When you buy a raw (ungraded) Pokemon card, the condition decides most of the price. Most sellers, including us, use the same condition names TCGplayer uses. Here's what they mean, in plain words.
Near Mint (NM)
Looks almost unplayed. Very little handling wear, a clean surface, sharp corners and smooth edges. A couple of tiny flaws, like slight edge wear or a light scratch, can still be Near Mint.
Lightly Played (LP)
Minor wear on the borders or corners, and maybe some light scuffs or scratches. No bends, grime or real damage.
Moderately Played (MP)
Clear wear on the borders, corners or surface. Can have scratches, scuffs, whitening or a crease, as long as the card is still structurally sound.
Heavily Played (HP)
Lots of wear, often several flaws together like creases, whitening or bends. Still playable in a sleeve.
Damaged
Beyond heavily played: heavy wear, deep scratches, folds, tears or structural damage.
How we list condition
On our raw singles, the photos show the exact card you get. When a listing only has a stock photo, I price it as Slightly Played until I photograph it, so you're never overpaying. Graded slabs show the grade from the grading company on the label.
Browse everything in stock, or send me a message if you want more photos of a card before buying.
Condition definitions summarized from TCGplayer's condition guide.