Pokémon card condition guide: from Near Mint to Poor
Condition is the biggest price factor after the card itself. Sellers and buyers use fixed terms; know them and you'll buy smarter and sell without hassle.
The scale in Europe (Cardmarket)
Mint (M): as new, without a single flaw. Near Mint (NM): at most one minuscule imperfection. Excellent (EX): light wear on edges or corners. Good (GD): clear wear, but intact. Light Played (LP), Played (PL) and Poor (PO): progressively more scratches, dents or creases.
And in the US (TCGplayer)
American sellers use Near Mint, Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played and Damaged. The scales don't map one-to-one: our card pages show the common comparison side by side.
What to look for
Edges (whitening), corners (blunted or bent), surface (scratches on the holo, fingerprints, stains) and centring. Look at the card under bright light and at an angle: scratches only show once the light catches them.
What condition does to the price
Roughly: Excellent ≈ 80% of Near Mint, Good ≈ 65%, Played ≈ 40%, Poor ≈ 20%. TCG House calculates the condition price for each card based on the Near Mint price, with the same rule as everywhere: the Cardmarket median, otherwise the TCGplayer price in euros, otherwise the cheapest listing.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Mint and Near Mint?
Mint is a card without any flaw at all — in practice only provable as a graded card. Near Mint is the highest condition you'll come across for raw cards.
Should I use sleeves?
Yes. A sleeve plus a toploader keeps a card Near Mint; a card loose in a box drops to Excellent within a year.