In brief: Condition describes the physical state of a Pokémon card. The assessment covers the entire card—the front, back, corners, edges, surface and any damage. This article shows examples from my own cards and serves as a visual supplement to our guide to Pokémon card condition and assessment.
The differences between Near Mint, Excellent, Good, Light Played, Played and Poor are easier to understand when you can see specific cards. The images below show cards from my own collection and the signs of wear that influenced their overall condition.
A photograph cannot show everything. Lighting, angle, image quality and reflections may conceal micro-scratches, clouding, pressure marks and slight bends. The final assessment should therefore always be based on a physical inspection of both the front and the back.
Condition and grading are not the same
Condition describes the physical state of a raw, non-encapsulated card. At CollexyLux, we use the following scale:
- Mint (M)
- Near Mint (NM)
- Excellent (EX)
- Good (GD)
- Light Played (LP)
- Played (PL)
- Poor (PO)
Grading, by contrast, is an external assessment in which a company such as PSA, Beckett or CGC examines the card, assigns a numerical grade and encapsulates it in a protective holder.
The two systems cannot be converted directly on a one-to-one basis. A PSA 9 carrying the designation Mint is, for example, a professional PSA grade. It does not automatically mean that every raw card with a similar visual appearance should be assessed as Mint.
What do we examine when assessing condition?
A Pokémon card is assessed as a whole. We look at areas including:
- Corners: rounding, pressure marks, bends and damage.
- Edges: whitening, colour loss and unevenness.
- Front: scratches, gloss, clouding, print lines and surface wear.
- Back: whitening, scratches, marks and colour loss.
- Flatness: warping, bends and other deformation.
- Structural damage: folds, creases, tears or water damage.
Condition is not an average in which an attractive front automatically compensates for a damaged back. A serious defect can therefore have a major effect on the overall assessment.
Professional grading examples
The first images show professionally graded cards. They are used as visual references for grading and should not be treated as a direct answer for raw condition.
PSA 10 Gem Mint
PSA 10 is the highest grade on the PSA scale. The card should appear exceptionally well preserved, but the assessment follows PSA’s own standards and tolerances.
PSA 9 Mint
PSA 9 carries the designation Mint and shows a very clean visual appearance, but the card may still have a minor defect. It is also important to distinguish between a professional PSA grade and a raw condition assessment.
Visual examples of raw condition
Mint (M)
Mint is the highest raw condition in the scale and should be used very conservatively. The card must appear exceptionally well preserved without visible signs of use.
The PSA 9 card above can serve as a visual reference for a very clean card, but a professional grade is not automatically equivalent to a raw Mint assessment. A raw card should be physically inspected under neutral and angled light before Mint is used.
Near Mint (NM)
A Near Mint card may have a few very minor signs of handling but should still appear clean and well preserved. It should not have major scratches, creases or obvious structural damage.
The two cards show that Near Mint does not look identical across every card type. The assessment is based on the specific defects—not the card’s age, design or market value.
Excellent (EX)
Excellent allows more visible wear than Near Mint. This may include minor whitening, several small surface marks or light wear to the edges and corners.
The card remains presentable in a collection, but its signs of use are clearer than those on a Near Mint copy.
Good (GD)
Good cards have clear wear. Several scratches, whitening, edge wear or surface defects may be present, but the card remains intact and usable.
Holo surfaces should be inspected under angled light because scratches, clouding and other surface marks may be difficult to see in a standard photograph.
Light Played (LP)
Light Played has more pronounced signs of use than Good. The card may have more extensive whitening, several scratches, colour loss and noticeable wear.
Articuno shows a card with visible signs of use on both the front and back, while still falling within the Light Played level.
Played (PL)
Played cards show heavy wear. They may have numerous scratches, extensive whitening, damaged corners, bends or other significant signs of use.
The card can still be used as a collector or playing card, but the damage and wear form a clear part of its visual appearance.
Poor (PO)
Poor is the lowest condition. The card may have extensive creasing, tears, ink, water or surface damage, severe deformation or missing material.
Poor cards may still have personal, historical or collector significance, but the extensive damage should be shown clearly in both the condition and photographs.
How I assess a Pokémon card
- Remove the card from its sleeve: Sleeves and toploaders can conceal scratches, whitening and surface defects.
- Inspect both the front and back: The back may reduce the overall condition even when the front looks attractive.
- Use neutral light: Daylight or a neutral white lamp makes it easier to see colour, surface and edges.
- Tilt the card slowly: Holo scratches, clouding, pressure marks and small defects become clearer under angled light.
- Check corners and edges: View the card from several angles and inspect the full edge.
- Check flatness: Look for warping, bends and other deformation.
- Choose conservatively between two levels: If the card falls between two conditions, it is better to select the lower one and describe the defects clearly.
Condition depends on defects—not the card’s age
A vintage card should not be assessed more leniently simply because it is old. An older card must meet the same condition criteria as a newer card.
Wording such as “good condition for its age” may be used as a supplementary comment, but it must not replace the specific condition assessment.
When can professional grading make sense?
Grading may be relevant when an external assessment, authentication and protective holder have value to the owner or the market.
Consider factors including:
- the card’s demand and documented market price
- the expected grade
- grading, shipping and insurance costs
- whether the card is intended for sale, display or long-term preservation
- the card’s personal or historical significance
Grading is not a guarantee of profit or future price growth. The decision should be based on the specific card and the purpose of having it graded.
Use the complete condition guide
This article provides specific photographs, while the permanent condition guide is CollexyLux’s full reference for the scale, terminology and assessment principles.
Read the guide to Pokémon card condition and assessment before assessing, buying or comparing raw Pokémon cards.
Sources and method
All cards and condition examples shown are from the private CollexyLux collection. Last editorial update: 24 July 2026.
