Pokémon card condition explained: Near Mint, Lightly Played and beyond
What NM, LP, MP and HP mean on a Pokémon card, how we check every single under a lamp, and how to choose the right condition for a binder, a deck or a slab.
After the card itself, condition is the biggest thing that decides what a single is worth. Two copies of the same card can be pounds apart because one has a little whitening along the back edge. Here’s what the grades on our listings mean, how we check each card, and how to choose the right one.
The four conditions we use
Every raw single in the shop is listed in one of four conditions. They’re the same ones most UK shops use, so you can compare like with like.
- NM, Near Mint: comparable to a pack-fresh card. It may have a few tiny white specks or light print lines from the factory, but nothing you’d call wear.
- LP, Lightly Played: minor wear on edges or corners, or some very light surface scratches. No creases or bends.
- MP, Moderately Played: clear edge and corner wear, some scratching, possibly a small crease.
- HP, Heavily Played: heavy wear, creases, bends or scratches, but complete and easy to read.
The same wording is in our condition guide and on every product page, so you never have to guess what a grade means.
How we check a card
Every card is inspected by eye under a lamp, front and back, before it’s listed. We look at four things:
- Edges: whitening along the back edges is the most common wear on modern cards.
- Corners: soft, rounded or lifting corners.
- Surface: scratches, scuffs and dents, which show up best when you tilt a holo or textured card under the light.
- Creases and bends: even a small crease moves a card down to Moderately Played at best.
When a card sits between two grades, we list it at the lower one. You should never open a parcel and find a card in worse shape than its listing. If you ever do, we refund you in full, including postage both ways: see returns.
Each condition has its own price
Where we have the same card in more than one condition, each gets its own price, so a Near Mint copy never subsidises a played one. Pick the condition on the product page and the price changes with it.
Which condition should you buy?
- For a binder or a display: Near Mint. It’s what most collectors want, and it holds its value best.
- For a deck you play with: Lightly Played is often the sweet spot. Once it’s sleeved, nobody at the table will notice, and you keep the difference. Browse our Lightly Played singles.
- For grading: only Near Mint copies are worth sending off, and only the best of those. Our guide to graded cards explains how the grading companies work.
Some of the Lightly Played cards in stock right now:
How your cards arrive
Every single ships in a penny sleeve and a toploader inside a team bag, protected with cardboard, so it arrives in the condition it left in. Tracked delivery is free on orders over £50, and delivery has the full list of options.
Can’t find the card you want, in the condition you want? Send us a request and we’ll try to source it for you.
