10 Pristine
10 Pristine is the highest level of perfection possible to find in a card. All of the following criteria must be met: All four edges must be cleanly cut, displaying no whitening or nicks of any kind. All four corners must be sharp as well as cleanly and evenly cut, displaying no whitening or nicks and no irregularities of shape. The surfaces on both sides must be free from any kinds of stains, scratches or print lines, although an allowance may be made for a single minor factory print mark on the reverse of the card where it is not deemed to detract from the eye appeal in any way. 10 STAR represents a card with near-perfect eye appeal, and as such the centering may not exceed a ratio of 55/45 anywhere on the front, or 65/35 anywhere on the back.
10 Gem Mint
10 Gem Mint is an outstanding quality card. A Gem Mint 10 rivals the highest possible grade for eye appeal, giving the appearance of a near-perfect card. A single micro-imperfection will be permitted on one of edges, corners, or surface, but only where it is not deemed to detract from the overall eye appeal of the card. The card must be centered within a ratio not exceeding 60/40 at any point on the front, and 75/25 at any point on the back.
9 Mint
9 warrants its name of Mint, displaying all the traits of a brand-new card. A 9 will display well-cut and clean edges on both sides, with no more than a few very small spots of whitening visible upon close inspection. Corners must be sharp and free from wear, although one or two spots of whitening may be permitted. Minor irregularities of shape are also allowed, as long as they do not significantly detract from the eye appeal of the card. The surfaces on both sides must be clean and give off the impression of a brand-new card, but exceptions will be made for very minor print lines, print marks or scratches, particularly on the reverse of the card. The card must be centered within a ratio not exceeding 65/35 at any point on the front, and 80/20 at any point on the back.
8 Near Mint to Mint
8 is overall a fantastic quality card, with strong eye appeal and no more than a handful of visible defects. Edges and corners must still be sharp with no softness, but a number of small spots of whitening or a nick will be permitted. The surface will remain bright and give off a clean appearance, but minor scratches or print defects will often become apparent upon closer inspection. The card must be centered within a ratio of 75/25 on the front to attain an unqualified grade of 8.
7 Near Mint
7 is an excellent quality card, though one which displays more visible and varied imperfections. Edges and corners will often show minor wear, with marginal softness possible as long as the appeal of the card is still good. The surface may display scratches, minor indents or stains, or more major print issues such as registration errors. However, the combination of these defects will not bring the appeal of the card lower than Near Mint. Centering will no longer be taken into account when assigning a grade of 7 or lower.
6 Excellent to Near Mint
6 is an overall appealing card, but one which displays defects not permitted in the higher grades. Very minor creases or bends may be present, as well as larger surface issues such as binder impressions. A major edge or corner issue may be present, such as a large nick or ding, and minor fraying may be present as a result of wear.
5 Excellent
5 is a card beginning to show more serious defects. Eye appeal is still a consideration and the card must look good from a distance, but upon closer inspection creases and dents may become apparent which would not be permitted in a 6, although they cannot cover the length of the card. Deeper scratches are to be expected on a 5, and minor soiling may also be present as long as it does not impact the appeal of the card significantly.
4 Very Good
4 is still free from major creases and will not display tears of any kind, but overall gives off the look of a played card. Obvious wear around the edges and corners is to be expected, and large creases may be present, although they still will not cover the length of the card. More noticeable soiling and heavy scuffing may be found on the surface.
3 Good
3 is a card which has seen extensive play. The card will still be clearly intact and should preserve some semblance of surface gloss, but serious issues will be apparent at first sight, including bends and creases which may cover the length of the card and obvious scuffing or soiling.
2 Fair
2 is a card nearing the end of its journey. The edges and corners may be worn smooth from use, and the card will usually feature a combination of heavy creases, dents, major scuffing, and soiling.
1 Poor
1 is a card on its last legs. Though still in one piece, the card will feature an array of serious defects which will leave it with little to no eye appeal. Folds, tears and liquid damage may all be present on a 1, although it must still be free from alterations or markings of any kind to achieve an unqualified grade.
QUALIFIERS
Qualifiers are added to a grade to signify that a card has been awarded that grade in spite of possessing a defect which may otherwise have resulted in a lower grade.
OC (Off-Centre): The card does not meet the centering requirements of the grade it has been awarded, but meets all the requirements for edges, corners, and surface. 9OC is the highest possible grade that can be awarded to a card centered to a ratio worse than 60/40 at any point on the front, or 80/20 at any point on the back.
MC (Miscut): In contrast to an OC card, which still displays 4 complete borders on both sides regardless of centering ratio, a card awarded the MC qualifier will be either partially or wholly missing a border on one or both sides. Similar to OC, the highest grade that can be qualified as Miscut is 9MC.
WS (Wax Stain): A card awarded the WS qualifier will feature a noticeable amount of factory wax staining on the reverse. The grade will be awarded where the staining is not deemed to detract from the eye appeal of the card. As with other qualifiers, the highest grade which can receive this designation is 9WS.
MK (Marked): A card with the MK qualifier features some kind of marking which has been added to it outside the printing process. All forms of inking will automatically receive this qualifier regardless of size, with the exception of autographs. The highest grade a Marked card can receive is a 5MK.
