A grade of 10 or 9.5+, reserved for near-perfect cards with sharp corners, crisp edges, clean surface, and centered printing. Note the order of the words: Gem Mint is the correct hobby term.
A condition designation just below Gem Mint. 9 is "Mint." Sharp card, but small flaws keep it from a perfect grade.
NM-MT stands for Near Mint-Mint. In professional trading and sports card grading, it corresponds to a grade 8 on a 10-point scale
NM (Near Mint). It means a card is in like-new condition. It looks like it just came out of a fresh pack, with no major flaws, bends, or deep scratches. grade 7 is common amongst Near Mint cards.
EX-MT (Excellent-Mint). It is a standard condition grade used for trading and sports cards, usually corresponding to a numerical grade of 6 on a 10-point scale by major grading. An EX/MT card looks great at first glance but has minor, noticeable flaws upon close inspection.
In card collecting, EX stands for "Excellent." It typically corresponds to a numerical grade of 5 on a 10-point grading scale. An EX card shows moderate, visible wear, such as minor corner rounding, slight loss of original gloss, or light surface scratches, but it still retains a clean and attractive overall appearance.
VG-EX stands for Very Good-Excellent, which usually corresponds to a grade 4 on a standard 10-point card grading scale. It describes a mid-to-low tier collector card that displays obvious, honest play or age wear—such as light corner rounding, minor surface scuffs, or off-white borders—while remaining structurally intact and visually appealing.
In card grading, VG stands for Very Good. It refers to a mid-to-lower tier condition where a card displays moderate to heavy wear, such as rounded corners, surface scuffs, loss of gloss, or light creases, but still retains its overall structural integrity without major damage. A grade 3 is common amongst Very Good cards.
G or GD stands for Good. It represents a heavily worn or circulated item that displays major flaws, moderate-to-heavy creases, scuffing, or rounded corners, but still remains completely intact without being completely destroyed. A grade 2 is common amongst Good cards.
FR stands for Fair, designated numerically as a 1.5 grade. It means a trading or sports card has extreme, heavy wear—such as severe scuffing, scratches, chipping, stains, or heavy creases—but remains fully intact without missing major pieces or corners.
In trading and sports card grading, PR or P stands for Poor (grade 1 on a 1-to-10 scale), meaning a heavily damaged card with severe flaws.
Do keep in mind - When looking at Trading Cards (TCG) rarity instead of condition, P can mean a Parallel card, while PR might mean a Promo or Pre-release card 1
A Base card is the standard, most common card that forms the foundation of a trading card set. It features a regular design, player photo, and stats, making up the majority of cards found in packs. Base cards contrast with rare inserts, autographs, or parallels.
A Subset in trading card collecting is a specific group of cards within a larger base set that shares a distinct theme, design, or sub-category. These cards are part of the main numbering checklist of the release, but they focus on specific angles like league leaders, all-stars, or team photo variations.
Note: They are in fact part of the Base Set: They carry sequential card numbers that fit right into the main checklist (unlike separate insert cards) There will be a notable themed Focus: highlighting specific concepts, such as Rookie Debuts, Award Winners, or League Leaders.
A Parallel card is an alternate, scarcer version of a standard base trading card. It shares the exact same player photo, text, and checklist number as the base card, but features unique visual differences like a shiny foil finish, a distinct border color, or a stamped serial number.
A Promo (promotional) card is a special-edition card distributed outside regular booster packs or boxes. Companies give them away at events, bundle them with specific products, or award them as tournament prizes. They often feature unique artwork, special stamps, or exclusive foil treatments.
Autograph; a card signed by the player or subject
Memorabilia card; contains a piece of jersey, bat, or other material
Rookie Card; a player's true first official card in a main set.
Short Print; a card printed in lower quantities than the standard base set.
(e.g., /99, /10): Serial-numbered card showing the specific print run (e.g., numbered out of 99 or 10 copies).
PR - Stands for print run (e.g., card specific to a limited print run (e.g., PR750 = only 750 copies).
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