How to use this glossary
Trading card talk can sound like another language. This glossary gives each term in one short line. Terms are listed in the order a new collector meets them: product, rarity, condition, grading and bidding.
Rules for a game and the exact names of rarities change from one franchise to the next, so use these as a starting point.
Where to go next
Now that you know the words, see them in use. Browse live auctions, check the Grading Hub for graded cards, or read how bidding works.
The terms
- Booster box
- A sealed box of booster packs from one set.
- ETB
- Elite trainer box: a Pokémon box with booster packs, sleeves and accessories.
- Chase card
- The rare, sought-after card collectors hope to pull from a set.
- Alt art
- An alternate artwork version of a card, with different art from the standard one.
- Full art
- A card where the artwork covers the whole card face.
- Illustration rare
- A card whose art tells a small scene, often reaching past the frame.
- Secret rare
- A card numbered beyond the printed set size, harder to find.
- Parallel
- A version of a card with a different finish or look from the regular print.
- First edition
- An early printing marked with a first edition stamp.
- Shadowless
- An early Pokémon Base Set printing without the drop shadow on the art box.
- Reverse holo
- A card where the shine is on everything except the artwork.
- PSA 10
- The top grade from PSA, the grading company.
- Pop report
- A grading company's count of how many cards it has graded at each grade.
- Slab
- The hard plastic case a grading company seals a graded card in.
- Raw
- A card that is not graded and not in a slab.
- NM
- Near Mint: looks as if fresh from a pack.
- LP
- Lightly Played: small signs of handling.
- MP
- Moderately Played: clear wear that is visible at a glance.
- HP
- Heavily Played: strong wear, but a complete card.
- DMG
- Damaged: serious damage such as tears, water or large creases.
- Centering
- How evenly the borders sit around the artwork.
- Whitening
- White wear that shows on the edges and corners of a card.
- Print line
- A thin line left by the printing process, often seen on the surface.
- Proxy bid
- A bid placed for you automatically, up to a maximum you set.
- Maximum
- The most you are willing to pay, which nobody else can see.
- Extended bidding
- A bid in the last minute adds 60 seconds, so an auction ends only after a full minute with no bids.
- Buyer's premium
- An extra fee some auctions add to the winning price. MYNTED Auctions charges none.
- Reserve
- A hidden minimum price below which the seller will not sell.
- Buy now
- A fixed price that lets you purchase straight away, without bidding.
- Sealed
- Product that is still in its original wrapping, never opened.
- Case
- A shipping carton that holds several sealed boxes.
- Pack-fresh
- A card in the condition it came out of the pack.
- Grading
- Having a company check a card, give it a grade and seal it in a slab.
- Cert number
- The number on a slab label that identifies that graded card.
- Set
- A named release of cards, with its own card numbers.
- Printing
- One specific print of a card, in a given set, finish and language.
- Language
- The language a card is printed in, which can change its price.
