TradeMatches

TCG card collecting glossary in English and Spanish

70 collecting terms (condition, finishes, rarities, editions, grading, trading and damage), each explained in one or two lines with its Spanish equivalent and a link to the guide that covers it. Type a term in English or Spanish, or filter by topic.

Tabbed notebook next to a loupe and a sleeved holographic card — AI-generated illustration.

Condition

Mint (M): Cardmarket’s top condition: a flawless, scratch-free front and a back that looks straight out of a freshly opened booster. Any signature or Grand Prix stamp rules it out, and TCGplayer does not sell Mint cards. See: Near Mint (NM), PSA 10 (Gem Mint).
Near Mint (NM): Cardmarket tolerates just a handful of tiny white specks on the border and zero scratches; on TCGplayer it tolerates a couple of minor scratches up to 40 mm and up to 3 flaw points. Always state which scale you used. Also: NM. See: Excellent (EX), NM- / EX+ (in-between grades), Whitening.
Excellent (EX): Cardmarket’s step below Near Mint: visibly imperfect straight away, yet only lightly damaged: two or three white marks on corners or border and small scratches noticeable up close. Cardmarket maps it to US Slightly or Lightly Played. Also: EX. See: Near Mint (NM), Lightly Played (LP, TCGplayer).
Good (GD): Cardmarket condition with lots of wear across the whole card, from white marks and scratches to some dirt, though without water damage or bends. Cardmarket also says a card with surface scratches is Good at best. Also: GD. See: Excellent (EX), Light Played (LP, Cardmarket).
Light Played (LP, Cardmarket): On Cardmarket, a card that looks used without sleeves for a long time yet is still legal in a sleeved deck and has not been tampered with. It sits three steps below Near Mint, so do not mix it up with TCGplayer’s Lightly Played. Also: LP. See: Lightly Played (LP, TCGplayer), Good (GD), Played (PL).
Lightly Played (LP, TCGplayer): TCGplayer’s second condition: minor edge wear, scuffs or scratches with no structural problems, up to 6 flaw points and up to 80 mm of total edge whitening. It resembles the European Excellent, not Cardmarket’s Light Played. Also: LP. See: Light Played (LP, Cardmarket), Excellent (EX).
Played (PL): The worst that normal play can do to a card on Cardmarket’s scale: it may not be tournament legal even when sleeved. Its closest TCGplayer condition is Heavily Played, which allows up to 24 flaw points. Also: PL. See: Light Played (LP, Cardmarket), Poor (PO).
Poor (PO): Cardmarket’s lowest condition: damage normal play cannot explain, or an altered card, for example with an inked border or scribbles. Its TCGplayer counterpart is Damaged, covering tears, punctures and non-manufacturing ink. Also: PO. See: Played (PL), Water damage.
NM- / EX+ (in-between grades) (NM- / EX+ (estados intermedios)): In-between labels that Cardmarket does not support and advises against: a seller who writes NM- must still deliver a Near Mint card. If you are torn between two levels, pick the lower one and describe the flaw. Also: NM-, EX+. See: Near Mint (NM), Excellent (EX).

Finishes

Holo (Holo (holográfica)): A finish where, on many Pokémon printings, the holographic shine sits in the artwork. Treat that as a starting clue rather than a rule: designs vary between eras and products, so confirm the variant against the set’s official checklist. See: Reverse holo, Foil, Shadowless.
Reverse holo: A variant whose shine appears outside the art window, for example around the text or in the card background. It can share its number with the normal version and is not a rarity: a reverse holo is not necessarily a rare card. Also: reverse. See: Holo, Rarity symbol, Collector number.
Foil: A generic word for shiny cards that can cover different treatments in listings and checklists. The EX Delta Species list, for instance, splits foil, non-holo and holo versions by card number, so never read every “foil” as a modern reverse. Also: shiny. See: Holo, Reverse holo, Enchanted.
Full art (Full art (arte completo)): A marketing label for cards whose artwork covers the whole surface. It describes the look but does not replace the printed rarity: two full-art cards can belong to different categories, like Dendra’s SR and SAR in Triplet Beat. Also: alternate art, alt art. See: SAR (Special Art Rare), SR (Super Rare), Parallel (One Piece).
Premium star (Magic) (Estrella de versión premium (Magic)): In Magic, a star instead of a dot between the set code and the language code in the bottom-left corner marks a premium card (rule 213.1). It gives the version away even when a photo hides the shine. Also: Magic foil. See: Foil, Print language.

