How do you record condition?

Condition is the part of a card's value that changes, and it is the part people argue about most. My job is to write it down so the argument has something to stand on.

The rule: as observed, when observed

Every condition record carries the time and date it was made. It says what the card looked like at that moment, under stated conditions, and nothing else. It is not a prediction and it is not a grade. If the card is handled, shipped or stored badly afterwards, the record shows what it was before that happened.

What I check

• Centering. Measured front and back, border against border, not estimated by eye.
• Surface. Examined under raking light so scratches, print lines, dents and residue show up.
• Corners. Under magnification, for whitening, softness or lifting.
• Edges. Under magnification and raking light, for whitening, chipping and roughness.

Each check is photographed and named on the sheet, so anyone reading it can see the evidence rather than take my word for it.

Where the record is used

• Pre-grade assessments use it to reach an opinion of the likely range. See what a pre-grade is.
• Documented breaks record it the moment each hit is pulled and sleeved, on camera. See what happens during a controlled opening.
• Hub submissions use the outbound record to check the card when it comes back. If there is new damage, the comparison shows it.
• Appraisals describe condition as part of identifying the item, because condition drives value.

Why it matters

A written, timestamped record turns "I am sure it was mint when I sent it" into evidence. It protects you in a dispute with a buyer, a grading company or an insurer, and it is part of the chain of custody for anything I hold.

What it will not do

It will not predict a grade and it will not promise one. Condition is recorded as observed; the grading company decides the grade. The photographs and sheets are kept under the retention and consent policy.