After years of debate over TCGplayer’s guidelines for grading a card’s condition, TCGPlayer has issued an official clarification on what qualifies as “Lightly Played”: the card must have at least 51% of its mass, shape, and spiritual presence still detectable by the human eye.
The update comes after a seller shipped what they described as a “borderline LP” Mana Crypt that arrived in a damp Ziploc bag balled up and shoved into a suspiciously stiff tube sock. The buyer immediately filed a claim on the package but was informed by TCGplayer that even with the state of the card it qualifies as Lightly Played.
“We understand players have different interpretations of condition,” said TCGPlayer spokesperson Jenna McNair, while gently folding a Swords to Plowshares into the shape of a crane. “As such, we need an objective measurement to avoid the endless debates. So, from now on if most of the card is physically present, it still counts.”
After reviewing the fine print of the updated policy, a card may still qualify as “Lightly Played” even if it features the following:
- Multiple surface gouges, as long as they don’t form the word “help.”
- A smell best described as “tolerable in a ventilated room.”
- Bite marks due to confusion over flavor text.
- A tear, as long as it doesn’t exceed 49% of the card’s emotional integrity.
Community reactions have been predictably chaotic. “So basically, if I roll up a Jace, the Mind Sculptor and smoke it, it’s still LP as long as I stop halfway?” asked user PlaneswalkerDaddy69. A TCGPlayer representative responded to the user: “Only if you ship it in a top loader.” Additionally, rumors have been circulating about a new tier below “damaged” in which players can buy garbage bags full of shredded cards to then piece them back together.
At of press time, TCGPlayer has clarified that “Near Mint” condition simply means the card hasn’t been actively involved in a natural disaster.