--- title: "Trading Card Glossary: Pop, Comp, Slab, Parallel & More | CardVolume" url: https://cardvolume.com/learn/glossary/ as_of: 2026-11-11 source: CardVolume (https://cardvolume.com) --- > These are plain-language working definitions. A product’s official terminology and a marketplace’s own condition rules take precedence. Chapter 13 # Glossary and topic index From CardVolume’s research guides, edition of September 26, 2026. [Sources and methodology](https://cardvolume.com/sources/) These are plain-language working definitions. A product’s official terminology and a marketplace’s own condition rules take precedence. Term Meaning Main chapter Alt art / alternate art A different illustration or treatment; identify the exact version 02, 08 Ask The seller’s offered price; not evidence of a completed sale 03 Authentication An assessment of genuineness within a service’s defined scope 06 Base card The ordinary version within a product/checklist, contrasted with variants 09 Bid / buy offer An amount a buyer offers, often subject to inspection or terms 03 Booster A packaged selection of cards; configuration varies by product 05 Booster box A sealed product containing packs; pack count is not universal 05 Break An opening where buyers are allocated some portion of contents 09 Bulk Lower-value inventory typically handled in groups 05, 07 Buylist A dealer’s list of items it currently seeks to purchase 07 Case A larger shipping/product unit; contents depend on the SKU 05 Cert A grading/authentication certification identifier 04, 06 Chase card A particularly sought-after card in a product 05 Collation How cards are arranged and distributed into packs/products 05 Comp A comparable transaction used in valuation 03 Condition rarity Scarcity of examples meeting a particular condition level 04 Cost basis Acquisition cost plus applicable attributable costs in your ledger 03 Cracking Opening a grading holder or sealed product; context determines meaning 04, 05 Edition A specified issue or printing designation 02, 08 Enchanted / Epic / Iconic Lorcana rarity categories; check release-specific guidance 08 ETB Elite Trainer Box, a Pokémon product type; contents vary 02 Expected value / EV Probability-weighted average outcome under stated assumptions 05 Eye appeal Overall visual attractiveness; not identical to a numerical grade 04 FOMO Fear of missing out, often a pressure toward hurried buying 10 Gem rate Proportion receiving a top grade within a defined submitted sample 04 Grade A condition assessment on a particular grader’s scale 04 Grail A collector’s especially desired item 02 Holo / foil A reflective treatment; exact patterns and terminology vary 02, 06 IR / SIR Illustration Rare / Special Illustration Rare in relevant Pokémon releases 05 Liquidity Ability to sell promptly without an excessive price concession 03 Lot Multiple items sold together 07 Margin Profit relative to revenue; do not confuse with return on cost 03, 07 Market price A provider’s estimate; inspect the underlying method and transactions 03 Master set A collection scope that needs an explicit definition 02 Meta The prevailing competitive environment and commonly played strategies 08 Mint / near mint Condition terms whose meaning depends on the applicable standard 04, 06 MSRP Manufacturer’s suggested retail price; not necessarily a market sale price 05 Parallel A variant associated with a base card, often involving color or finish 09 Population / pop Count recorded by a specific grading database/category 02 Print run Quantity produced for a defined issue; often not publicly established 02, 09 Promo A promotional distribution; not automatically rare 02, 08 Provenance Documented origin and ownership history 06 Pull rate Probability or observed frequency of a defined outcome 05 Raw A card not encapsulated with a grading label 04 Redemption A claim instrument for a card/item, governed by issuer terms 09 Refractor A product-specific reflective parallel designation; verify exact checklist 09 Relic A card containing material described by its manufacturer 09 Repack A product assembled from existing items by another seller 09 Reprint A subsequent authorized printing; details matter 02, 08 Reserved List Wizards’ policy for a specified list of Magic cards 08 ROI Profit divided by invested/acquisition cost for the defined calculation 03 Rotation A change to which sets/cards are permitted in a specified format 08 Sealed An unopened product; authenticity and packaging condition still matter 05 Serial numbered Individually numbered within a specified run/variant 09 Set code / card number Identifiers needed to distinguish a particular issue 02, 08 Shill bidding Undisclosed bidding intended to manipulate an auction’s price 03 Singles Individually selected cards 02, 05 Slab A grading/authentication holder 04 Spread Difference between relevant buying and selling prices 03 Standard / Core / other format Rules defining eligible cards and how a game is played 08 Supply overhang Inventory that may become available to compete with current listings 10 Turnover How rapidly inventory is sold and replaced 07 Variant A distinguishable version of a card or product 02, 08, 09 Vintage / modern Relative hobby-era labels without one universal boundary 02, 10 Wax Hobby slang for unopened packs/boxes, especially in sports cards 09 WOTC Wizards of the Coast; in Pokémon collecting, often shorthand for its publishing era 02 ## Find the answer by question Question Go to Where do I start? 01 Foundations, then 12 Playbooks Which Pokémon segment fits my interest? 02 Pokémon What is my card actually worth? 03 Pricing Should I grade it? 04 Grading and the calculator on each card page Should I open a box or buy the card? 05 Sealed and probability Is this card or slab genuine? 06 Authenticity; obtain a physical expert review when unresolved What should I offer for a collection? 07 Buying and selling How do other TCGs differ? 08 Other TCGs What makes sports cards different? 09 Sports cards Which investment claims are unreliable? 10 Risk and 11 Cases Which channels and videos were used? Sources: channels and video library How was this built, and what was excluded? Methodology and research audit