A photo guide for staff & customers
Know what to expect from every card.
Compare real photos, recognise common flaws, and understand how we assign card conditions. Inspect the front, back, edges and corners — the lowest condition required by any defect is the card’s condition.
Pokémon · Riftbound · Magic: The Gathering · One Piece · Other TCGs
Every permanent crease is Damaged.
A tiny corner crease, a faint fold, or a crease visible on only one side is enough. A clean front or a sleeve does not change that condition.
Conditions at a glance
These are Derpy Cards house standards for raw cards. Near Mint does not promise a particular professional grade.
| Condition | Edges & corners | Surface & structure |
|---|---|---|
| NMNear Mint | Crisp corners. Up to 3 tiny, separate white spots across the whole card. No continuous edge whitening. | Clean surfaces. No visible scratches, scuffs, smudges, dents or creases. |
| LPLightly Played | Light edge or corner wear. Thin, limited whitening; the card still looks clean overall. | Shallow surface scratches. Foils may have many fine scratches while artwork and finish remain intact. No dents or permanent creases. |
| MPModerately Played | Obvious edge wear, broader whitening and softened corners. | Stronger scratches, dull scuffed patches, or a shallow dent without a fold. Card remains intact, with no permanent crease. |
| HPHeavily Played | Extensive whitening or heavily rounded corners. Wear dominates the appearance. | Dense scuffing, deep scratches or pronounced dents. Cardstock remains intact: no permanent crease, tear or separating layers. |
| DMGDamaged | A permanent corner fold, torn edge, missing piece or splitting layers is enough. | Any permanent crease, tear, puncture, peeling or separating layer, water damage, or broken cardstock. One qualifying defect is enough. |
More than 3 tiny white spots rules out NM; it does not automatically mean LP. Judge how widespread and obvious the wear is. Photos illustrate named features; unseen flaws may require a lower condition.
Clean surfaces. Crisp edges.
Our Dragonite EX example has one reported tiny white spot and otherwise clean surfaces. Check the foil at an angle before assigning NM.
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Dragonite EX · back
Look here: Check the blue border and corner tips. One tiny white fleck can still be NM. A long white line or broad patch is wear, not one tiny spot.
Photo: Derpy Cards
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Dragonite EX · front
Look here: The regular ridges are printed foil texture. The rest of the surface must be clean, including under angled light.
Photo: Derpy Cards
Simple condition note: “NM — one tiny white corner spot; surfaces otherwise clean.”
More NM photos: another angle & a clean back
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Dragonite · another angle
Use a second angle to check all edges and corners. Glare can hide surface wear.
Photo: Derpy Cards
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Online NM appearance example
Compare the clean border and corner shape. Still inspect both faces before assigning the final condition.
Photo: PokeScope
Light wear, even with a clean front.
Our Umbreon EX example is LP because of back-edge whitening. A clean-looking front does not cancel wear on the back.
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Umbreon EX · back-edge whitening
Look here: Follow the bottom blue edge. Pale chips and a thin white line show handling wear while the card keeps its shape.
Photo: Derpy Cards
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Umbreon EX · front
Look here: The front presents well, but the back sets the LP condition. Tilt the foil to check areas hidden by glare.
Photo: Derpy Cards
Simple condition note: “LP — whitening along the back bottom edge; front clean.”
More LP photos: another angle & light edge wear
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Umbreon · another back view
Compare the edge chips with the closer angled view above. Judge the whole card.
Photo: Derpy Cards
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Online LP edge example
Limited edge whitening can fit LP. Remove the sleeve before checking whether a mark is on the card.
Photo: Derpy Cards / Terence Phung
Many fine foil scratches can still be LP.
Judge how scratches affect the finish, not just how many lines you can count. Shallow hairlines can qualify as LP when the artwork and shiny finish remain intact and the rest of the card is clean.
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Scizor · straight-on view
The foil can look fairly clean from one angle. Always tilt the card before deciding its condition.
Photo: fieldy618 / Elite Fourum
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Same Scizor · tilted view
Look here: Fine hairlines catch the light around the Pokémon, especially near the claws. The broad diagonal bands are part of the illustration.
Photo: fieldy618 / Elite Fourum
Simple condition note: “LP — numerous shallow holo scratches visible when tilted.”
| Condition | What to look for |
|---|---|
| LP | Many thin, shallow hairlines may catch the light. Artwork and finish remain intact; the card otherwise looks clean. |
| MP | Stronger scratches remain obvious in ordinary viewing, or rubbing creates dull scuffed patches. |
| HP | Dense overlapping scratches, cloudy rubbed areas or deep grooves dominate the surface. Cardstock is still intact. |
| DMG | A permanent crease, peeling foil, a tear or broken cardstock makes the card Damaged, regardless of its scratches. |
Scratches or normal printed texture?
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Oricorio ex · shallow scratches
Look here: Stray fine marks interrupt the regular texture, especially in the gold field left of the Pokémon and near its lower body. A clean back does not rule out LP foil wear.
