How Card Grading Works (and When It's Worth Paying For)

Grading means sending a card to an independent company that checks it's genuine, gives it a condition score, and seals it in a tamper-evident plastic case called a slab. A high grade can multiply a card's value, while a mediocre grade can leave you worse off than if you'd sold it raw. Here's how it works and how to decide.

What graders look at

Every major company looks at the same four things:

• Centering: how evenly the borders are balanced left to right and top to bottom.
• Corners: sharpness, with no whitening, rounding or dings.
• Edges: smoothness, with no chipping, whitening or roughness.
• Surface: scratches, print lines, dents, stains, or scuffs on the holo.

Modern cards often come out of the pack with factory flaws, so a freshly pulled card is not automatically a 10.

The 1–10 scale

Most companies use a 10-point scale. A 10 is the top grade (PSA calls it Gem Mint), and each step down usually means a noticeably lower price for modern cards. Some companies add extra labels at the top: Beckett (BGS) gives four subgrades and a rare "Black Label" when all four subgrades are perfect, and CGC distinguishes a Pristine 10 from a Gem Mint 10.

The main grading companies

• PSA is the largest and the most common in sales listings for both Pokémon and sports cards.
• CGC grades trading cards and also comics and coins.
• BGS (Beckett) is known for subgrades.
• SGC is popular with sports and vintage collectors.

Prices, tiers and turnaround times change often. See our grading cost comparison, which lists fees we verified on each company's official pricing page with the date checked.

Population reports

Each company publishes a population report showing how many copies of a card it has graded at each grade. A card with few 10s tends to command a bigger premium for a 10. As more copies get graded, the premium can shrink.

Is grading worth it? The simple math

Grading pays only when the expected graded sale price, after fees, beats selling the card raw. You need four numbers:

1. The raw price, from the card's page here.
2. The graded price at the grade you expect. Use recent sold listings for that exact card and grade.
3. Your honest chance of getting that grade. Most raw cards don't get a 10.
4. The total cost: grading fee, shipping both ways, insurance and selling fees.

Our grading calculator does this math and shows your break-even price. As a rule of thumb, cheap cards rarely justify grading unless the 10 premium is very large.

How to prepare a submission

• Inspect each card under good light and only send ones that look clean on all four criteria.
• Put each card in a fresh penny sleeve and then a semi-rigid holder, which most graders prefer over toploaders. Check your grader's current instructions.
• Declare an honest value, since the company may move your card to a higher tier if it's worth more.
• Keep a list and photos of everything you send.

General information only. It's not professional, financial or legal advice.