Near Mint or Better
A near mint or better Pokemon card should only have a few minor imperfections, with minimal edge and surface wear. These defects should not be immediately apparent and would need close examination in order to be visible. These cards are ideal for the majority of players & collectors. A near mint or better card is not necessarily in 'pack fresh mint' condition.
Examples of what would cause a Pokemon card to be graded as near mint or better:
- Limited light edge & corner wear
- A few light minor scratches or scuffs
- A few extremely small nicks or dents
The Near Mint Pokemon image illustrates the type of wear that would could be present on a card that would be graded as near mint. The wear should not be extensive, and should be limited in number.
Near Mint or Better Pokemon Holo Cards
For Pokemon Holo (Shiny) cards to be graded as near mint or better any scratches should not be so deep that the silver underlying the card is visible, also near mint holos may be slightly warped due to the materials the card is made of. Light edge wear on a Pokemon holo may expose the silver layer and will result in a light "twinkling" around the edge of the card. However, this effect should be very sparse for a card to be graded as near mint or better.
You can buy Pokemon cards here: Buy Pokemon
You can sell your Pokemon cards to Big Orbit Cards here: Sell Pokemon
Light Play
A lightly played Pokemon card may have minor edge or corner wear, along with slight scuffs or scratches. Some of these defects may be noticeable at a glance but none should be particularly severe nor should they be present in large numbers. There are no major defects such as liquid damage, tears, peeling, writing, ink marks, creases or sharp bends. These cards are ideal for the many players and collectors that do not require their cards to be in near mint condition.
Examples of what would cause a Pokemon card to be graded as lightly played:
- Light edge & corner wear
- A few minor scratches or scuffs
- A few small nicks or dents
The Light Play Pokemon image illustrates the type of wear that would could be present on a card that would be graded as lightly played The wear should light and there should be no major defect present.
Light Played Pokemon Holo Cards
For Pokemon Holo (Shiny) cards to be graded as lightly played any scratches should not be so deep that the silver underlying the card is visible but there may be several such light scratches or scuffs, also lightly played holos may be slightly warped due to the materials the card is made of. Light edge wear on a Pokemon holo may expose the silver layer and will result in a light "twinkling" around the edge of the card. This effect can be relatively extensive on a lightly played card but silvering around the edges should not be particularly noticeable while not catching the light.
You can buy Pokemon cards here: Buy Pokemon
You can sell your Pokemon cards to Big Orbit Cards here: Sell Pokemon
Moderate Play
Moderately played cards can vary quite substantially as the wear they exhibit simply precludes them from being graded as light play but might include moderate wear, or flaws that are immediately apparent. Cards of this condition can show moderate edge wear, mild corner wear, water damage, scratches, creases or fading, light dirt buildup, or any combination of these defects.
Moderate play cards will often look fine once sleeved and are perfectly usable in tournament play but may not be acceptable to collectors.
Heavy Play
Heavily Played condition cards exhibit signs of heavy wear. Heavily Played condition cards may include cards that have significant creasing, folding, severe water damage, heavy whitening, heavy edge wear, and/or tearing.