How we assess your cards.
Every card we touch gets sorted by condition before it ever moves to grading or sale. Here's the scale we use, the same one PSA, BGS, and serious collectors rely on, with visual examples so you can ballpark your own collection before submitting.
Illustrations below are exaggerated to make each tier's typical issues obvious. Real cards rarely fit a single tier perfectly, a card might have Mint corners and Excellent edges. We grade on the worst feature, not the best.
Gem Mint ✨
Effectively flawless. Cards in this tier look like they came straight off the printing press. This is the holy grail, and it's rare.
- Corners: Razor sharp on all 4 corners, no rounding visible to the eye
- Edges: Solid color, zero whitening, no nicks
- Surface: Glossy, no scratches, no print defects, perfect centering
- Centering: 55/45 or better on the front, 75/25 or better on the back
Mint 💎
Near-perfect with only the tiniest imperfections, typically invisible to anyone but a grader holding the card under bright light.
- Corners: Sharp on 3-4 corners, maybe one with the slightest softness
- Edges: Clean with maybe one micro-spot of whitening
- Surface: No visible scratches, one or two faint print imperfections allowed
- Centering: 60/40 or better on the front, 90/10 on the back
Near Mint 👍
Visible but minor wear. The card has clearly been handled, opened, played with briefly, or stored without protection, but no major damage.
- Corners: Slight rounding on 1-2 corners, visible under bright light
- Edges: Light whitening at 2-3 spots, no chipping
- Surface: 1-2 minor scratches detectable on close inspection, gloss mostly intact
- Centering: 65/35 (PSA 8) to 70/30 (PSA 7) on the front, 90/10 on the back
Excellent 🟢
Played with regularly and stored loose. Still very presentable, but the wear is obvious without needing a loupe.
- Corners: Noticeable rounding on all corners, but no chunks missing
- Edges: Visible whitening on most edges, possible small chip
- Surface: Multiple minor scratches, some loss of gloss in spots
- Centering: Up to about 80/20 on the front (PSA 6), 90/10 on the back
Very Good ⚠️
Heavy play wear, but the card is intact and the artwork is fully visible. Often the binder-pages-but-no-sleeves story.
- Corners: Heavily rounded, possibly some fraying
- Edges: Significant whitening all around, multiple small chips OK
- Surface: Multiple visible scratches, gloss largely gone, possible small dents
- Centering: Beyond 80/20, significantly off-center is allowed
- Other: Tiny surface marks or pressure dings acceptable
Poor / Good 🩹
Major structural damage but the card is still complete and identifiable. Often the basement-box, water-leaked-on-it, kid-folded-in-pocket story.
- Corners: Heavily worn, possibly chunks missing, frayed
- Edges: Massive whitening, chips, possible small tears
- Surface: Significant scratches, creases, possible water stains or pen marks
- Structure: One or more creases visible across the card body
- Still gradeable IF: No tape, no glue, no major missing chunks, card fully identifiable
Two scales, one card.
Card shops, TCGPlayer, and eBay don't use the 1–10 graded scale. They use five tiers - Near Mint through Damaged, that compress the same range into a simpler vocabulary. Here's how to translate between the two, whether you're listing raw cards or deciding if something is worth grading.
Notice how Near Mint spans four graded numbers? That's because raw "Near Mint" is the widest bucket. A clean-looking card might land anywhere from PSA 7 to a coveted PSA 10 depending on centering, print quality, and surface micro-defects you can't see by eye.
Near Mint 100% market
Looks essentially new. Minor manufacturing defects allowed. Slight border whitening only visible on close inspection. Surface still glossy, corners crisp, edges clean. The widest raw bucket because grading variability spreads NM cards across four PSA grades.
Lightly Played ~85% market
Minor wear visible without close inspection. Slight rounding on 1 or 2 corners, light edge whitening on a side or two, possibly a tiny surface scuff. Still very presentable and sleeve-playable.
Moderately Played ~70% market
Visible wear at normal viewing distance. Light to moderate rounding on multiple corners, moderate edge whitening on most sides, several light scratches across the surface. Card still feels solid in hand.
Heavily Played ~50% market
Significant damage. Heavy corner rounding or possible small bends, heavy whitening across all edges, deep surface scratches and possibly a soft crease that does not break the surface ink. Card structure intact but visibly rough.
Damaged ~25% market
Major structural damage. Large tears, missing chunks, water damage, hole punches, writing, severe bends, or all of the above. Often ungradeable beyond "Authentic" (no numeric grade assigned).
Grade it if:
- Card looks Near Mint or better to the eye
- Raw market value is $20+
- Centering looks even on all four sides
- You can wait 2-8 weeks for PSA turnaround
Sell raw if:
- Condition is Lightly Played or worse
- Raw market value is under $20
- Centering is visibly off
- You want cash now, not in two months
Market percentages above reflect TCGPlayer's standard pricing tiers relative to Near Mint and vary by card and demand. A scarce vintage card in MP often sells closer to 80% of NM because supply is thin; a common modern card in MP might sell at 50% or less. Use these as a starting point, not a hard rule.
