Guides

Practical explanations of card value, condition and selling, no sales pitch.

The basics

What determines a card's value, and where to look for a reliable market price.

Centering, corners, edges, surface: what actually gets evaluated when a card is graded.

What changes between a photo-based estimate and a card encapsulated by an official grading company.

Set, number, first edition, holo and reverse holo: what changes a Pokémon card’s value.

Set, foil, rarity, reprints and format relevance: the price factors for a Magic card.

Multiple rarities of the same card, editions, set codes: how to read a Yu-Gi-Oh! card’s value.

Parallels and alternate art, leaders, reprints: what determines a One Piece card’s price.

Overall grade, subgrades, defect map and confidence level: what they actually tell you.

How centering is expressed as a percentage, why it matters so much, and how to photograph it well.

First edition, shadowless, holo, reverse holo, promo: how to tell near-identical printings apart.

Light, background, focus and framing: the photos that make a reliable estimate possible.

Light test, feel, print, font and back: the checks that catch most counterfeits.

CardMarket, eBay, Vinted and local groups compared: fees, audience and seller protection.