How condition works on HoloLedger
Every raw card on HoloLedger is described using one consistent condition scale. Here's what each tier means and how to assess a card honestly before you list or buy one.
The five conditions
These are the only condition values HoloLedger uses for raw (ungraded) cards — sellers choose from this list, they can't invent their own labels.
Near Mint
Looks close to how it came out of the pack. This is HoloLedger's highest condition tier.
- Surface: clean, with no visible scratching, scuffing or print lines
- Edges: sharp, with no whitening
- Corners: sharp points, no rounding or whitening
- No creases, bends, marks or damage of any kind
Excellent
Lightly handled. Looks great at a glance, but close inspection shows it isn't pack-fresh.
- Surface: largely clean, maybe the faintest handling marks
- Edges: very light wear may be visible on close inspection
- Corners: essentially sharp, at most the slightest softening
- No creases or bends
Good
Clearly been handled, but intact. The most common condition for a card that's actually been collected or played with a little.
- Surface: light scratching or scuffing is common
- Edges: visible whitening likely
- Corners: visible wear, some rounding or whitening
- No creases running through the card
Played
Well used, with wear throughout. Still a complete card, not a damaged one.
- Surface: noticeable scratching or scuffing
- Edges: clear whitening and wear
- Corners: rounded and/or whitened
- May have one or more light creases
Damaged
Condition issues beyond ordinary wear — this tier is for real damage, not just heavy handling.
- One or more noticeable creases, bends, or a tear
- Heavy writing, marking, or staining
- Water damage or warping
- Any other damage that goes beyond surface/edge/corner wear
How to inspect a card
Check every part of the card, in good light, before choosing a condition.
- Front — look across the whole surface at an angle under light for scratches and scuffing, then check the artwork and text for print quality and centring.
- Back — just as easy to damage as the front, and often shows whitening or scuffing the front doesn’t. Always check it separately.
- Corners — look at all four corners up close for rounding, whitening or fraying, not just the two most visible ones.
- Edges — run your eye down each edge for whitening, nicks or fraying along the border.
- Surface — tilt the card under light to catch scratches, scuffing or indentations that don’t show head-on.
Photos matter as much as the condition label
A condition label is a summary — the listing photos are what actually show a buyer the specific card they’d be getting. Photograph the real card, front and back, in good even light, close enough that corners and edges are actually visible. Show any defect honestly rather than photographing around it.
When in doubt, choose the lower condition.
Condition is not the same as grading
HoloLedger’s condition scale is a description sellers apply themselves — it is not equivalent to professional grading from a company like PSA, CGC or Beckett, and a card listed as Near Mint should not be read as any particular numerical grade from any grading company. If a card has been professionally graded, list it as graded and include the grading company, grade and certification number instead of a raw condition.
HoloLedger doesn’t independently inspect or verify every listing’s condition — the description reflects the seller’s own honest assessment, which is exactly why accurate photos and a conservative condition choice matter.
If a card arrives not as described
On a marketplace order, “item significantly not as described” is a valid reason to open a dispute, and a photo of what actually arrived is required when you do. Every dispute is reviewed individually before any decision is made — see our Buyer Protection page for how that process works.