PSA Glossary
Sports Lingo
Like all collectibles, the sports memorabilia market has its own terms and slang. The following is a brief definition and explanation of the most frequently used sports collecting terms.
Note:This is a work in progress and we would love to hear your comments and suggestions. Send your thoughts to [email protected].
- name tag
- The tag which is placed on the inside of the uniform, and usually states the player’s name and uniform measurements.
- National
- The National Sports Collectors Convention is by far the largest and most attended show of the year. The first national took place in 1980 in Los Angeles, California.
- National Chicle
- A one-time manufacturer of sports cards. They are most well known for their 1935 football issue. They also manufactured the well-known Diamond Stars set.
- NBA
- Abbreviation for the National Basketball Association.
- Near Mint (NM 7)
- A card that has very few flaws. The corners may show some light wear, centering may be no worse than 75/25, and no major flaws should be apparent.
- Near Mint-Mint (NM-MT 8)
- A card in this condition may appear to be mint at first glance, but may have slight wear on the corners. Centering may be no worse than 70/30.
- Nineteenth Century
- Memorabilia that dates back to the 1800's.
- NM
- Short for Near Mint.
- NM-MT
- Short for Near Mint – Mint.
- no hitter
- A game in which a pitcher completes the game without allowing a hit. Nolan Ryan has seven and is the record-holder to date.
- non-sport
- Short for “non-sport card.”
- non-sport card
- A card that pictures a topic other than sports. Entertainers, movies, and TV shows are among the more popular.
- notching
- A card-grading term used to describe indentations along the edge of a card, sometimes caused by a rubber band. Notching decreases a card's value.
