Corner whitening on sealed figure boxes
What is corner whitening on a figure box?
Corner whitening is the pale crease line that appears when a box corner is bumped or compressed, breaking the printed surface. On sealed Bandai / Tamashii boxes it's the single most common grade-limiter — visible whitening typically caps a box below Mint (9.0) even when everything else is clean.
It's the first thing a careful buyer looks for, and the first thing FIGUSCAN scores on the Corner axis.
Why corners whiten
Printed cardboard has a thin coated surface over a paper core. When a corner is bumped, the coating cracks and the lighter paper underneath shows through as a pale line. Once it appears it doesn't go away.
How much it costs you
A single soft corner usually drops a box from Gem Mint into Mint or Near Mint; multiple whitened corners push toward Excellent or below.
- ↦One light corner: ~0.3–0.5 off the grade
- ↦Multiple corners: Near Mint or lower
- ↦Crushing + whitening: Good or below
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Frequently asked questions
Does corner whitening affect authenticity?+
No — it's a condition issue, not authenticity. It lowers the Box and Corner axes but doesn't change the authenticity read.
Can it be fixed?+
Not on a sealed box without compromising the seal. Disclose it honestly in any listing instead.