How TCGplayer conditions a raw card.
For raw singles, the closest thing to an industry rulebook is the TCGplayer Conditioning Standard. Instead of eyeballing a card, every imperfection gets points based on its size, and the points add up to a condition tier. It's the same scale we use when we list raw cards for you.
1. Score each imperfection
| Severity | Points each | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Slight | 1 | Touches a minimal area of the card |
| Minor | 2 | Noticeable area |
| Moderate | 4 | Significant area |
| Major | 8 | Anything bigger than moderate |
Imperfection types include edgewear, scratches, scuffing, surface wear (whitening), grime, indentations, bends, faults (splitting or delamination) and print defects. TCGplayer publishes exact size limits for each one.
2. Add them up
| Condition | Total points allowed |
|---|---|
| Near Mint (NM) | 3 or fewer |
| Lightly Played (LP) | 6 or fewer |
| Moderately Played (MP) | 12 or fewer |
| Heavily Played (HP) | 24 or fewer |
| Damaged (DMG) | More than 24, or any tear, puncture, fold, liquid damage or missing card information |
Some flaws cap the tier no matter the points: Near Mint allows no surface wear, grime, bends or faults, and a crease means Moderately Played at best.
Raw condition vs. a PSA grade: what's different
TCGplayer allows up to 70/30 with no effect on condition. PSA needs about 55/45 on the front for a 10. A perfectly "Near Mint" card can still be capped at a PSA 8 by centering alone.
Raw conditioning sorts cards into 5 ranges. Grading gives an exact 1–10 number, and the top grades are judged under magnification.
"Near Mint" is a starting point for grading, not a promise of a 10. That's why we measure centering and log every flaw before recommending a submission.
Point values and tiers from the TCGplayer Card Conditioning Standard (updated October 2026). Print the overlays on clear film at 100% scale and lay them over a flaw to judge its severity.
What every category looks like at every tier.
Below is the actual grading rubric, side by side. Columns use raw card terminology (the standard vocabulary on TCGPlayer, eBay, and at card shops), with each column's PSA equivalent shown beneath the tier name. Note that "Near Mint" raw covers four PSA grades because raw sellers don't separate Mint (PSA 9) and Gem Mint (PSA 10) into their own tiers, they all live under "Near Mint."
Read it like a chart: pick the column that matches your card, then check each row to see if your card matches the description. The lowest-scoring row sets your overall tier. After the chart, the terminology key explains exactly what "light whitening" or "moderate creasing" mean in plain English.
| Category | Damaged PSA 1 | Heavily Played PSA 2, 3 | Moderately Played PSA 4, 5 | Lightly Played PSA 6 | Near Mint PSA 7, 8, 9, 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centering Border balance on both axes | Severe miscut. Border missing on one or more sides, or card cut diagonally. | Severely off-center, around 75/25 or worse. Border looks nearly gone on one side. | Heavily off-center, 70/30 range. Visible from across a table without measuring. | Notably off-center, 65/35 range on at least one axis. |
PSA 10: 55/45 or better on both axes. PSA 9: up to 60/40. PSA 8: up to 65/35. PSA 7: up to 70/30 still acceptable. |
| Corners Sharpness of all 4 points | Crushed flat, frayed, or chunks missing. Paper layers may be torn or peeling. | Heavy rounding on all 4 corners. Paper layers visibly separating, possibly small bends. | Significant rounding on most corners. Paper layers may show on the worst corners. | Light rounding on multiple corners, visible at normal viewing distance. |
PSA 10: Razor sharp on all 4. Zero rounding. PSA 9: Sharp on 3-4, maybe one with the slightest softness. PSA 8: Soft on 1-2 corners under magnification. PSA 7: Slight rounding visible on 1-2 corners. |
| Edges Color borders, no whitening | Major tears, chips, or whole sections of edge missing. | Heavy whitening across all 4 edges with visible nicks and dings. | Heavy whitening on most edges, some nicks. Visible from across a table. | Moderate whitening visible without close inspection. Maybe a light ding. |
PSA 10: Clean colored edges. No whitening, no nicks. PSA 9: Maybe one micro-spot of whitening. PSA 8: Minor whitening visible on close inspection. PSA 7: Light whitening on 1 or 2 edges. |
| Surface Gloss, scratches, creases, print | Major tears, writing, water damage, hole punches, or large surface-breaking creases. | Multiple deep scratches and surface-breaking creases. Card stock visibly damaged. | Several visible scratches. A soft crease that does not break the surface ink is acceptable. | Several light surface scratches that catch the light when tilted. Gloss mostly intact. No creases. |
PSA 10: Glossy and clean. No scratches, no print defects. PSA 9: One or two faint print imperfections allowed. PSA 8: Minor surface marks under bright light. PSA 7: Light surface scuffs allowed, no significant scratches. |
On a phone? Swipe the chart left to see all five columns.
The one rule that decides everything
A card's overall tier is set by its worst category, not its average. Graders call this "the floor." If three of your card's categories are Near Mint but one is Moderately Played, the card is Moderately Played overall. The other three categories don't lift it back up.
