The condition of sports cards is judged with numerical grades provided by third-party companies or by qualitative adjectives representing their value. We will discuss the latter in this blog.
But first, please note that there are strong similarities between how sports cards and postcards are labeled with these names and adjectives.
Mint Cards
Mint (MT or mt) refers to those cards without any flaws whatsoever, i.e., in the same condition as issued (unopened packs, etc.), and usually never used in any way. However, collectors generally believe that most cards are actually in the Nr-MT condition because they have been handled to some extent.
Near Mint (Nr-MT or NM)
A Near Mint card should look like it has never been manipulated without sleeves. There could be some micro defects, though. Small issues may be present, but the card generally has no noticeable wear. NM cards can have borders with small white spots, but they must be very few and tiny, so the bare eye cannot notice them.
Excellent Mint (EX-MT)
These sports cards may have two or more micro defects. A “micro defect” could mean fuzzy corners, printer’s lines or spots, slight off-centering, or slight loss of original gloss.
Excellent (EX)
There’s surface wear, edges may be chipped, and a loss of original gloss may exist. The card may have scratches, the borders may be off-color, and it could have a slight crease on one side but not through completely.
The card may have a slight/faint edge and corner wear but no face or back damage.
Very Good (VG)
Cards usually have noticeable edge wear and corner damage, but the face and back have no significant damage. A VG label should always mention creases. And regarding the major defect, one or two might apply.
Good (G) or Fair (F)
Good sports cards may have two or more major defects. Quantitatively, they’re 10% of Nr-MT’s value. Here, “major defects” mean rounded corners, a badly off-centered look, creases, and deceptive trimming.
G cards may also have repaired borders, pin or staple holes, writing or tape marks on the front, water stains, or sun fading.
Poor (P)
These cards have one catastrophic defect, i.e., any badly rounded corners, heavy creases, obvious trimming, big punch holes, tack holes, and tears.
Final Thought
As far as sports card conditions are concerned, make sure to check four elements: the edge, the center, the surface, and the corners. Centering is more challenging to judge on non-border cards.
But if you compare the same set, you can perhaps make a good judgment. Looking at several of the cards gives you an idea of where the player or team should be located.
We actually revealed this to you as a pro tip. Get in touch if you’d like to sell your cards to American Legends.
