Guides

Plain answers to the questions collectors ask most: finishes, card numbers, master sets, binders and grading.

How to scan your cards well

Light, glare, sleeves and stacks. Small habits that get you the right match on the first try.

The same card is often printed in several finishes, and each has its own price. Here is how to tell them apart.

What the numbers and small symbols at the bottom of a card tell you, and why they decide which printing you have.

Set complete, master set, living set. What collectors mean, and how to keep track of yours.

Pages, sleeves, order and storage. A binder that protects your cards and is fun to flip through.

What grading is, what a 10 means, and why most prices you see are for raw cards.