Cards
Check card condition at home: centering, corners, edges
Four things decide a card's condition: centering, corners, edges and surface. A desk lamp, a dark cloth and a 10x loupe are enough to check all four in a few minutes per card. The result is a condition word such as Near Mint, which describes visible wear, and a centering ratio such as 55/45, the front limit one grading company publishes for its Gem Mint 10.
A home check for any single card. Drafted 8 Nov 2026.
Set up one light and one surface
Work at a clean, dry table on a dark, lint-free cloth. Use one light source, such as a desk lamp, placed low and to the side so it rakes across the card. Raking light shows dents, scratches and print lines that overhead light hides. A loupe of about 10x magnification, or a phone camera zoomed in, shows corner and edge wear. Wash and dry your hands first and hold the card by its edges. Take a first look with the card in its sleeve, then take it out for the surface check, since a sleeve hides fine scratches. Look at both sides; the back shows edge wear first.
Centering compares opposite borders
Centering is how evenly the printed face sits inside the borders. Compare the left border with the right and the top with the bottom. Collectors write it as a ratio, such as 55/45, where the first figure is the wider border's share of the two. A ruler with half-millimetre marks or a printed centering overlay gives a repeatable reading. Measure the back too, since front and back centering are separate and often differ. Centering comes from printing and cutting, so it is fixed when the card leaves the factory. It is the one condition factor that handling never changes, which makes it the first thing to record.
Corners and edges show wear first
Look at each corner under the loupe. A sharp corner comes to a clean, even curve. Wear starts as a small white spot where the coloured layer has rubbed off, then softens the curve. Along the edges, look for whitening, small nicks and rough cuts. Dark borders and the blue back show whitening most clearly. Factory cuts can be rough on a new card, so a rough edge on a fresh pack card is a print feature, while a white line along an edge is wear. Note each flaw with its location, such as back, top left corner, so the record can be compared with the card later.
Surface checks need raking light and a slow tilt
Tilt the card slowly under the side light. Scratches show as thin bright lines, especially across holofoil. Dents and creases show as shadows that move with the angle; a crease breaks the surface layer and usually shows as a white line on the back. Look for print lines, ink spots and roller marks, which come from the factory, and for stains, fingerprints and clouding, which come from handling. Holofoil scratches easily, so check holo and reverse holo cards with the most care. Write factory marks and handling wear in separate notes. Finish by putting the card into a fresh sleeve.
Near Mint is a word for visible wear
Condition words describe what can be seen. Near Mint means minimal wear: at most a tiny white spot on a corner or edge, no creases and no scratches visible at arm's length. Lightly Played means small, clear wear such as edge whitening or light scratches. Moderately Played and Heavily Played mean progressively more wear, creases or scuffing. Damaged covers tears, water damage, writing and bends. Shops and marketplaces publish their own definitions and sometimes their own names, such as Excellent or Good in some countries, so the same card can carry a different word in two places. Read the definition used by whoever describes the card.
10 checks before you act
- Hands washed and dry, card held by the edges
- One side light, a dark cloth, a loupe or a zoomed phone camera
- Front centering: left against right, top against bottom, written as a ratio
- Back centering measured separately
- Four corners checked under magnification, front and back
- Four edges checked for whitening, nicks and rough cuts
- Surface tilted under the side light for scratches, dents and creases
- Factory marks noted separately from handling wear
- Condition word chosen from the definition you are using
- Card returned to a fresh sleeve
Read next
Sources read for this page
- ReadShop and marketplace condition definitionsundated
- ReadPublished grading scales and service pages of two grading companiesread 8 Nov 2026