This guide sets expectations for how cards should be graded for sale on Mana Pool.

Overall, we encourage sellers to be very conservative in their grading. If sellers have any doubt about what grade is appropriate, they ought to choose the lower grade when listing a card.

Grading Summary

	NM	LP	MP	HP	DMG	Can't be sold
Issues
Minor surface wear	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Regular surface wear		✅	✅	✅	✅
Major surface wear			✅	✅	✅
Extremely Minor Edge Wear	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Minor Edge Wear		✅	✅	✅	✅
Regular edge wear			✅	✅	✅
Major Edge wear				✅	✅
Minor Creasing				✅	✅
Regular Creasing					✅
Major Creasing						❌
Minor Ink or Water Damage					✅
Major Ink or Water Damage						❌
Does not lay flat (not including curling)					✅
Missing any part of the card						❌
Foreign substance besides ink or water						❌

Grade Guidelines

Near Mint (NM)	Near Mint cards appear new and unblemished. While minor flaws may be present, they are only visible upon close inspection. Any readily noticeable defect disqualifies a card from being considered Near Mint. Please note that cards pulled directly from a pack are not guaranteed to be Near Mint.
Lightly Played (LP)	Lightly Played cards show minimal signs of use with no excessive wear. Minor edge wear or light surface scratching may be visible. Cards that have been played in sleeves for a small number of games typically fall into this category.
Moderately Played (MP)	Moderately Played cards show clear signs of use but have no structural damage or major flaws. Cards used in sleeves for many games or shuffled without sleeves for a limited number of games are generally graded in this category.
Heavily Played (HP)	Heavily Played cards exhibit significant wear from use but do not have severe structural damage. Cards that have been shuffled extensively without sleeves typically fall into this category.
Damaged (DMG)	Damaged cards have serious defects, including extreme wear, creases, signatures, or stamps. However, the card remains complete and does not have large portions obscured.

Notes on Near Mint (NM) Grading

While this guide permits minor flaws in Near Mint grades, buyer expectations for Near Mint cards can vary significantly. To avoid potential issues, it is advisable to grade conservatively.

Err on the side of listing only near flawless cards as Near Mint, and avoid classifying cards with any printing irregularities as Near Mint.

Notes on Downgrading in General

Another strong reason to grade conservatively and downgrade aggressively is that, except for very old or exceptionally rare cards, the price difference between adjacent condition grades is relatively small. For vintage cards or high-end foils, condition can significantly impact value; however, for newer or commodity cards, a one-grade difference typically has minimal effect on price.

Top sellers tend to grade very conservatively because it fosters customer trust and reduces order disputes. The most effective way to succeed is to maintain a deep inventory, graded consistently and conservatively, rather than attempting to extract marginal gains from borderline cards.

Definitions

These definitions do not specify an exact number or exact size of defects, because:

not all defects are the same severity regardless of size
the accumulation of multiple defects may be overall more severe

Surface Wear

Minor	Very small, shallow indents or scratches only visible under direct light or close inspection. They do not significantly disrupt the card’s visual appearance.
Regular	Noticeable indents or scratches visible without angling the card excessively. They may slightly affect gloss or surface uniformity but do not penetrate deeply into the card.
Major	Deep or highly visible indents or scratches that are immediately noticeable. These scratches may break the card’s surface, affect artwork, or significantly reduce visual appeal.

Edge Wear

Extremely Minor	Extremely small edge imperfections impacting only one side and of very small scope.
Minor	Small spots of whitening or slight fraying along edges. Generally limited to a few tiny marks and only visible on close inspection.
Regular	Consistent whitening, scuffing, or wear along multiple edges. Clearly visible but not severe enough to affect card structure.
Major	Heavy whitening or wear along edges. May include chipping, peeling, or fraying that impacts structural integrity or visual quality.

Creasing

Minor	A small, light crease visible when tilting the card under light. It does not extend deeply into the card layers and has minimal impact on rigidity.
Regular	A clearly visible crease that affects part of the card front or back. It may cause slight warping or affect texture.
Major	A deep crease that bends the card noticeably, often breaking underlying layers. Easily seen from multiple angles and significantly impacts structural integrity.

Ink/Water Damage Terms

Minor	Small spots, smudges, or light discoloration from ink or moisture. Limited in size and does not affect artwork or text readability. This includes artist signatures and minor edge inking.
Major	Large or severe smudges, stains, warping, or discoloration caused by ink or water. May distort the card, blur printed areas, or impact structural layers. Altered cards are included in this category.

Flatness / Warping Terms

Does Not Lay Flat

Card shows noticeable warp or bend when placed on a flat surface. When placed convex side up card lifts off the surface with an apex greater than 4.5mm (about the thickness of 15 magic cards). Cards that show "curling" fresh from the pack due to humidity differences are exempt from this definition.

Structural Terms

Missing Any Part of the Card

Any portion of the card’s original material is absent—such as corners, chunks, edges, or layers—regardless of size. Edge wear would fall into this category if it is so extreme that the shape of the card is significantly impacted.

Foreign Substance

Foreign Substance Besides Ink or Water

Any material not originally part of the card’s production, including dirt, glue, adhesive residue, food, oils, wax, stickers, or other contaminants.

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Card Grading Guidelines