Rarities

Rarity symbol (Símbolo de rareza): The icon beside the number that shows a Pokémon card’s rarity: circle for common, diamond for uncommon and star for rare; since Scarlet & Violet, higher rarities use coloured stars. It says nothing about finish, condition or price. See: Ultra Rare, Special Illustration Rare (SIR), Reverse holo.
Ultra Rare: A Pokémon rarity shown by two silver stars, above Double Rare (two black stars). One example from the official Mega Evolution list is Mega Venusaur ex 155/132. See: Rarity symbol, Special Illustration Rare (SIR), Secret rare.
Special Illustration Rare (SIR): A Pokémon rarity with two gold stars, one step above Illustration Rare (one gold star); Mega Lucario ex 179/132 is an example. Do not assume it automatically equals a Japanese SAR: compare artwork and catalogue entries. Also: SIR. See: SAR (Special Art Rare), Secret rare, Rarity symbol.
Secret rare (Carta secreta (secret rare)): A Pokémon card whose number is higher than the main-run total, such as 179/132, because it sits outside the set’s basic numbering. In Mega Evolution the official list runs to 188 although the main run ends at 132. Also: secret. See: Collector number, Special Illustration Rare (SIR).
AR (Art Rare): A Japanese Pokémon rarity that usually shows the Pokémon inside a wider scene; it arrived alongside SAR in VSTAR Universe. Identify it from the printed letters, set code and full number, not from the listing title. Also: Art Rare. See: SAR (Special Art Rare), SR (Super Rare).
SAR (Special Art Rare): A Japanese special-illustration category that can feature Pokémon and Trainers. The same character can have an SR and an SAR with different artwork, as Dendra does in Triplet Beat, so check the letters and number on your copy. Also: Special Art Rare. See: AR (Art Rare), SR (Super Rare), Special Illustration Rare (SIR).
SR (Super Rare): Another special Japanese Pokémon rarity whose treatments change by set and era. It does not mean the character’s rarest version and does not set its price: the same character may also have an SAR. Also: Super Rare. See: SAR (Special Art Rare), AR (Art Rare).
Enchanted (Enchanted (Encantada)): A special Lorcana rarity with artwork different from the standard version and a multicoloured hexagon symbol; its number exceeds the set total (for example 236/204). Recent sets have 18, numbered 223 to 240. See: Iconic (Lorcana), Foil, Collector number.
Iconic (Lorcana): A Lorcana rarity introduced with Fabled: 2 cards per set (numbers 241 and 242) with full-card artwork, a star-patterned foil and 3D embossing. Ravensburger presents them as the rarest of all. See: Enchanted.
Parallel (One Piece) (Paralela (One Piece)): Another printing of the same One Piece card: it shares the code and effect, and nearly always the printed rarity, but changes the artwork or adds a special finish. On the official list its image carries a _p1, _p2 or _p3 suffix. Also: Alt-Art, alternate art. See: Super Alt-Art (“manga”), Treasure Rare (TR), Full art.
Super Alt-Art (“manga”) (Super Alt-Art («manga»)): A One Piece Alt-Art covered edge to edge in manga panels, the version the market calls “manga”. Prices can soar: on 27/10/2026 the Shanks OP01-120 manga cost 545 times the normal version on TCGplayer. Also: manga, manga rare. See: Parallel (One Piece), Treasure Rare (TR).
Treasure Rare (TR): A special One Piece version with its own rarity: it shares the code with the normal card, but the rarity becomes TR, printed next to the code. Example: OP17-040 Edward.Newgate is R as a normal card and TR on the _p1 entry. Also: TR. See: Parallel (One Piece), Super Alt-Art (“manga”).
Collector’s Rare (Yu-Gi-Oh!): A Yu-Gi-Oh! rarity that Konami describes as a textured or embossed treatment across the surface with a rainbow reflective pattern. The Prismatic Collector’s in Rarity Collection uses a different technology, so compare it with its exact product. Also: Prismatic Collector’s. See: Ultimate Rare (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Quarter Century Secret Rare.
Ultimate Rare (Yu-Gi-Oh!): A classic Yu-Gi-Oh! rarity with a gold name and textured detail on the artwork and borders. A gold name alone is not enough, since an Ultra has one too, and the Rarity Collection Prismatic Ultimate uses a different raised 3D varnish. Also: Prismatic Ultimate. See: Collector’s Rare (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Quarter Century Secret Rare.
Quarter Century Secret Rare: A Yu-Gi-Oh! Secret Rare tied to the 25th anniversary, recognisable by an anniversary mark together with its treatment. Do not confuse it with Starlight or Platinum Secret because a photo looks shiny; the mark alone does not prove authenticity. Also: Quarter Century, QCSR. See: Collector’s Rare (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Ultimate Rare (Yu-Gi-Oh!).

