High-Value Cards Where Condition Matters Most Protecting Card Condition Prevent further damage: Storage Use penny sleeves immediately Store in top loaders for valuable cards Keep in a cool, dry place Avoid rubber bands (cause dents) Handling Hold cards by the edges Dont shuffle valuable cards Wash hands before handling Work on a clean, soft surface Display Use UV-protected cases for display Avoid direct sunlight Monitor humidity levels When Condition Doesnt Matter Some situations where condition is less important: Bulk lots Sold by weight/count, not individual condition Personal collection Youre keeping it, not selling Playable cards Tournament players care about legality, not grade Common cards A $0.10 card isnt worth grading carefully Quick Reference Near Mint: Looks pack-fresh at arms length Lightly Played: Minor wear, still displays well Moderately Played: Obvious wear, fully functional Heavily Played: Significant damage, still complete Damaged: Major issues, may be unsellable When selling, always err on the side of grading lower
The concept was first introduced by now-Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks in 2016
This is a bit of a corner case, but it could be very silly in competitive matches
Kitesail Freebooter was overkill in a metagame with lots of aggro decks, and Ruin Raider struck me as a relatively weak card, so I had four slots to play with, ultimately settling on two Blightbeetle, one Legions End, and one Stain the Mind in those slots
In limited, drafting plenty of commons like Focused Funambulist and Bamboozling Beeble will help you scry to the cards you need and keep you swinging in with an army of fantastic flying fellows
