I really want to believe that if I purchase a NM card from them it will arrive all perfect like. Am I dreaming? I would never purchase off eBay without seeing the photos front and back. What have people’s experiences been?
Thanks!
There is no guarantee.
I’ve ordered ‘NM’ cards before that are not modern at troll and toad, and some they were not ‘NM’, and sometimes they were. It’s what you are ordering.
If you are ordering for example NM Reverse Holo Diamond Pearl cards, forget it, alot of them are scratched already out of a pack. If you order modern stuff, it’s usually really NM+ yes.
3 Likes
Many people use PSA’s grading scale when describing card condition. Near Mint according to PSA is a PSA 7 grade.
I’ve bought raw NM cards from T&T which have become PSA 10. I’ve also bought raw NM cards from T&T which became PSA 6.
It’s really just luck of the draw, just like with buying raw cards on eBay only without being able to see a picture beforehand.
4 Likes
In 2018 and 2019 I would have told you that your chances of getting a psa 10 from a raw TnT NM purchase was actually a decent shot. In 2020, no chance. Everything I’ve purchased from them so far in 2020 is psa 7 to 8 condition, including non-holo commons lol that being said their returns are easy (but slow due to covid)
5 Likes
The way I look at it now, everything you can buy off there has already been bought once before, and returned due to not meeting the buyers condition expectations.
4 Likes
The nm cards from troll and toad in my experience are usually psa 6-8 quality. This makes sense due to psa 7 being near mint.
2 Likes
It’s hit or miss but I’ve had good luck cuz I bought a few and came out a PSA 9.
1 Like
For me in the past few months I would say no they gave me all PSa 6 material. Not a single card with a shot at a 8. I bought black and white era full arts and diamond and pearl level X’s. Maybe modern sun and moon or later might be good condition. They also are too sloppy in their warehouse. I’ve recieved orders buried and taped to the max with tape. To the point i was afraid of damaging the cards. But at the same time it’s not just troll and toad that are giving low quality near mints. I’m under the assumption anything worth grading from any era has already been graded. That’s my take but choose for yourself and might as well take a gamble on a small order to see for yourself
2 Likes
Fact of the matter is, when ordering any type of cards from a major retailer its always going to be a gamble. While we see NM and have an idea in our heads, that same concept is so vast that it more than likely will not come to you in the standard in which you desire, especially if its an older card being that most of those go off to be graded to fetch the premiums involved. The days of catching huge deals on such things isnt completely dead, but ill say it is far more difficult today than it probably was 3-4 years ago, leaving anyone in a hard place when trying to find truly mint cards that are ungraded.
That being said, ive been in this boat before and its the sole reason i went into collecting only graded cards. I was sick of the “nm” game and ordering older cards and getting back ones that were not up to my personal standard, so i sucked it up and opted for the psa 9 route of matters for what i wanted for myself. Its just easier, less of a hassle, and in the end i always get exactly what im looking for. However i know with the recent surges in prices that this method doesnt work for all individuals, but thats why id suggest looking at what your collecting goals are and moving forward from there. Are these cards for you to grade or are they for a binder? can you accept whitening and scratches on the holo? does this card mean a lot to you personally? etc etc. Answering these questions and more for yourself will yield the best results, and from there you can make your best educated guess as to what route will be doable without damaging you financially.
2 Likes
I know what they accept for NM for their buylist. If the cards were actually NM/M, people wouldn’t be selling them for 50% of the value or ungraded.
1 Like
Mirroring other experiences here. I’ll say this. I have never received a “Mint” copy or anything as such. I’ve always received either slight scratches or whitening on my “NM” cards from them.
If you want to finish a set and don’t care about condition as much, by all means use them, but I tend to avoid them.
3 Likes
Very good point. Most of my cards are mint in a binder and I’ve been lucky to come across most on eBay for ok prices, with pictures where I could tell they were good. That was a year ago. I think a fair bit had changed now! Which makes your point very relevant to me.
2 Likes
About how many whitening marks do they consider near mint? Or other flaws besides centering. I’ve heard scratched ones listed as near mint which to me falls under heavy played to damaged condition even if it has a perfect back.
I’ve ordered a gazillion cards from Troll & Toad. ~30% of the ‘NM’ cards I buy from them actually make it into my sets. Meaning PSA 8 or so quality. These are all WotC and EX-series cards, so nothing that would be considered ‘modern.’ It might sound like a poor track record, but I honestly still order from them a ton. Taking that gamble is often worth it because the prices are sometimes just super low.
Also, I’ve never buylisted to them because I’ve heard bad things about it (on the MTG side of things). Can anyone here who has buylisted to them give some input on how it went? Are their grading standards the same, or do they downgrade cards more often when buying? And do they still buy cards if they don’t meet ‘nm’ standards for them? And if so, for how much less? I can’t find this info anywhere.
1 Like
I’ve buylisted a few times with them (including one with them right now) and have never had an issue. If you think it will grade a psa 7, they will accept it as a NM lol (for vintage at least). I have always taken the web credit option for the bonus 20-25% in the payout. I have even sent psa cards to them (cards that came back a 7 or an 8, back in the old days of 2018 and 2019 when you couldn’t sell those yourself if you tried). I’ve only had one order with a downgrade, on two more modern cards (two legend cards) and they were right to downgrade, as the cards were definitely mp. They downgraded the payout price from $7.50 and $8.70 on those to $2.63 and $3.05 so it was a big hit.
1 Like
Awesome. Thanks for the input. I might try it then. Their buylist prices are pretty high for a lot of lower value stuff. How long does it take them to process buylists, in your experience? Is it like a 1 week thing or an 8 week thing? I’ve dealt with MTG stores at all points in this range, but never Troll & Toad.
Pretty sure they don’t care about centering. I was surprised at what they allowed, PSA 6-7 quality, good amount of whitening, maybe some scratches too, something I would list as played. I’ve bought a good amount from them in the past, and I received similar cards and had to return many for damage. I think they are very loose on the term, “near mint”.
1 Like
Usually pretty quick (1-2 weeks). This one currently is really slow because of Covid. Also keep in mind you can choose to decline the downgraded price and they’ll send you your cards back (if that happens)
1 Like
More like near destroyed 
1 Like
As many have already stated, it can be pretty hit or miss with T&T. However, let me add my anecdote…
I’ve used T&T in the past few years to order cards for playing purposes so condition has never really been a primary concern. During this time, I don’t ever recall receiving a NM card that would grade less than a PSA 7.
So earlier this year, I thought I might as well use T&T to fill out some of my binder sets. Bad idea. I received several “NM” cards that were in god awful condition. Here’s an example of one of those cards:
At that time I wasn’t hugely concerned because I understand that this stuff happens every now and then, but I (naively) believed T&T would make it right. I emailed T&T, explained what was wrong, and sent them images of the damaged cards. No answer. I followed up in a few weeks. No answer. At that point I gave up and decided to just chalk it up as a loss.
Anyways, I’ve completely stopped using T&T since then because while I can sympathize with cards being erroneously sent I can’t support a company that has such poor customer service. I’d rather pay a small premium and purchase cards on eBay with front/back images (from sellers that generally care) then to deal with a corporation who won’t give me the time of day.
2 Likes