Ever stood at a vendor booth or scrolled through a livestream and felt like everyone was speaking a completely different language? Between "NM," "Bulk," and "Slabs," the trading card world is packed with shorthand.
If you want to buy, sell, or trade like a seasoned pro, you need to know the lingo. Here are 6 commonly used vendor terms broken down so you never get lost in translation again.
1. NM / LP / MP / HP (Card Condition)
When you are looking at singles, vendors will almost always label them with these acronyms. They dictate the exact condition of the card and heavily influence the price.
-
What they mean:
-
NM (Near Mint): Might have minor printing imperfections, but no obvious wear or damage.
-
LP (Lightly Played): Minor silvering on the edges, tiny scuffs, or slight whitening.
-
MP / HP (Moderately / Heavily Played): Major whitening, creases, surface wear, or dirt.
-
2. Bulk
You’ll constantly hear vendors talking about buying or trading "bulk."
-
What it means: These are the commons, uncommons, and low-value rares left over after you open booster boxes. Vendors buy these in massive quantities (often by the thousands) to build starter decks, mystery packs, or to resell to casual players. Trading in your bulk is a great way to fund your next big single.
3. Raw
No, we aren't talking about cooking.
-
What it means: A "raw" card is simply an ungraded card. It’s a loose card that you can slide into a sleeve or binder. When a vendor says, "I'm selling this raw for €20," they mean the card is in its original state out of the pack and hasn't been officially scored by a grading company.
4. Slab
The exact opposite of a raw card.
-
What it means: A "slab" is a card that has been professionally graded, authenticated, and permanently sealed inside a hard, tamper-evident plastic case by a third-party company (like Ace Grading, PSA, or Beckett). The plastic casing itself is the "slab."
5. OC (Off-Center)
You will often see this tag on raw cards or noted on grading submissions.
-
What it means: Short for "Off-Center." This means the borders of the card are uneven—for example, the top border is much thicker than the bottom border. While it's a factory printing defect, majorly OC cards can sometimes appeal to niche error collectors, though standard collectors usually prefer "60/40" or perfect "50/50" alignment.
6. Comp (or Comps)
Before a transaction happens, you will often hear a vendor say, "Let me check the comps on this first."
-
What it means: Short for "comparable sales." It refers to the recent market prices that a card has actually sold for on platforms like Cardmarket, eBay, or TCGplayer. Vendors use live comps rather than outdated price guides to make sure they are giving you a fair, real-time market value for buying or trading.
Master the Lingo
Now that you know the talk, you can approach the trade tables with absolute confidence. Got a term you've heard around the community that you're still not quite sure about?
Drop it in the comments below and let's break it down!