Editions, languages and codes

1st Edition (Pokémon Base Set): The first run of the 1999 English Base Set: a circular Edition 1 stamp near the lower left of the art window and no shadow beside the frame. Machamp 8/102 is the exception, carrying the stamp on shadowed copies too. Also: first edition, Edition 1. See: Shadowless, Unlimited, 1st Edition (Yu-Gi-Oh!).
Shadowless: A 1999 English Base Set variant with no shadow along the right side of the art window and thinner HP lettering. It describes the printed design, not the finish: a card can be both holo and Shadowless. See: 1st Edition (Pokémon Base Set), Unlimited, Holo.
Unlimited: The English Base Set printing that adds the shadow beside the art frame and thicker HP lettering; it generally has no first-edition stamp. Check the shadow on a sharp photo, not one where glare hides the frame. See: Shadowless, 1st Edition (Pokémon Base Set).
1st Edition (Yu-Gi-Oh!): For Yu-Gi-Oh!, Cardmarket treats 1st Edition as an attribute of each listing on the same product page. On 27/10/2026 the LOB Blue-Eyes White Dragon in Near Mint went from €49.99 to €1,975 once the 1st Edition filter was on. Also: first edition. See: 1st Edition (Pokémon Base Set), OCG / TCG (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Trend price (Cardmarket).
OCG / TCG (Yu-Gi-Oh!): TCG cards are printed for TCG territories (Spanish, English, French, Italian, German and Portuguese); OCG cards are Asian prints (Japanese, Korean, Chinese and “Asian English”) that are not legal in Spanish TCG events, even with a translation. The back logo tells them apart. Also: Asian English. See: Print language, 1st Edition (Yu-Gi-Oh!).
Print language (Idioma de impresión): The language of a card’s printed text, which decides which tournaments accept it. For Pokémon, the European championship series allows German, Spanish, French, English, Italian and Portuguese; Japanese cards count as marked because their back differs. Also: language. See: OCG / TCG (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Regulation mark.
Set code (Código de expansión): The short letter abbreviation at the bottom left of a Pokémon card that names its set; from Scarlet & Violet onward it replaced the small drawn symbol of older cards. Record that code, not the name of the box or product. Also: expansion code. See: Collector number, Regulation mark.
Collector number (Número de colección): A two-part number such as 77/132: the card’s position in its set and the size of the main numbered run. It separates versions of the same Pokémon: Mega Lucario ex exists as 77/132, 179/132 and 188/132 in Mega Evolution. Also: card number. See: Secret rare, Set code.
Regulation mark (Marca de regulación): A boxed letter at the bottom of a Pokémon card that decides Standard legality: in 2026 H, I and J are legal, and G left with the rotation of 10 April 2026. The letter counts, not the expansion. See: Set code, Print language.

