Cactus Game Design Message Boards

Ken is one of the pickiest people on the boards.  He likes his cards to have perfect alignment as well as no visible damage.  There is nothing wrong with these, but about 50% of the Priests cards don't have perfect alignment out of the pack, so they become "non-mint" based on nothing you do.  Of course this means the cards you get from him are in great shape!

TLG is a can't miss for buyers. However, Even the best definitions are subject to the buyer's interpretation. When trading or selling, In my opinion, if Mint is the requirement one should allow the deal to be undone if the receiver is not satisfied with the card's condition. Especially since there is no arbitrator.

This thread has comprehensize definitions of card grading

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Card Grading
Special thanks to Darcy for compiling the card grading info
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.
Redemption = you can't see any white in the red border on the back of the card, and when you shine the light off of the card, there are no imperfections to be seen.

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.
Redemption = there may be one or two specs of white showing in the red border on the back of the card, and minor problems when you shine the light off of the card.
**Note** - This is the most common "mint" card I've received, and it simply is not "mint" by any collector's standards.

Excellent-Mint (EX-MT) -- A card with only two or three minor imperfections. Must have original gloss and centering no worse than 70/30.
Redemption = this will have some wear beginning to show in the red border on the back of the card, and there will probably be a few scratches to be seen on the front face of the card.
**Note** - This is also considered "mint" by many players. To a collector, this was a shabby deal if he/she thought he/she was getting a mint card.

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.
Redemption = this will have wear showing, but color is still good, and the card looks pretty nice to the eye. There should be no creases or significant scratches on the card, but this card has obviously seen some gaming.

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.
Redemption = this card is similer to EX, but might have a small crease or two.
**Note** - This card is usually not legal in tournament play without card protectors.

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.
Redemption = this card usually does not have a "white" border on the front face of the card as it is discolored. This card also may have significant creases, and you just wouldn't want to show this one off.
**Note** - This card almost never makes for a tournament legal card unless it is in a card protector.

TLG is a can't miss for buyers. However, Even the best definitions are subject to the buyer's interpretation. When trading or selling, In my opinion, if Mint is the requirement one should allow the deal to be undone if the receiver is not satisfied with the card's condition. Especially since there is no arbitrator.

I concur ^^^