Pokemon Card Condition Guide
The five condition tiers below follow TCGplayer’s marketplace grades. A card in worse condition than near mint sells for less than the market price of the same card.
The five tiers (with a worked example)
| Condition | What it means | Example value |
|---|---|---|
| Near Mint (NM) | Pack-fresh or close: clean edges, no surface wear visible at arm's length. | ~$100.00 |
| Lightly Played (LP) | Minor edge/corner whitening or light scratches visible on inspection. | ~$80.00 (80%) |
| Moderately Played (MP) | Obvious whitening, scratches, or minor border wear; still sleeve-playable. | ~$65.00 (65%) |
| Heavily Played (HP) | Heavy whitening, creases, or scuffs; structurally intact. | ~$50.00 (50%) |
| Damaged (DMG) | Creases through the card, water damage, tears, or writing. | ~$30.00 (30%) |
What to check, in order
- Edges and corners. Whitening shows here first, especially on dark-bordered cards.
- Surface. Tilt the card under a light for scratches and print lines. Holos show wear fastest.
- Creases. Any crease, even on the back, drops a card to HP or DMG.
- Centering. Off-center borders matter little for an ungraded card but limit grading scores.
When grading is worth it
Grading (PSA, BGS, CGC) costs money per card, so check each company for its current prices, and it takes weeks to months. As a rule of thumb it only pays when the card is worth $100 or more ungraded and you expect a grade of 9 or 10. A top grade can raise a chase card’s price several times, while a middle grade often sells near the ungraded price. Start from the most expensive cards list to see which of your cards clear the bar.
More guides
- How to read a Pokemon card
- The Most Expensive Pokemon Cards
- Pokemon Card Rarity Symbols Explained
- How to Check a Pokemon Card's Value
- Pokemon 151 Card List & Prices
- Pokemon full art and gold cards
- Where to buy Pokemon cards
- Pokemon booster boxes
- Pokemon TCG release dates
- Pokemon Elite Trainer Box prices
- Pokemon booster pack prices by set
- Pokemon card binders: pages needed for every set
Tables built from TCGplayer market prices on Oct 30, 2026. A guide, not an appraisal.