Whether you are selling a few spare rares, buying singles to upgrade a Commander deck or valuing a whole collection, you will meet the same five letters: NM, LP, MP, HP and DMG. These condition grades decide what a card is worth, and two sellers can describe the same card very differently. Knowing what each grade means, and how to check a card yourself, saves money and arguments.
The short answer: Near Mint (NM) means the card looks almost fresh from the pack; Lightly Played (LP) shows minor edge or corner wear; Moderately Played (MP) has obvious wear and perhaps a minor crease; Heavily Played (HP) is well worn with multiple creases or marks; and Damaged (DMG) covers tears, writing, water damage or major bends. Check both sides under a bright light, and the worse side sets the grade.
What do MTG card condition grades mean?
Most UK and international card shops use a five-step scale. Some older listings use Slightly Played (SP) or Excellent (EX) between NM and MP, which broadly matches Lightly Played.
| Grade | What you see | Not allowed | Rough value vs NM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near Mint (NM) | Clean surface, sharp corners, perhaps a tiny speck of edge wear | Visible scratches, creases, whitened corners | Full price |
| Lightly Played (LP) | Light edge whitening, slight corner wear, a few faint scratches | Creases, bends, ink, water damage | Roughly 70–90% |
| Moderately Played (MP) | Clear edge and corner wear, scratches, possibly a small crease | Folds, ink, water damage | Roughly 50–70% |
| Heavily Played (HP) | Heavy wear, several creases, scratches across the art, light water marks | Tears, full folds through the card | Roughly 30–50% |
| Damaged (DMG) | Tears, writing, major water damage, heavy bends | Must still be identifiable | Often 25–35% or bulk |
Percentages vary by shop, card age and demand, so treat them as a guide rather than a price list.
How do you check a card's condition at home?
Take the card out of its sleeve, hold it under a bright daylight bulb at a shallow angle and rotate it slowly. Check the four edges, the four corners, the front surface and then the back, which usually wears faster from shuffling. Whichever side is worse decides the grade.
What is edge whitening?
Edge whitening is the white or silvery wear that appears when the dark border on the back of a card is rubbed, usually from shuffling unsleeved or in loose sleeves. It is the most common reason a card drops from NM to LP. Tight, good-quality sleeves prevent it; see how to sleeve a Commander deck.
How do foils differ when grading?
Foils show scratches and scuffs more easily, often only when tilted to the light, and their edges whiten more visibly. Curling, often called ‘pringling’, is also common; a barely visible curve is usually tolerated, while an obvious one typically pushes a card to MP or lower. Our guide to why MTG cards curl explains how to prevent it.
Should you get cards professionally graded?
Professional grading services such as PSA, BGS and CGC seal cards in a case with a score out of ten. It is usually only worth the fees and postage for genuinely valuable cards in excellent condition, since played cards tend to grade low and can be worth less slabbed than raw. For most Commander players, accurate NM/LP/MP grading is all you need.
How does condition affect buying and selling?
When buying for play, LP or MP cards are often the best value because they look fine in a sleeve and cost noticeably less. When selling, grade honestly and photograph both sides, because buyers and shops will regrade on arrival. Our guide to valuing an MTG collection covers pricing, and spotting fake cards helps when buying second-hand.
How do you keep cards in Near Mint condition?
Sleeve anything you play with, keep decks in a hard deck box rather than loose or rubber-banded, and store collections somewhere cool and dry. Handle cards with clean hands and keep drinks off the table. See storing valuable MTG cards and cleaning MTG cards for more.
Keep your deck in top condition
SquadPod Slim – £19.99. Holds 100 single-sleeved cards plus 10 tokens in two side-by-side stacks (approx. 90 double-sleeved), with your commander protected in the included rigid toploader behind the front window. Hinged lid with side click latch, approx. 168 × 100 × 50 mm, in five colourways.
Commander Deck Box with Card Stand – £24.95. Sturdier, 100+ single-sleeved cards, toploader locked to the front by a clip, card stand included and designed to pass the shake test.
Card Scanner Stand – £22.95. Feed 80+ sleeved or around 150 unsleeved cards per tray into your phone scanning app when cataloguing a collection.
Made in our UK workshop. See all SquadPod deck boxes.
Related reading
- Are Proxies Allowed in MTG Commander?
- How to Play MTG Commander with Two Players
- How to Store Valuable MTG Cards Safely at Home
- How to Value an MTG Card Collection
- How to Clean MTG Cards Safely
- Why Do MTG Cards Curl? How to Stop Foil Cards Warping
Magic: The Gathering® and MTG are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. These names are used for descriptive and compatibility purposes only. SquadPod® is a registered trade mark; WarSplay is a brand of Blubbercove Ltd. Blubbercove Ltd is an independent UK company and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or approved by Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro or any other trade mark owner named on this page.