Card condition: MT, NM, EX, GD, LP, PL and PO
Every loose card at ApansLekstuga is assessed against the Cardmarket scale – the one used on Europe’s largest marketplace for collectible cards – before it is listed. That is our own assessment of the card, not professional grading by PSA, BGS or CGC. Each card is also photographed as it is — the pictures on the product page are the copy you receive, not a catalogue shot.
Used to American sites such as TCGplayer? Roughly, the steps line up like this: MT and NM = Near Mint/Mint, EX and GD = Lightly Played, LP = Moderately Played, PL = Heavily Played, PO = Damaged. Note that LP means different things on the two scales.
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MT
Mint
- What it looks like
- Flawless even on close inspection: sharp corners, clean edges with no whitening, no scratches, dents or print defects, and good centring. We only give Mint to cards we have checked ourselves, card by card.
- Play status
- Unplayed.
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NM
Near Mint
- What it looks like
- Looks fresh from the pack. At most a single microscopic mark – no whitened edges, no scratches and no clouding on the surface.
- Play status
- Unplayed.
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EX
Excellent
- What it looks like
- Very clean with light signs of handling: a little whitening on a corner or along one edge, usually on the back only. No scratches on the surface.
- Play status
- Tournament legal.
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GD
Good
- What it looks like
- Visible but moderate wear: whitening along the edges and corners all round, or light scratches on the surface. A card with surface scratches is never better than Good.
- Play status
- Tournament legal in a sleeve.
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LP
Light Played
- What it looks like
- Clearly played: heavily whitened edges, worn corners, scratches, scuffs or small nicks in the edge. The structure is intact. Light water damage belongs here as long as the card is still tournament legal.
- Play status
- Tournament legal in a sleeve.
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PL
Played
- What it looks like
- Heavy wear all over: deep scratches, a lot of scuffing, dents or bends. The card is whole but looks well used.
- Play status
- May be rejected in tournament play even in an opaque sleeve.
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PO
Poor
- What it looks like
- Damaged: creases, tears, clear water damage, ink or pen marks, missing pieces or recoloured edges.
- Play status
- Not tournament legal. Mostly bought when the card is so rare that any copy is wanted.
A loose card has left its packaging and is therefore sold as a used item, however clean it is. Sealed products are sold as new.
Singles ship in a sleeve and toploader inside a padded envelope, so the card arrives in the same condition it left in.