Grading

PSA grade (1–10 scale) (Nota PSA (escala del 1 al 10)): PSA’s scale from 1 (Poor) to 10 (Gem Mint), with a fixed label abbreviation for each grade: GEM-MT 10, MINT 9, NM-MT 8, NM 7 and so on. 1.5 is a grade of its own, Fair. A third party assigns it, not the seller. See: PSA 10 (Gem Mint), PSA qualifier, Slab.
PSA 10 (Gem Mint): PSA’s top grade: it needs all four corners razor-sharp, the full factory gloss, zero stains and centring near 55/45 on the face and 75/25 on the reverse. A Near Mint listing may not reach it. Also: Gem Mint 10, GEM-MT 10. See: Centring, PSA grade (1–10 scale), Pristine 10 (CGC).
PSA qualifier (Calificador PSA (qualifier)): Letters PSA adds to a grade when the card meets that grade except for one major flaw. MK and MC are mandatory; OC (off center), ST (staining), PD (print defect) and OF (out of focus) are optional. A qualified card cannot receive a half grade. Also: OC, ST, PD, OF. See: MK (Marks), MC (Miscut), Centring.
MK (Marks): A mandatory PSA qualifier for writing, ink, pencil or the impression left by writing on the card. It only flags marks and never certifies a signature, which is authenticated another way. Also: Marks. See: PSA qualifier, MC (Miscut).
MC (Miscut): A mandatory PSA qualifier for a cut that is atypical for the issue, missing part of the card or showing more than one. If the factory cut is so abnormal that no grade is possible, the result is N8. Also: Miscut. See: Miscut, PSA N codes (N1–N9), PSA qualifier.
PSA N codes (N1–N9) (Códigos N (N1–N9) de PSA): PSA’s no-grade results, each with a reason: N1 trimming, N2 restoration, N3 recoloration, N4 questionable authenticity, N5 altered stock, N6 minimum size, N7 cleaning, N8 miscut and N9 don’t grade. None of them is a “PSA 0”. Also: No Grade, N9. See: Authentic / Authentic Altered (PSA), Trimming, MC (Miscut).
Authentic / Authentic Altered (PSA): A PSA label confirming the card is genuine without giving it a grade; Authentic Altered (AA) adds that it has been altered. PSA’s guarantee treats the two as interchangeable, so an Authentic label does not promise an unaltered card. Also: AA, Auth. See: PSA N codes (N1–N9), Slab.
Pristine 10 (CGC): CGC’s top grade, with a special label: a card virtually flawless to the naked eye, 50/50 centring and perfect colour and registration. CGC’s Gem Mint 10 is a different ten in which one criterion falls short of Pristine. Also: CGC Pristine. See: PSA 10 (Gem Mint), Centring.
Slab (Cápsula (slab)): The sealed rigid case in which a grading company holds the card with its label: the front identifies the card and grade, the back is for verification, such as the QR code on the LightHouse label PSA has used since 2017. Also: holder, encapsulated card. See: Cert number, Reholder (PSA), PSA grade (1–10 scale).
Cert number (Número de certificado): The unique number on a graded card’s label. Type it into PSA’s official verification yourself and compare game, set, number, variant and grade with the card: a valid number is not enough, as counterfeiters can copy a real one. Also: certificate number. See: Slab, Population Report (pop report).
Population Report (pop report): PSA’s census of how many copies of each card it has graded at each grade. It does not show how many were printed or exist, grows with every submission and excludes other companies, so note the date you checked. Also: pop. See: Cert number, PSA grade (1–10 scale).
Centring (Centrado): How the borders split between opposite sides, written as 55/45 or 75/25. It is the first thing that decides the jump from a PSA 9 to a 10, whereas TCGplayer accepts up to 70/30 with no effect on an ungraded card’s condition. Also: centering. See: PSA 10 (Gem Mint), PSA qualifier, Miscut.
Reholder (PSA): A PSA service that renews the holder and label, normally keeping the grade and cert number, although the inspection can change them if it finds tampering. On 18/10/2026 Standard cost €12.99 per card with a maximum insured value of €1,800. See: Slab, Cert number.

Buying, selling and trading

Have list (Lista «Tengo»): A list of the cards you would trade right now, with set, language, finish, condition and quantity for each copy. It works better short and current than huge and abandoned, and pairs with a want list to produce matches. Also: trade list. See: Lot, Bulk.
Lot (Lote): A bundle of low-value duplicates offered together. It works with a single theme (set, type or deck), a count of copies and distinct cards, language, condition and photos of the actual lot; several small themed lots usually move better than one huge one. Also: trade lot. See: Have list, Bulk.
Bulk (A granel (bulk)): Selling hundreds of commons by volume: you save time, but each card earns very little and not every shop buys duplicates. Pull out any card worth selling on its own first, because once it is in the bulk lot you lose track of it. See: Lot, Have list.
Trend price (Cardmarket) (Tendencia (Cardmarket)): A price indicator Cardmarket publishes daily for each product page, together with the cheapest offer and the 1-, 7- and 30-day average sale prices. It does not split conditions or languages and its calculation is not published, so check it against filtered listings. Also: trend. See: 10% per grade rule, Trustee Service (Cardmarket).
Trustee Service (Cardmarket) (Servicio de custodia (Trustee)): A Cardmarket service applied to orders over €25, at a cost of 0.5% to 1% of the items’ value, varying with the chosen shipping. Apart from that there is no buying fee; selling costs 5%. Also: Trustee. See: DAC7, Trend price (Cardmarket).
DAC7: A reporting obligation under which platforms such as Cardmarket pass on seller data. For goods, the exclusion requires both fewer than 30 relevant activities and no more than €2,000 in the period; it does not create a new tax. Also: Modelo 238. See: Trustee Service (Cardmarket), Bulk.
Declared value (Correos) (Valor declarado (Correos)): Extra cover added to a shipment so that loss compensation reaches what the cards are worth. On a registered letter it adds €2.75 for every started block of €50, with a €3,000 ceiling; on Paq Estándar, 1.5% of the value, minimum €1.67. See: Top loader.
Top loader: A rigid holder for an already sleeved card that keeps it from bending in the post. Cardmarket recommends one for cards over €30, a standard top loader takes only one card, and tape should never touch the sleeve. Also: toploader. See: Declared value (Correos), Crease.
10% per grade rule (Regla del 10 % por nivel): Cardmarket’s guideline for disputes: refund 10% of the value for each condition level between what was listed and what arrived. It is a starting point; in real sales a visible flaw can weigh much more. See: Trend price (Cardmarket), Near Mint (NM).

