Bulk Buylist

Condition Guide

We buy Near Mint cards only. This guide shows you exactly what Near Mint means so you can check your cards before you send them. If you are not sure a card is Near Mint, it probably is not, and you should leave it out.

The short version. A Near Mint card looks like it was never played. Sharp corners, clean edges, a clean glossy surface, and no whitening on the back. A couple of tiny factory marks are fine. Any real wear is not.

What Near Mint means

Corners

Sharp and clean, with no whitening, fraying, fuzz, or softness. Corners are the first place wear shows up, so check all four on the front and the back.

Photo needed: Near Mint corner, close up. Sharp point, no white. Shoot straight on under bright, even light.
Near MintSharp corner, no whitening.
Photo needed: Worn corner, close up. Visible white or fraying at the tip.
Not acceptedWhitening or fraying at the corner.

Edges

Clean, with no chipping, nicks, or whitening. Pokemon cards have a dark back, so edge whitening shows clearly. Tilt the card under light and look down each of the four edges, front and back.

Photo needed: Near Mint edge on a card back. Clean edge, no white line. Light angled across the edge.
Near MintClean edge, no whitening.
Photo needed: Edge whitening on a card back. A white line or specks along the edge.
Not acceptedWhitening or chipping on the edge.

Surface

Clean and glossy, with no scratches, scuffs, or print lines. The best way to check is raking light: hold the card at an angle under a single light and slowly rotate it. Marks that hide under flat light jump out this way.

Photo needed: Clean surface under raking light. Even shine, no lines.
Near MintClean, even surface.
Photo needed: Surface scratches or print lines under raking light. Fine lines catching the light.
Not acceptedScratches, scuffs, or print lines.

Foils and holos

Foil, holo, reverse holo, and full art cards show wear more than plain cards. The shiny surface makes scratches, clouding, and handling marks easy to see. Check these under raking light with extra care, since these are usually your higher value cards.

Photo needed: Near Mint foil. Clean shine, holo pattern intact.
Near MintClean foil, no clouding.
Photo needed: Foil clouding or scratches. Hazy or scratched shine.
Not acceptedClouding or scratches on the foil.

What is never Near Mint

These take a card out of Near Mint no matter how good the rest of it looks:

  • Creases, bends, or dents, even light ones
  • Water, liquid, or moisture damage
  • Ink, pen, pencil, stamps, or stickers
  • Tears, holes, or missing pieces
  • Trimmed, altered, or resurfaced cards
  • Smoke smell or stains
Photo needed: Crease or bend. A line across the card, shown under angled light.
Not acceptedA crease or bend.
Photo needed: Ink or water damage. Writing or a stain on the card.
Not acceptedInk, writing, or liquid damage.

How to check your cards in one minute

  • Use one bright light and hold the card at an angle.
  • Rotate the card slowly and watch the surface for lines and scuffs.
  • Check all four corners, front and back.
  • Look down each edge, especially on the dark back.
  • Flex nothing. If you already know it has a crease, leave it out.
  • When in doubt, leave it out.

Because this is a bulk service, we do not grade every card one by one. We inspect each submission and sample by category. Cards that are not Near Mint are reclassified to a lower value or removed and not paid, at our discretion. Sending only Near Mint cards keeps your payout accurate and your submission fast. Full rules are in the Bulk Buylist Terms.

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