Mint (MT) -- A card with four sharp corners, 50/50 centering, no imperfections or signs of wear. Even cards straight out of the pack do not always grade mint. Pre-1970 MT cards typically sell at 150 percent or more of the NM price.

Near Mint (NM) -- A near-perfect card with perhaps one minor imperfection, such as one blunt corner. Centering is no worse than 60/40 and the card must have its original gloss. NM cards are the standard by which other grades are usually gauged. Example: MT cards bring 150 percent of book.

Excellent-Mint (EX-MT) -- A card with only two or three minor imperfections. Must have original gloss and centering no worse than 70/30. EX-MT cards typically sell for 75 to 90 percent of the NM price.

Excellent (EX) -- A card with a few minor imperfections. Some original gloss is lost and the edges show moderate wear. All four corners typically show some wear. Centering is no worse than 75/25. EX cards usually sell for 50 percent to 75 percent of the NM price.

Very Good (VG) -- A card that shows obvious handling but is still attractive despite wear and imperfections. A VG card may have a crease, but one that's not severe enough to make the card unattractive. Most of the original gloss is lost. VG cards usually sell for 25 percent to 35 percent of the NM price.

Good (G), Fair (F), Poor (P) -- A very worn card with many major imperfections. Collectors use cards of these grades as fillers until better ones can be found. With very little market for such cards, they are valued at 5 percent to 10 percent of the NM price