Guide

Pokémon card condition: what Near Mint, Excellent and Played mean

On marketplaces every card carries a condition grade such as “Near Mint” or “Played”. Sellers assign it themselves, so it pays to know the grades and to set a minimum condition when you buy.

Last updated: 20 October 2026

The grades at a glance

Minimum condition in Cardfolio and the matching grades at Cardmarket and TCGplayer
Cardfolio choice	Cardmarket	TCGplayer	Meaning
Like new	Near Mint	Near Mint	Almost no visible signs of wear.
Very good	Near Mint or Excellent	Near Mint or Lightly Played	Small marks on edges or surface.
Used	up to Light Played	up to Lightly Played	Visible scratches or edge wear.
Clearly used	up to Played	up to Heavily Played	Clear signs of wear, small creases possible.
Any	all grades	all grades	Damaged cards can be offered as well.

The mapping is a guide. The marketplaces use different scales, and the borders between two grades are not sharp.

What sellers look at

Corners: white spots or rounding at the corners lower the grade first.
Edges: worn edges stand out especially on the dark card back.
Surface: scratches, dents or loss of shine, on holo cards mainly in the shiny area.
Creases: a crease lowers the grade clearly. How well the print is centred usually plays a smaller role in marketplace grades.

Because sellers grade their own cards, the same card can be rated differently by two sellers. Photos and description are worth a look when you pick single cards very carefully.

Which minimum condition for a gift?

For a gift, “Very good” is usually a good compromise: small marks are allowed, the cards still look tidy in the binder, and the choice stays large. If you want a particularly high-quality gift, choose “Like new” and accept a smaller selection.

Cardfolio advises against “Any” for gifts because damaged cards may be included. How to set the minimum condition on Cardmarket for the whole list is shown in the illustrated guide.

Keep reading

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