Card Conditions & GradingUpdated 3 months ago
Star City Games® uses a four-tier grading scale for Magic: The Gathering, Disney Lorcana, and Flesh and Blood cards.
- Near Mint (NM): Minimal or subtle wear.
- Played (PL): Obvious wear.
- Heavily Played (HP): Major wear.
- Damaged (DMG): Unsuitable for tournament play.
Star City Games sells Damaged (DMG) cards only in-person. The StarCityGames.com website offers cards in Heavily Played (HP) and better condition.
Signatures and tournament stamps on cards can also affect their grades and pricing.
How We Grade
We grade a card primarily by evaluating its back side, except for double-faced cards and foils. Although we focus on the card back, we do review the front of every card for imperfections.
For double-faced cards and foils, the lower condition of the card's two sides determines the grade.
Magic: The Gathering cards printed after 2020 may have more manufacturing printing variance than other cards.
Near Mint (NM)
Cards in Near Mint condition may show subtle wear.
Cards with multiple types of wear are more likely to be graded as Played.
Played (PL)
Cards in Played condition show obvious wear.
Cards with wear beyond average are more likely to be graded as Heavily Played.
Heavily Played (HP)
Cards in Heavily Played condition show major wear. These cards are tournament-playable in sleeves.
Cards with issues beyond "major" are more likely to be graded as Damaged.
Damaged (DMG)
Cards graded as Damaged usually have issues severe enough to disqualify them from tournament play and are not sold on our website. We do sell Damaged cards at our sales booth at SCG CON and at the Star City Comics and Games retail location in Roanoke, VA.
Types of Near Mint (NM) Wear
Return to the Near Mint (NM) section.
- Subtle Scratching - Lines that do not remove any color from the card and are present in no more than three (3) areas. They do not appear as white lines.
- Subtle Corner Wear - Light abrasions that appear on no more than two (2) corners and cannot be seen on both sides. This is adjusted for card stock age and typical wear.
- Subtle Border Wear - Small abrasions along edges that are present in no more than three (3) areas and are not concentrated to one (1) area.
- Subtle Clouding - Hazy areas of micro-abrasions appearing in isolation. This is adjusted for card stock age and typical wear.
- Subtle Curling - A card with no other wear may have up to 5mm of flex from curling. This is measured by the gap between the card and a flat surface.
- Subtle Print Errors - Adjusted tolerance for common manufacturing errors.
- Subtle Impression - A surface indentation that appears or can be felt on only one (1) side of the card.
Types of Played Wear
- Scratching - Any distinct abrasion on either side of the card that appears as a white line.
- Bends - Any bending on the card that does not crease the card and does not feel stiff.
- Clouding - Large, hazy areas of micro-abrasions.
- Shuffle Crease - Minor creasing at the top, side, or bottom that does not extend beyond the border and is present in no more than one (1) area.
- Border Wear - Any distinct abrasions along the edges that appear in more than three (3) areas.
- Dirt - Grime without a texture that is isolated to a small area and cannot be removed.
- Curling - Cards with more than 5mm of flex from curling or any curling in combination with other wear. The flex is measured by the gap between the card and a flat surface.
- Print Errors - Misprints or defects that cover large, highly noticeable areas.
- Corner Wear - Abrasions or impressions that appear on more than two (2) corners.
- Minor Impressions - More than one (1) subtle indent felt on no more than one (1) side of the card.
Types of Heavily Played Wear
Return to the Heavily Played section.
- Major Dirt - Grime in a large area or in more than one (1) area or that has a texture.
- Water Damage - Any water damage that is not excessive.
- Major Whitening - Wear from play that removes color beyond the border of the card.
- Major Border/Corner Wear - Significant damage to the borders or corners of a card.
- Major Shuffle Crease - Creasing that goes beyond the border of the card.
- Major Impressions - Any indent that can be felt on both sides of the card but cannot be felt through a sleeve.
Types of Damaged Wear
Return to the Damaged section.
- Ink - Any signs of ink (excluding signatures or tournament stamps) that did not come from the manufacturer.
- Excessive Water Damage - Water damage that alters card coloring or structural integrity.
- Excessive Delamination - Any damage that causes layers to peel.
- Tearing - Any tears, rips, holes, gashes, gouges, etc.
- Excessive Odor - Strong odor that does not dissipate overnight.
- Excessive Damage - Any number of unlisted issues that affect the ability to use a card in tournament play may cause it to be sold or purchased as damaged.
Signed and Stamped Cards
Star City Games does not offer signed or tournament-stamped (Signed/Stamped) cards on the StarCityGames.com website. Star City Games does sell Signed/Stamped cards in person and through third-party platforms.
Star City Games does purchase Signed/Stamped cards. The majority of signatures and stamps detract from the value of a card.
If you are selling us Signed/Stamped cards, please disclose which cards are signed and/or stamped when submitting your Sell Request so that we can adjust your Sell Request accordingly.