Photo: Fandom Tokyo
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Dragonite EX · normal texture
Repeating, deliberate ridges belong to the card’s design. Scratches tend to cut across that pattern. Tilt in several directions to see the difference.
Photo: Derpy Cards
Wear is easy to see.
Obvious edge wear or stronger surface wear can set MP by itself. A shallow dent without a fold is also MP at best.
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MP foil case · stronger scratches
Look here: Bright scratch lines cross Latios’s body and wing. The rubbed area beside the left wing looks rougher than the surrounding foil.
Photo: eBay listing 386215835341
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MP edge case · worn corners
Look here: Whitening runs around several edges, with broad worn corners. It stands out more than the thin whitening on the Umbreon LP example.
Photo: Derpy Cards / Terence Phung
Simple condition note: “MP — obvious holo scratches and a scuffed patch.” Or: “MP — worn back edges and corners.”
A deep groove or extensive heavy wear may be HP. Any permanent crease, peeling layer or tear is Damaged.
Heavy wear dominates the card.
Extensive cosmetic wear, heavily rounded corners or pronounced dents can qualify as HP. The card must still be intact and uncreased.
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HP foil case · dense, cloudy wear
Look here: Overlapping scratches and cloudy rubbed areas distract from Mewtwo’s foil. The finish is badly worn.
Photo: eBay listing 116675655255
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HP surface case · extensive scratches
Look here: Scratches spread across the centre and border of this Magic card back. The same wear principles apply across games.
Photo: Face to Face Games
Simple condition note: “HP — widespread scuffing and heavy surface scratches.”
A permanent crease, torn edge, hole or lifting layer changes the condition to Damaged, even if the other wear looks like HP.
A small permanent crease is enough.
Every lasting fold line or ridge caused by bending or crushing is Damaged. This includes corner creases, faint creases and creases visible on only one face.
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Small crease · Pokémon back
Look here: A short fold starts below the upper Pokémon lettering and runs into the red part of the Poké Ball. The rest can look fairly clean and still be Damaged.
Photo: PokeScope
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Larger crease · Magneton front
Look here: A fold runs across the lower front near weakness and retreat cost. The permanent crease decides the condition, regardless of foil wear.
Photo: TCG Review / Kamryn Kirwan
Simple condition note: “DMG — permanent crease on the back above the Poké Ball.”
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Small edge fold · still Damaged
Look here: A narrow vertical fold drops from the top edge through the black border near the centre. Once confirmed as permanent, it is Damaged.
Photo: Face to Face Games
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Tears, lifted material & a puncture
Look here: Lifted white material at the upper right and a hole above the lower lettering. Either defect is enough for Damaged.
Photo: PokeScope
Damaged does not have to mean destroyed.
Also Damaged: water damage, missing pieces, a split through the cardstock, or foil peeling away from the card. One qualifying defect is enough.
Source labels can differ: PokeScope labels the small Pokémon crease MP, and Face to Face groups the small edge fold under HP. Derpy Cards classifies both as Damaged because every permanent crease is Damaged.
A simple check before assigning condition
Use the same light and process for every game. Record the flaw people can see.
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Whitening · colour worn off an edge
Pale dots or a white line reveal worn edge colour. Limited wear can be LP; broader, more obvious wear is MP or HP. Check the spread and corner shape.
Photo: Face to Face Games
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Pressure mark · dent or crease?
A dent is a pressed-in spot without a fold line. Check both faces: a shallow dent is MP at best; pronounced dents can be HP. Any permanent fold or ridge is Damaged.
Photo: Face to Face Games
- Remove the sleeve. Use clean, dry hands and a clean mat. Check whether the mark is on the sleeve or the card.
- Look and tilt. Check both faces, every edge and every corner under a bright lamp. Never flex, rub or press a card to test a flaw.
- Use the lowest condition. Check Damaged triggers first, then compare edges and surfaces with these photos. A clean side never cancels a worse defect.
- Explain the decision. Write the condition, flaw and location, and add a clear defect photo. Ask a second employee when a feature is unclear.
Condition describes the card’s physical state. It does not guarantee tournament eligibility.
Keep a copy at the counter
The illustrated PDF guide
Use the same photo examples and house standards in a printable, 10-page guide for staff and customers.
Derpy Cards Condition Guide · Version 1.3 · PDF
Read the PDF on this page
If the viewer does not load on your device, use the PDF button above.
Photo sources & how to use these examples
Photos are unretouched. Captions apply Derpy Cards house policy to the visible feature; they do not certify unseen areas. Inspect the physical card before assigning a final condition.
- Dragonite EX and Umbreon EX photos supplied by Derpy Cards.
- Derpy Cards / Terence Phung — online LP and MP edge examples.
- PokeScope — NM appearance, small crease and torn Pokémon back.
- fieldy618 / Elite Fourum — Scizor at two angles.
- Fandom Tokyo — Oricorio ex scratch close-up. Text on that image belongs to the source.
- eBay listings 386215835341 (Latios) and 116675655255 (Mewtwo).
- TCG Review / Kamryn Kirwan — Magneton crease.
- Face to Face Games — Magic surface wear, edge fold, whitening and pressure mark.
