Pokémon card condition: Near Mint, Excellent and Played

Inspect the whole copy, not just the artwork

Hold the card gently by its edges above a clean surface. Inspect the front and back head-on, then change the angle under a steady light. Look for white edge spots, rounded or frayed corners, scratches, scuffing, dull areas, dents, creases, staining and separation of the layers. Photograph any specific defect in addition to the full views.

A sleeve can hide wear or add its own scratches and glare. Remove it only if you can do so without forcing the card. Do not rub, flatten, polish or recolor a defect. Record what you can actually see, including what the sleeve or lighting prevents you from checking. A sharp front photograph alone leaves the back unknown.

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Read the Cardmarket scale in its own terms

Cardmarket’s order is Mint (M), Near Mint (NM), Excellent (EX), Good (GD), Light Played (LP), Played (PL), Poor (PO). These labels describe ranges, not seven exact amounts of damage. Near Mint is not a promise of a flawless specimen; Excellent and Good are lower categories, while the played labels call for increasingly careful examination of wear.

Use the linked official guide and its examples for the actual boundary decisions. In particular, visible clouding excludes Near Mint under that guide, and surface scratches make a card Good at best. Age does not excuse wear. Do not call a vintage card Near Mint merely because it looks good compared with other childhood cards.

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Compare other scales without inventing a conversion

TCGplayer lists Near Mint, Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played and Damaged. It does not include Cardmarket’s Excellent category. Its rules allow different defects at different severities, so “LP” written by one seller cannot simply be copied into another marketplace’s LP field.

PSA uses numerical professional grades with its own criteria. An ungraded Near Mint listing is not a promised PSA result, and a condition label cannot predict what a grading company will assign. For a slabbed card, verify the company, certificate and exact listing separately instead of treating the holder’s number as a raw-market condition.

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Build evidence a buyer can inspect

Take straight front and back pictures in neutral light, plus closer views of worn corners and any crease or dent. Keep them unfiltered and retain the originals. Include an angled image when surface wear disappears in the straight-on view. Describe the location of a defect in words, so the reader can find it in the image.

The diagram here identifies inspection areas; it is not a photographic set of grading examples. When a boundary is uncertain, consult the marketplace examples and disclose the observable marks. This is more useful than declaring “perfect” from one flattering angle or hiding uncertainty behind a plus/minus label.

Compare prices for the matching condition

Use equivalent language, set, printing and physical condition. There is no universal percentage to deduct for a white corner or crease. Card Scan Lab’s EUR reference may describe a Near Mint market reference; it does not establish that your copy meets that standard. Read the EUR price guide and seek comparable worn copies if yours has wear. The scanner does not authenticate cards or assign physical condition or a professional grade from the photo.