GLOSSARY

Speak the language of the hobby

A useful reference for the words you’ll meet in a checklist, a break or a platform’s terms.

Alternate art

A different illustration of a card. The exact term and rarity system vary by game and set.

An offer from a platform to take a card back. The offer can be cash, crypto or internal credit; check the unit and any expiry.

An opening in which participants receive allocated cards or other results under stated rules, often by team, player or slot.

Collector shorthand for a particularly desired card. It is not a guarantee of value or a formal probability category.

A printed identifier that helps distinguish a card within a set. Some treatments share the same number.

A valuation label. On a platform, it can mean the platform’s estimate; it is not necessarily a recent completed sale.

A condition assessment assigned by a grading service. The company, scale and certification matter alongside the number.

A Pokémon rarity classification associated with a particular style of full-card illustration; check the exact set and print.

Collector shorthand for a One Piece card with a manga-style background treatment. Confirm artwork, not just the card code.

A version of a card with a changed finish, color, numbering or other treatment, especially common in sports cards.

A grading company’s count of certified examples, grouped by card and grade. It is a changing database, not a count of all surviving copies.

A card not encapsulated with a third-party grade. Raw does not mean any particular condition.

A product assembled from existing cards. Its contents and odds differ from manufacturer-sealed boosters.

The protective holder used for an authenticated or graded card.

A digital token associated with an item or right. The custody and redemption agreement determines what it represents.

A storage service that holds physical cards. Storage, insurance and withdrawal arrangements differ by provider.