CardYard AU · condition guide

Card condition guide

Raw (ungraded) cards are listed as NM, LP, MP or HP — here's exactly what each grade means. Professionally graded slabs from PSA, BGS and CGC are explained below.

NM

Near Mint

Essentially pack-fresh — no visible wear.
  • No creases, scratches, bends or edge wear.
  • Only the very faintest imperfections from printing or handling.
  • The condition you'd expect from a card straight out of a pack.
LP

Lightly Played

Minor wear from light use, still crisp in a sleeve.
  • Light surface scratches or slight edge wear from play.
  • No creases, bends, tears or water damage.
  • Looks clean in a sleeve and is fully tournament-playable.
MP

Moderately Played

Visible wear, but still fully playable in a sleeve.
  • Noticeable scratches, edge wear or clouding.
  • May have minor bends but no major creases or tears.
  • Playable in a sleeve — ideal for decks rather than collectors.
HP

Heavily Played

Significant wear — a well-loved workhorse.
  • Heavy scratching, creases, edge wear or staining.
  • May have bends or minor tears, but the card is still identifiable.
  • Fine for casual play; may not be tournament-legal.

Graded cards

High-value cards are often professionally graded: sent to a grading company, inspected, and sealed in a tamper-evident plastic slab with a grade label. CardYard supports the three big graders:

PSA

PSA — grades 1 to 10

The most common grader for Pokémon and sports cards.

A PSA 10 is Gem Mint; a PSA 1 shows heavy wear. The grade is assigned by PSA, not the seller.

BGS

Beckett (BGS) — grades 1 to 10, plus Black Label

Grades the card across four sub-grades (corners, edges, surface, centring).

A BGS Black Label means perfect 10s in every sub-grade — the rarest and most valuable slab.

CGC

CGC — grades 1 to 10, plus Pristine

Known for grading trading-card games quickly.

A CGC Pristine 10 sits above a regular CGC 10 and shows flawless condition.

Graded copies are listed as their own condition — a PSA 10 of a card is a different (and usually pricier) product than a raw Near Mint copy. The grade comes from the grading company; the price is set by the seller, just like any other listing.

Sellers are expected to grade honestly. If a card arrives in worse condition than listed, it's covered by our Money-Back Guarantee.

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Card Condition Guide · CardYard