Mtg proxies, magic the gathering proxies. proxy magic cards
THE GRADE OF a Magic card affects the value of the card on the
secondaiy market. The higher the grade, the more a card is worth. The
lower the grade, the less a card is worth.
That doesn't help define the central question, though: What does grade
mean?
A grade is the condition of a card relative to a perfect, undamaged card.
A perfect-condition card is considered in Mint condition. A Mint card is
defined by haxing no wear, nearly perfectly centered borders, and no
major (or minor) print defects. Suffice it to say, Mint condition is a hard
condition to achieve by professional grading, as most cards that come
straight out of a pack are not in perfect condition.
So in general, the most common condition used to describe a card that
is new/close enough to perfect is Near Mint. For most Magic collectors,
Near Mint is the condition used to price cards, and is the prices I've used
in this book to describe the value of cards.
Most people grade Magic cards from the backs of the cards because this
is where the most wear ends up happening to the cards due to face-down
shuffling during game play. You should also look at the fronts of the cards
to determine grade (especially on foil cards), but the back is the important
place to check.
Here's some good news: Lower-grade Magic cards tend to hold value a
LOT better than other lower-grade collectibles like baseball cards or comic
books because the cards are used for gameplay, and are not strictly for
investment/speculation. If you're playing a game of Magic, it doesn't
matter if your card is in perfect condition, or is beat up 一 as long as it isn't
marked in a protective sleeve, you're good to play with it.
The following is a brief rundown on grading. For a more in-depth visual
guide to grading, please visit
www.starcitygames.corn/content/cai'dconditions.
Grading Guide
Mint (M): Perfect in eveiy way. Most cards, even those straight out of a
pack, are not considered Mint. There are professional grading semces that
will certify cards as Mint; if your card is not professionally graded, most
serious collectors will consider it to be Near Mint at best.
Near Mint (NM): A relatively undamaged card. May show minimal
wear, but has no major defects. Examples of wear allowed on Near Mint
cards: Minor scratching, minor border wear, minor corner wear, minor
clouding (foil or otherwise), minor printing defects (small spots, slightly
miscut).
Played/Slightly Played (PL/SP): Cards in Played/Slightlv Played
condition show signs of wear from play. You wouldn't describe them as too
beat up, but you also wouldn't mistake them for a card that is fresh out of
pack, either. Examples of wear you'd fine on a Played/Slightly Played card:
Medium scratching, shuffle creasing, moderate border wear/whitening,
moderate corner wear/whitening, small specks of black dirt on the back of
the card, minor binder impressions, warped/ciirved cards.
Heavily Played (HP): Cards in Heavily Played condition are pretty beat up, but are tournament-legal in a protective sleeve. In general, these cards do not have significant physical damage, but have a LOT of wear on them. Examples of wear you'd find on a Heavily Played card: Inking/restoration work to the borders, water damage, major shuffle creasing, or any creasing that can be seen but not felt through a sleeve, major border/corner wear and/or whitening. Damaged (DM): Cards in damaged condition have physical damage that renders them tournament unplayable, or have been altered in a way that would make them undesired by a collector. Examples of wear you'd find on a Damaged card: Tearing, holes, major water damage/warping, writing on the front/back of the card that isn't an autograph, mold, folding. For the vast majority of Magic sets, the following matrix is a good rule- of-thumb for card value based on condition: Near Mint (100% of price), Played/Slightlv Played (70%-go% of Near Mint Price), Heavily Played (40%・70% of Near Mint Price), Damaged (1% to 20% of Near Mint Price). A Note About the Sets Since I began writing this book, there have been seven additional sets released that could not be included in this edition due to space constraints and the printer deadline. While I couldn't add these entire sets, I can briefly let you know which cards from these sets have some premium value ($20+). Foil and non・foil means both versions are worth S20 and up; foil only means only the foil version is worth $20 (even if a non-foil version exists). Core Set 2019: Foil and non-foil: Crucible of Worlds; Nicol Bolas, the Ravager; Resplendent Angel; Scapeshift; Tezzeret, Aitifice Master. Foil only: Ajani, Adversaiy of Tyrants; Ai'cades, the Strategist; Death Baron; Liliana, Untouched by Death; Omniscience; Sarklian, Fireblood; Vivien Reid. Battlebond: Foil and non-foil: Ai'ena Rector; Doubling Season; Land Tax. Foil only: Airan Ai'tisan; Ai'chfiend of Despair; Bountiful Promenade; Bramble Sovereign; Brightling; Luxuiy Suite; Morphic Pool; Mycosynth Lattice; Najeela, the Blade-Blossom; Rowan Kenrith; Sea of Clouds; Seedborn Muse; Spellseeker; Spire Garden; Stunning Reversal; True・Name Nemesis; Will Kenrith. Masters 25： Foil and non-foil: Blood Moon; Chalice of the Void; Ensnaring Bridge; Imperial Recruiter; Jace, the Mind Sculptor; Rishadan Port; Vendilion Clique. Foil only: Aiiimar, Soul of Elements; Azusa, Lost but Seeking; Coalition Relic; Gisela, Blade of Goldnight; Pact of Negation; Phyrexian Obliterator; Prossh, Skyraider of Klier; Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. Commander Anthology 2： Atraxa, Praetors* Voice (foil); Fieiy Confluence (non-foil), Wurmcoil Engine (non-foil). Signature Spellbook: Jace: Brainstorm (foil version). Duel Deck: Elves vs・ Inventors: None (Darksteel Plate; Ezuri, Renegade Leader [foil] and Solemn Simulacrum are tied for highest at $6). Global Deck Series: Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling: None (Jiang Yanggu [foil] and Mu Yanling [foil] are both tied for highest at S10).
Please send email to [email protected] if you have any questions.