How we Grade Our Toys

How we grade our toys – Intro

Grading toys can a subjective and confusing matter, especially confusing for those not familiar with methods used in determining those conditions.

Since the birth of the internet, there has been an uprising of sellers on many platforms & websites who all add their own method and terminology. Along with auction houses and professional graders, it makes finding a standard to grading conditions a little hard to come by.

Here at DT Collectable Toys we use a combination of two of the more popular methods to give totally clarity to the condition of our toys. Not only that, but there will also be detailed photos and description on every product.

The grading scale and how we use it is as follows;

Grading for Toys

  • MINT or C-10 – Item in as near perfect flawless condition as possible Fresh out of the packet with no sign of wear
  • NEAR MINT or C-9 – Looks fresh out of the packaging but with some very minor blemishes with minor rubs to paint or decals,
  • EXCELLENT or C-8 – Excellent condition with some acceptable wear, maybe a little paint/decal loss, discolouration, loose limbs, but would still pass for display
  • Very Good or C-7 – Item will have more obvious paint chips/defects or decal loss, discolouration and loose limbs.
  • GOOD or C-6 – Item will have moderate amount of paint chips/defects or decal loss, discolouration and loose limbs. item will be Play Worn.
  • FAIR or C-4/5 – Has more paint loss and/or discolouration and more loose limbs. Item will be in a heavy play worn condition
  • POOR or C-3 – Item will have very heavy Paint loss/loose limbs/discoloration/missing parts and is a real wreck very heavily play worn. This grade or lower would be for toys that are for spares, repairs and parts or needing full restoration

Grading for Boxes/Packaging

  • MINT – Box in perfect flawless condition with no sign of wear
  • NEAR MINT – Box will have the slightest creasing or/and edge wear.
  • EXCELLENT – Box will show more creasing & ageing, may also suffer wear/tear.
  • GOOD – Box will be complete with age wear/creasing/scuffs or light tears.
  • FAIR – Box will be complete but heavily worn/creased/torn.
  • POOR – As fair with flaps missing or other damage

Grading for Trade Cards & Stickers

  • Mint: A card or Sticker in Mint condition will have no obvious signs of wear and will look fresh out of a packet.
  • Near Mint A card or Sticker in Near Mint condition that has no more than very minor wear or may have a minor nick along one edge of the card or sticker. The colours will look vibrant and new.
  • Excellent: Clean front & back with clean sharp edges and corners. The sticker or card will show some minor signs of wear.
  • Good: Items will have some defects including dirt to front and back or a crease.
  • Fair:Items will suffer from Creasing with dirty damaged to backs and possibly some damage to the picture.
  • Poor: Items are well handled and creased, dirty or with mount damage to backs and surface damage on backs and fronts.

In our product titles you may find, from time to time, an acronym or shortened version of the descriptors, we don’t do this for every item but for some there is a need and, again, it’s a well established standard within the Vintage and collectible toy sector. Here are a few, of the more common, examples below;

  • MiMB = Mint in Mint Box – This is to let you know that, in our opinion, this item is in flawless/near flawless condition including the original packaging
  • MiB = Mint in Box – This product is flawless/near flawless condition and comes with original packaging that needs further description
  • NM = Near Mint – This product is in near top grade condition either without packaging or with unoriginal packaging

As we stated earlier all our products will have detailed description and any blemishes they may have will be noted within that description and the images provided. The grading scale we use is for a quick reference only, but we are confident with our grades, so much so that we do offer a money back guarantee if you feel we got it wrong.

 We have been selling online for over twenty years so please be sure that everything we sell is very carefully checked and described as accurately as possible.

Do You Have More Questions?

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further help with our grading of toys or anything, we will be happy to help.

Contact Us