Meaning of Codes

Within BucksCards.com, you may see reference to a Starbucks card(s) or sleeve(s) on its RARIETY, CONDITION and PRICING. Because there are no set rules for evaluating cards/sleeves, this information should ONLY be used as a guideline. We'll make every reasonable attempt to evaluate the RARIETY, CONDITION, and PRICING of these cards and sleeves as accurately as possible.

PRICING

We consider "fair market value" by averaging what bidders will pay for the same item over a 3 month period. This is done by watching eBay results (our best source of "fair market value"). If a star is shown on a page within this Website, it is based on this method.

RARIETY

Common:	Item may or may not be available in stores or online. Little or no search is needed
Hard-to-Find:	Not available in stores anymore, item out of print, not common to locate, but still can be located with persistence.
Rare:	Have to take extra time in your search and look in unusual places.
Mega Rare:	Item won't be seen for a long period of time (usually 6 months or greater).

CONDITION

Mint (MT):	A card with no obvious imperfections or signs of wear. Pin covering is intact and has no imperfections. Minor scratches from manufacturing are not visible without a magnifying glass. Card has never been swiped. Card is glossy and looks like it was just pulled off the shelf or from the original manufacturing pack. However, even cards straight out of the pack do not always grade mint as sometimes there are obvious manufacturing flaws. A card may be “new” but NOT “Mint”.
Near Mint (NM):	A near- perfect card with perhaps one minor imperfection such as a single swipe mark or very minor shelf scratches that are hardly visible. This can be a new card with manufacturing scratches. Pin covering is intact. Storage and manufacturing scratches are very minor. Card is still shiny. These cards still look brand new. A Near Mint card may be new with manufacturing scratches or Used with one minor visible swipe mark which does not mar the appearance of the newness of the card as in Starbucks corporate cards.
Excellent (EX):	A card with minor storage scratches or minor swipe marks. Pin is covered but may show minor imperfections from manufacturing or storage. Card must have original gloss and still be shiny.
Very Good (VG):	A card that shows obvious handling but is still attractive despite wear and imperfections. A VG card may have swipe marks, but that are not severe enough to make the card unattractive. The pin covering may be partially missing. Overall glossiness is still apparent.
Good (G):	A card that has had its pin covering removed but that is still glossy.
Fair / Poor (F) (P):	A very worn card with many major imperfections. Lots of scratches, most of the gloss is gone. The pin covering has been removed. Collectors use cards of these grades as fillers until better ones can be found.
Freaks:	A card that was manufactured with a glaring flaw i.e. a massive missing piece, a large groove or gouge in the plastic from manufacturing, a bug or other material manufactured inside the plastic, obvious artwork differences, etc. Freaks are often valued more than Mint grade cards.