mint baseline, and your collection totals update with it. Add your own close-up condition photos to each card so the flaws are documented next to the value.