Damage and defects

Whitening (Blanqueo (marcas blancas)): Ink loss along the edge that shows up white, especially on dark backs such as Pokémon and Magic. TCGplayer keeps a card at Near Mint with up to 20 mm of total whitening and at Lightly Played with up to 80 mm. Also: edge wear. See: Near Mint (NM), Lightly Played (LP, TCGplayer), Dent.
Dent (Abolladura): A knock that presses into the card stock, often at corners or edges. At TCGplayer a dent visible from the other side is no longer slight; limits run from a single point at Near Mint to 4 mm² at Lightly Played and 25 mm² at Moderately Played. Also: ding, indentation. See: Whitening, Crease.
Crease (Doblez o pliegue): A handling mark that forms one irregular line, unlike the repeating pattern a factory crimp leaves. TCGplayer never rates a creased card above Moderately Played. Also: bend. See: Crimp, Dent, Misprint.
Misprint (Error de impresión): A manufacturing flaw, created before the card is packed or during pack sealing, following mechanical patterns; damage comes later from handling and leaves irregular marks. On Cardmarket an error does not lower condition, but it must be disclosed. Also: factory error. See: Miscut, Crimp, Roller line.
Miscut (Miscut (corte desplazado)): A shifted factory cut. CGC separates a minor miscut (half an alignment dot or more, or part of the design lost), a miscut (part of another card shows) and a major miscut (parts of at least two); without that, the card is merely off-centre. Also: minor miscut, major miscut. See: MC (Miscut), Centring, Misprint.
Crimp: The pattern a pack sealer presses into a card that slipped. CGC labels it Partial Crimp, Crimped or Crimped & Cut depending on whether part or all of it shows or the machine sliced the card; TCGplayer treats it as an integrity defect. Also: Crimped, Partial Crimp. See: Misprint, Crease.
Roller line (Línea de rodillo (roller line)): A perfectly straight, very fine factory line across the holo that can leave an indent, whereas a handling scratch removes surface material. At TCGplayer, a card with three or more lines in 5 mm² can be Lightly Played at most. See: Misprint, Holo.
Holo bleed: A popular name for holo shine showing outside the art box. CGC states plainly that it does not recognise so-called holo bleeds, so do not pay extra for the label and ask for photos of what is actually visible. See: Misprint, Holo.
Trimming (Recorte (trimming)): Edges cut with scissors or a blade after the card was made. PSA spots it through hooked edges, edges too sharp for the issue, an inconsistent edge tone or a wavy look; the card ends up smaller and PSA returns it as N1. Also: trimmed card. See: PSA N codes (N1–N9), Miscut.
Water damage (Carta mojada (daño por agua)): Damage from contact with liquid that can leave warping, stains, sticking or lifted layers. Drying does not restore the previous condition: describe what you know and never list it as Near Mint because drying improved its look. Also: wet card. See: Poor (PO), Crease.

How the glossary is written

Each definition summarises what one of our guides explains in detail, with the same scales and thresholds it uses, and links to that section. Terms for game rules and keywords are in the separate keyword glossary.

Sources and checks

Definitions checked against our guides on 27 October 2026.