Sharp 90-degree corners (NM) + clean edges (NM) + 55/45 centering (NM) + a soft crease across the surface that doesn't break the ink (MP) = Moderately Played card overall. The crease drags the whole grade down to its level.
This is also why one careless storage choice (a card slid into a tight binder pocket, a sleeve removed without care, a bend from a packed shipping box) can drop a $100 card to a $50 card overnight. Treat every card like its softest category is the only one that matters.
What those words actually mean.
Grading vocabulary is precise. Here's the same words we used in the chart above, defined in plain English so you and we are talking about the same thing.
Light whitening
Tiny ink loss along an edge or corner, barely visible when you hold the card at arm's length. You usually need to bring the card within 6 inches of your eye, or use a magnifier, to see it clearly.
Moderate whitening
Visible at normal viewing distance without trying. White card stock showing through the colored border in multiple spots, but not bands.
Heavy whitening
Obvious bands of white where the border ink has worn away. Visible from across a desk, no inspection needed.
Soft corner
Corner has lost its sharp 90-degree point but still holds its shape. No visible peeling or layering of the paper.
Rounded corner
Corner shows obvious curvature instead of a point. Paper layers may be visible at the rounded edge.
Crushed corner
Corner has been compressed flat or bent permanently, often from being dropped or stored under weight.
Surface scratch
A visible line through the glossy coating, usually catches light when you tilt the card at an angle.
Crease
A bend in the card stock. A "soft" crease doesn't break the surface ink. A "surface-breaking" crease shows white through the ink and caps the grade at PSA 4 maximum.
Print defect
A manufacturing artifact: an ink dot in the artwork, color smear, or mis-registration. Minor print issues are allowed at higher grades. Major print issues cap the grade.
Centering ratio
The percentage of border width on opposing sides. "55/45" means one side has 55% of the border width compared to the other side's 45%. Measured on both the left-right axis and the top-bottom axis. The worse axis sets your centering grade.
What centering does a PSA 10 need?
PSA 10 doesn't require perfect 50/50 centering. A card can be 55/45 on the front and 75/25 on the back and still qualify for Gem Mint, assuming corners, edges, and surface hold up too.
PSA's published centering tolerances
| PSA grade | Front | Back |
|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 · Gem Mint | 55/45 or better | 75/25 or better |
| PSA 9 · Mint | 60/40 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 8 · NM-MT | 65/35 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 7 · Near Mint | 70/30 or better | 90/10 or better |
| PSA 6 · EX-MT | 80/20 or better | 90/10 or better |
These are approximate, and graders also weigh overall eye appeal. Meeting the centering tolerance doesn't guarantee the grade. When we pre-screen Fox Den submissions, we look for 55/45 or better on the front, with 50/50 preferred.
Source: PSA Official Grading Standards
Centering calculator
Measure two opposite borders (left & right, or top & bottom) with a loupe or ruler and enter them below.
Measuring in millimeters
55/45 means one border can make up at most 55% of the combined width of the two opposite borders. So a card with a 5 mm border on one side and 4 mm on the other works out to 5 ÷ 9 = 55.6/44.4, just outside PSA 10's front tolerance.
Quick shortcut: for 55/45, the wider border can be at most 1.222× the narrower one. If one border is 4 mm, the other should be no wider than about 4.89 mm.
Loupe measurements carry a little error, so if you're submitting specifically for a 10, aim for 54/46 or better to give yourself some margin.
| Border A | Border B | Centering | PSA 10 front? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.50 mm | 4.50 mm | 50/50 | ✓ |
| 4.60 mm | 4.40 mm | 51.1/48.9 | ✓ |
| 4.70 mm | 4.30 mm | 52.2/47.8 | ✓ |
| 4.80 mm | 4.20 mm | 53.3/46.7 | ✓ |
| 4.90 mm | 4.10 mm | 54.4/45.6 | ✓ |
| 4.95 mm | 4.05 mm | 55/45 | Limit |
| 5.00 mm | 4.00 mm | 55.6/44.4 | ✗ |
| 5.10 mm | 3.90 mm | 56.7/43.3 | ✗ |
How to ballpark your own cards in 30 seconds.
Grab a bright light (phone flashlight works) and check these four things in order. Whichever is the worst sets your tier.
Corners
Hold the card under bright light at an angle. Are all 4 corners crisp 90-degree points? Or do they have a slight curve? Heavy rounding? That's your floor.
Edges
Look at the colored borders. Any whitening, where the ink has worn off showing the white card stock underneath, drops the grade. A little is fine; a lot is Excellent at best.
Surface
Tilt the card under light. Any scratches, swirls, or matte spots where the gloss is gone? Print defects also count, those tiny black dots in the artwork.
Centering
Compare the border thickness on opposite sides. If the left border is twice as thick as the right, that's significantly off-center, caps the grade at Near Mint or below.
Think you've got something gem mint?
Send it in. We'll review it for free and recommend whether grading is worth the cost.
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