Condition Guide

NM/M (Near Mint / Mint)

A trading card categorized as Near Mint / Mint condition will exhibit minimal signs of wear, if any, and might possess a slight whitening on a single edge of the card.

EX (Excellent)

A trading card categorized as Excellent condition will display slight indications of minor play. In this condition, the card may show one or more of the following characteristics:

• Small marks on the card's sides
• Light wear present on one or more corners/edges of the card
• Minor surface scratches found on either the front or back of the card
• Slight bending or creases due to being stored in a binder
• Surface scratches on the foil of a holographic card

Unless certified by a professional grading company, all artist autographed cards in our collection will be classified as EX (Excellent) condition.

US (Used)

A trading card categorised as Used condition will exhibit more noticeable signs of wear. In this condition, the card may display one or more of the following characteristics:

• Whitening apparent on multiple sides of the card
• Fading or whitening of the front and/or back surface
• Shuffling marks or creases along the edges
• Clear signs of corner wear
• Moderate bending caused by being stored in a binder
• Clearly visible surface scratches on holographic cards
• Minor creases

Used condition cards also include:

1. All artist-signed cards that are otherwise in EX or US condition
2. All cards that have been written on by previous owners but are otherwise in NM or EX condition.

Please note that for officially sanctioned tournaments, it is advisable to use opaque sleeves when playing with a card in Used condition.

HP (Heavily Played)

A trading card categorised as Heavily Played Condition, as the poorest card condition, signifies cards that exhibit significant wear or damage and are generally not available for sale on our website. A card in this condition may display one or more of the following characteristics:

• Major inking
• Physical damage such as minor tearing or holes
• Extensive corner wear
• Noticeable whitening on the front or back
• Multiple creases
• Major water damage
• Writing on either the front or back of the card
• Prominent shuffle creases
• Cards with obvious surface damage or minor indentations
• Intense and consistent border wear
• When it comes to playing a card in Good condition at sanctioned tournaments, it is advisable to use opaque sleeves.

GEM-MT (Gem Mint) 10

• A PSA GEM Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card.

MINT 9

• A PSA Mint 9 is a superb condition card that does not quite reach the required criteria that a GEM Mint 10 card expects.

NM-MT (Near Mint/Mint) 8

• A PSA NM-MT 8 is a super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the card will have flaws.

NM 7 (Near Mint)

• A PSA NM 7 is a card with just a slight surface wear visible upon close inspection.

EX-MT (Excellent-Mint) 6

• A PSA EX-MT 6 card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect which does not detract from its overall appeal.

EX (Excellent) 5

• On PSA EX-5 cards, very minor rounding of the corners is becoming evident. Surface wear or printing defects are more visible.

VG-EX (Very Good-Excellent) 4

• A PSA VG-EX 4 card’s corners may be slightly rounded.

VG (Very Good) 3

• A PSA VG 3 card reveals some rounding of the corners, though not extreme.

GOOD 2

• A PSA 2 Good card’s corners show accelerated rounding and surface wear is starting to become obvious.

FR (Fair) 1.5

• A PSA Fair 1.5 card’s corners will show extreme wear, possibly affecting framing of the picture.

PR (Poor) 1

• A PSA Poor 1 will exhibit many of the same qualities of a PSA Fair 1.5 but the defects may have advanced to such a serious stage that the eye appeal of the card has nearly vanished in its entirety.

Click here for a more detailed description of PSA’s grading standards.

Beckett Grading Services utilises a straightforward grading scale ranging from 1 to 10, with increments of one-half point (e.g., 10, 9.5, 9, 8.5, etc.). Their grading system provides you with a comprehensive report detailing your card's key attributes, without any confusing qualifiers to decipher.

To easily identify top-graded cards, Beckett Grading Services employs premium-coloured labels. The highest graded cards (9.5-10) are distinguished by a gold label affixed to the front of the unique cardholder. Cards graded 8.5 to 9 are adorned with a silver label. All other grades feature a distinctive and visually appealing white label.

For more information regarding Beckett’s Grading guidelines, click here.

Sealed/Like New
A box or sealed item categorised as "Sealed/Like New" will show no indications of wear or damage to the cardboard exterior or the surrounding plastic wrap. If an item falls under this category, you can expect it to be suitable for display among sealed collectors due to its pristine condition.

Sealed/Excellent

A box or sealed item categorised as "Like New," may display slight signs of wear and tear. Despite these minor imperfections, the sealed item remains unopened inside. It might exhibit one or more of the following characteristics:

• A tear on the external plastic wrap that is not significant enough to have exposed or removed the contents.
• A dent on the cardboard surrounding the item.
• A crease in the cardboard surrounding the item.

Sealed/Broken Seal

A box or sealed item categorised as “Sealed/Broken Seal” will exhibit noticeable seal damage on the plastic, indicating significant tears or openings that allow access to the contents. While these items may not be suitable for display as sealed items, they are still worth opening to view their contents. Items in this category may show one or more of the following characteristics:

• Significant tears in the outer plastic wrap, allowing access to the contents
• Dents or tears in the cardboard surrounding the item
• Folds or creases in the cardboard surrounding the item

Opened/No Seal

A box or sealed item categorised as “Opened/No Seal” will be highly uncommon for us to offer an item without any external plastic wrap. However, in the rare event that such an item becomes available, you can anticipate observing one or more of the following indications:

• Absence of external plastic wrap, allowing access to the contents, which may have been altered before arriving at the The Trio Vault warehouse
• Dents or tears in the cardboard surrounding the item
• Folds, holes, or creases in the cardboard surrounding the item
• Folds in the interior packaging. In the case of a booster box, the booster packs might display signs of wear and tear.