I use the rating system written below as a general guide to determine what to grade a card or a play set. This guide is not in any way comprehensive, but I do my best to be what I would consider to be as accurate as possible. While a particular card or set may not have all the characteristics in the following rating definition, there are enough that it would most likely fall into this particular grade category. If the auction is a playset, the rating I give reflects the overall condition rather than a single card in particular.
Near Mint To Mint, NM/M- 9.5 or higher
This item looks like it was dropped straight from a pack and into a sleeve then into a storage box. I never like to say "Mint" because you may see something I missed.
Near Mint, NM- 9
This item looks like it was dropped into a sleeve prior to occasional use. Therefore it has some flaw that prevents it from being "Near Mint/Mint?, such as light surface buffing from being in a sleeve and shuffled, an edge nick or two, or maybe a minor scratch or indentation.. However, there's no issue with the overall color, sheen or condition.
Light Play To Near Mint, LP/NM- 8.5
This item looks like either it was dropped into a sleeve after purchase, but was then put into a favorite deck where it saw game play, or it wasn?t sleeved, and saw some game play. It has telltale signs of use- The faces have that worn down buffed look, so the sheen isn't quite as brilliant as a new card. There may be nicks in the color along the borders/edges. There may be some scratches or indentations on the surfaces. However, there's no issue with the overall coloring, and for the most part the card is in decent shape.
Light Play, LP- 8
This item looks like it was either in a sleeve but played with considerable regularity or, more than likely, wasn?t sleeved and played fairly regularly. The sheen that you usually see in a new card is almost gone, usually caused by shuffling. There are signs of wear or nicks on the edges. There are light scratches, maybe small dents or pits. The overall integrity of the card is good, with no damage beyond normal the wear and tear you would see in a card that gets played, but not necessarily properly protected.
Moderate Play To Light Play, MP/LP- 7.5
There?s a good chance this item was never put into a sleeve prior to play. There is wear on the faces, to the point the original gloss is gone. There are scratches. There is wear along the edges as well as missing color. The faces are faded. It has dents. There are pits. It may even have a slight bend to it. Not bent to the point of a crease, but there is a bend nonetheless. However, if you put it in an opaque sleeve prior to use, nothing should prevent you from being able to use it.
Moderate Play, MP- 7
There is no sign this card was ever put into a sleeve prior to play. The wear on the faces has removed all of the original gloss, and maybe even the color. There are scratches and/or scuffs and/or dents and/or pits. The card might even be bent. There may even be a crease, albeit minor, typically in the corners/edges. There is wear and missing color along the edges. While this card has seen better days, it still has some life left in it if put in an opaque sleeve.
Heavy Play To Moderate Play, HP/MP- 6.5
There is no sign this card was ever put into a sleeve prior to play. The wear on the faces has removed all of the original gloss, and maybe even the color. There are scratches and/or scuffs and/or dents and/or pits. Some are deep, and quite noticeable. The card might even be bent or warped. There may even be a minor crease or two. There is wear and missing color along the edges. While this card has seen better days, it still may have some life left in it, but an opaque sleeve is mandatory.
Heavy Play, HP- 6 or lower
Borderline uncollectable. Barely playable. The edge wear is unmistakable. Faces are ground down from shuffling and being dragged across tables. There is visible damage; something from the face may be torn off like something got stuck to it and, rather than carefully cleaning, just pulled off and took some of the card art with it. There may be creases going from one side of the card to the other. The card may even be bent to the point a single sleeve cannot keep the card even mostly flat. Sleeving is mandatory, and maybe even requires double sleeving.
We reuse shipping materials whenever possible. Please excuse us if the box or filler seems a bit raggedy.
Sales tax is not included in the purchase price and will be applied where applicable.
I will be using Ebay Standard Shipping on this item. The card will be put into a penny sleeve. The sleeve will then be put into a large size card storage sleeve (NOT a top loader as per the agreement with eBay for use of the eBay Standard Shipping policy). Then, I'll put it into a standard mailing envelope. If you need additional shipping services (insurance, Certified Mail, signature confirmation, want to use a different delivery service than the USPS, and whatnot), let me know and the price will be adjusted accordingly.
We'll ship within 1 - 3 business days after receiving payment.