TCG Terms Glossary: 80+ Trading Card Words Explained
A trading card glossary for collectors: alt art, bulk, chase, centering, ETB, foil, grading, NM, pop report, raw, reverse holo, slab, secret rare and many more.
By Ayoub Farid · · 3 min read
Card collecting has its own language. This glossary covers the terms you'll see in listings, forums and price guides across Pokémon, Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece, Lorcana and sports cards.
A–C
- 1st Edition: first print run marking on early Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards (Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!)
- Alt art (alternate art): a special version of a card with different artwork
- Auto: an autographed card
- BGS: Beckett Grading Services (PSA vs BGS vs CGC)
- Black Label: a BGS 10 with all four subgrades at 10
- Booster box: a sealed box of booster packs
- Bulk: low-value common cards (selling bulk)
- Buylist: prices a store will pay for specific cards
- Card saver: semi-rigid holder used for grading submissions
- Centering: how evenly borders frame the card (centering)
- Cert number: a graded card's unique certification number
- CGC: Certified Guaranty Company, a grading company
- Chase card: the most desired card in a set
- Comps: comparable sales used to price a card
- Crimp: a pressed line from pack sealing
D–H
- DMG: damaged condition
- Double sleeving: two sleeves for extra protection
- Edition: print run marking (1st Edition, Unlimited, Limited)
- Enchanted: Lorcana's borderless foil chase rarity (Enchanted)
- ETB: Elite Trainer Box (Pokémon)
- EV (expected value): average value of cards from a product
- Foil: shiny finish
- Full art: artwork covering the whole card
- Gem Mint: a grade-10 card
- Ghost Rare: Yu-Gi-Oh! rarity with ghostly holo art
- Graded: a card authenticated and graded by a third party
- Hit: a valuable pull from a pack
- Holo: shiny artwork (holo vs reverse)
- HP: heavily played (condition); also Hit Points on Pokémon cards
I–M
- Illustration rare (IR) / SIR: Pokémon chase rarities (illustration rares)
- LP: lightly played
- Manga rare: One Piece chase card with manga art
- Market price: price based on recent sales (market price explained)
- Master set: every card and variant in a set (master sets)
- Misprint / error: printing mistakes (error cards)
- MP: moderately played
- Mythic rare: MTG's top regular rarity
N–R
- NM: near mint (condition guide)
- OC: off-center (PSA qualifier)
- Parallel: a variant of a base card (sports and One Piece)
- Penny sleeve: thin soft sleeve
- Pop report: how many copies have been graded at each grade
- Print line: a factory line across the card's surface
- Promo: a promotional card (Pokémon promos)
- Proxy: an unofficial stand-in card (not genuine)
- PSA: Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA scale)
- Pull rate: how often a card appears in packs (pull rates)
- Raw: an ungraded card
- RC: rookie card (rookie cards)
- Reserved List: MTG cards never to be reprinted (Reserved List)
- Reverse holo: foil everywhere except the art
S–Z
- SEC: One Piece secret rare
- Secret rare: a card numbered above the set size
- Shadowless: early Base Set print without art-box shadow (shadowless)
- Single: an individual card bought or sold on its own
- Slab: a graded card's plastic case
- Starlight Rare: Yu-Gi-Oh! high rarity
- Toploader: rigid plastic holder
- Unlimited: later print runs without edition marks
- Whitening: wear on edges and corners (whitening)
Try it on your own cards
Now that you speak the language, scan your cards with Rarefolio to see rarity, card number and estimated market value for each. Start with our TCG card scanner guide.
Frequently asked questions
What does NM mean in card collecting?
Near Mint: a card with minimal wear, the standard condition most prices refer to.
What is a slab?
A hard plastic case that holds a graded card along with its grade label.
What does raw mean for trading cards?
An ungraded card that isn't in a slab.
What is a chase card?
The most sought-after card in a set, usually the rarest or most popular.