MANNA KINGDOM REFERENCE

Card Condition Guide

Standardized grading definitions for TCG, sports cards, and professional grader scales.

TCG Card Conditions

We use industry-standard TCG grading (NM → Damaged). Condition directly affects buy price and resale value.

NMNear Mint

Virtually perfect. Cards must be unplayed or played in sleeves from opening. No wear, marks, or creases visible.

No scratches on holo surface
Perfectly sharp corners
No print lines or marks
Crisp white borders
Flat — no curling

LPLightly Played

Minor wear only. One or two very light edge scuffs, slight whitening on corners, or a single minor surface mark.

1–2 corner whitening spots
Minimal edge scuffs
No creases or bends
Holo still bright
No deep scratches

MPModerately Played

Noticeable wear. Multiple edge/corner scuffs, minor surface scratches on holo, or light creases. Still tournament-legal in sleeves.

Noticeable corner whitening
Surface scratches visible
Light crease allowed
Edge scuffs on 3+ sides
Still identifiable without question

HPHeavily Played

Significant wear throughout. Heavy creasing, deep scratches, staining, or multiple bends. Often sleeve-played only.

Heavy creasing present
Deep scratches on holo
Significant corner rounding
Staining or discoloration
May show through sleeve

DMGDamaged

Severe damage. Card is altered, has large tears, significant water damage, writing, or holes. Not tournament legal.

Torn or missing pieces
Writing or markings
Severe water damage
Holes or punctures
Heavy fold or ink bleeding

Professional Grader Scales

PSA, BGS, and CGC use numeric scales. Higher numbers are better. A 10 in each system is roughly equivalent, but the standards differ.

PSAProfessional Sports Authenticator

Grade	Label	Description
10	Gem Mint	Perfect centering, 4 sharp corners, no surface issues.
9	Mint	Virtually perfect with minimal flaws on close inspection.
8	NM-MT	Light corner/edge wear, slight surface issues.
7	NM	Small corner fraying, minor edge notching, light print.
6	EX-MT	Minor rounding on corners, slight surface scratching.
5	EX	Major corner/edge wear, moderate loss of original gloss.
4	VG-EX	Obvious rounding on all corners, notching on edges.
3	VG	Rough edges, heavily scuffed surface, slight crease possible.
2	Good	Heavily worn, crease(s), loss of gloss, discoloration.
1	Poor	Severely damaged, torn, trimmed, or badly stained.

BGSBeckett Grading Services

Grade	Label	Description
10 Black	Pristine	Perfect centering (50/50 or better), four perfect corners, all subgrades 10.
10	Pristine Gold	All subgrades 9.5+.
9.5	Gem Mint	Subgrades 9 or better, no 8.5 in any category.
9	Mint	Minor wear allowed, all subgrades 8.5+.
8.5	NM-MT+	Slight corner/surface issues, no subgrade below 8.
8	NM-MT	A few minor flaws, all subgrades 7.5+.
7.5	NM+	Some wear on corners and edges.
7	NM	Light fraying on corners, minor scuffs.
6	EX-MT	Obvious wear, moderate rounding on all corners.
5	EX	Heavy wear throughout.

CGCCertified Guaranty Company

Grade	Label	Description
10	Pristine	Perfect in every way — centering, surface, corners, edges.
9.5	Gem Mint	Near-perfect with one or two trivial flaws.
9	Mint	Nearly perfect, very minor flaws only.
8.5	Near Mint+	Light wear on 1–2 corners, very minor edge scuffs.
8	Near Mint	Minor border/corner wear, light surface scratches.
7	Fine+	Some corner rounding and edge fraying.
6	Fine	Moderate wear on corners and edges.
5	Very Good	Heavy wear, creases, significant surface damage.
4	Good	Major damage or staining throughout.
3	Fair	Extremely heavy use, significant creasing or tears.

Sports Card Specifics

Sports cards have some grading nuances that differ from TCG cards.

Centering

Measured as left/right and top/bottom percentages. PSA 10 requires 55/45 or better. PSA 9 allows 60/40.

Corners

Inspect under light for rounding, fraying, or chipping. Any corner defect is the primary grade limiter for vintage cards.

Edges

Look for nicks, chips, roughness, and notching. Beckett evaluates edges as a separate subgrade.

Surface

Scratches, print lines, staining, loss of gloss, and creases. Foil/chrome cards are especially susceptible to surface damage.

Print Defects

Factory print lines, color bleeding, or misregistration. These are not counted against grade in most cases.

Rookie Cards

The year of a player's first licensed card. Always check for the 'RC' or 'Rookie' designation — autographed rookie cards command the highest premiums.

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