Damage Guide

Corner Lift

Trading cards are made of layers of paper stock pressed together. A corner lift is when those layers start separating at a corner — you'll see the corner "feathering" open or a whitish split when viewed from the side.

How it happens: shuffling without sleeves, moisture, pocket wear, or just decades of handling on vintage cards.

The fix: the layers are carefully re-bonded and the corner is reshaped and pressed so it sits tight and clean again. One of the most common — and most satisfying — repairs in the shop.

Edge Lift

The same layer separation as a corner lift, but running along an edge of the card instead of at a corner. Left alone it tends to spread, so it's worth addressing early.

How it happens: moisture exposure, tight sleeves dragging on the edge, or repeated insertion into binders and boxes.

The fix: the separated section is re-bonded along its full length and pressed flat, restoring a crisp, solid edge.

Crease

A crease is a fold line where the card stock has actually broken along a line — you'll often see a white line on the front where the ink layer cracked. This is the damage people ask about most.

How it happens: the card was bent past its limit — sat on, mailed in a plain envelope, or folded by a younger sibling in 2003.

The fix: creases can be dramatically improved — flattened, softened, and made far less visible — but a hard crease that cracked the ink can rarely be made to fully disappear. You'll always get an honest read on what's realistic for your specific card before any work starts.

Bend

A bend is a curve or warp in the card without a broken fold line — the card doesn't sit flat, but the stock isn't cracked. Common on cards stored under pressure or in humid environments.

How it happens: humidity swings, tight top-loaders, cards stored leaning or under weight for years.

The fix: gradual, controlled flattening returns the card to sitting flat. Because nothing is broken, results here are usually excellent.

Scratches

Surface scratches and scuffs on the card's finish — especially visible on holos, where they catch the light and interrupt the pattern. Depth matters: light surface scuffing behaves very differently from a gouge through the ink.

How it happens: sliding cards across tables, dirty sleeves, stacking cards raw, or general play wear.

The fix: light scratches in the finish can often be dramatically reduced so the holo pops again. Deep scratches that cut into the ink layer are more limited — you'll get an honest assessment from your photos.

Indent

A pressure mark pressed into the card surface without breaking it — like a fingernail moon, a dent from something hard sitting on the card, or lines from a rubber band. Often easiest to see when the card is tilted in the light.

How it happens: pressure from objects, rubber bands, tight stacking, or something hard pressed against the card in a pocket or box.

The fix: the compressed fibers are carefully worked back up so the surface reads flat and even in the light again.

Cleaning

Dirt, grime, fingerprints, sticker residue, pen marks, wax residue from vintage packs, even light smoke film — anything sitting on the card rather than damage to the card.

How it happens: decades of storage, handling without sleeves, attic and garage life.

The fix: a careful, methodical clean appropriate to the card's finish and era. Often the single biggest visual upgrade a played vintage card can get — and frequently combined with other repairs.

Something else?

Water damage, stains, torn corners, writing on the card, previous repair attempts gone wrong — if your damage doesn't fit the categories above, that doesn't mean it's hopeless.

The fix: submit it through the application with "Other" selected and good photos. Every card gets personally reviewed, and you'll get a straight answer about whether it can be helped — and if it can't, you'll be told that too.