Card Grading Guide
Grading protects and authenticates your cards while unlocking a premium market. This guide covers every major grading company, what their scales mean, what it costs, and how to decide if grading is worth it for any specific card.
Why Grade Your Cards?
Authenticate
A graded slab proves the card is genuine — especially important for vintage Base Set, 1st Edition, and Shadowless cards where fakes exist.
Protect Value
Slabs seal cards in tamper-evident cases that prevent further damage, preserving condition for decades.
Price Premium
A PSA 10 Charizard ex can command 3–7× the price of an ungraded Near Mint copy. For the right cards, the premium far outweighs grading costs.
PSA Grade Scale
PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) uses a 1–10 scale. PSA 10 is the gold standard — the vast majority of submitted cards grade 8 or below.
| Grade | Label | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Gem Mint | Perfect centering (55/45 or better), sharp corners, no print lines, no scratches on the surface or holo. |
| 9 | Mint | One minor flaw. Slight off-centering, tiny surface scratch, or very minor print line. Still looks stunning. |
| 8 | Near Mint–Mint | Two or three minor flaws. Slight fraying on one corner, light scratching, minor off-centering. |
| 7 | Near Mint | Visible wear on corners or edges, light scratching. Played but well-maintained. |
| 6 | Excellent–Mint | Moderate wear, noticeable scratching on holo, small nicks on corners. |
| 5 | Excellent | Heavy wear, significant scratching. Still no creases or tears. |
| 4 | Very Good–Excellent | Significant wear, possible small crease. Card still structurally intact. |
| 3 | Very Good | Obvious creases, heavy scratches, loss of gloss. |
| 2 | Good | Major creases, heavy staining, or damage to card face. |
| 1 | Poor | Torn, badly creased, or heavily damaged. Still authentic. Valuable for very rare cards. |
TAG Grade Scale
TAG (Trophy Authentication & Grading) uses a simplified 7–10 scale focused on investment-grade cards. Featured in our on-site Grading ROI Calculator.
| Grade | Label | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Pristine | Flawless centering, corners, edges, and surface. Equivalent to PSA 10 or better. |
| 9 | Mint | One minor flaw. Nearly perfect presentation. |
| 8 | Near Mint | Two or three minor flaws. Solid investment-grade card. |
| 7 | Light Play | Visible but minor wear. Great for played cards in good condition. |
Grading Companies & Costs
PSA
PSA grades carry the broadest market recognition and liquidity. Best for Charizard, Pikachu Illustrator, and Base Set investments. Prices raised February 2026.
| Tier | Cost | Turnaround | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCG Bulk | $18.99 | ~65 days | 20-card min, max $200 declared value/card |
| Value | $27.99 | 20–30 days | Max $499 declared value/card |
| Express | $149 | ~10 days | Best for urgent high-value submissions |
| Super | $299 | ~5 days | High-value cards only |
BGS (Beckett)
BGS is unique for its sub-grades (centering, corners, edges, surface) on every card. A BGS 9.5 Black Label is considered equivalent to PSA 10 by many collectors.
| Tier | Cost | Turnaround | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $25 | 20–30 days | 10-card min, sub-grades included |
| Express | $50 | 5–10 days | No minimum, sub-grades included |
| Premium | $100 | 2–3 days | No minimum, fastest BGS option |
CGC
CGC is growing in recognition. Raised prices January 2026. Good option for mid-tier cards — lowest entry cost with the Bulk tier.
| Tier | Cost | Turnaround | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk | $15 | 45–90 days | 25-card min, most affordable |
| Economy | $18 | 45–90 days | No minimum |
| Standard | $55 | 20–30 days | Best balance of speed and cost |
| Express | $100 | 5–10 days | Competitive with PSA Express |
TAG
TAG (Trophy Authentication & Grading) is gaining traction for modern sets. Strong for Pokémon. Their 1,000-point TAG Score and Leaderboard make high-grade cards easy to compare. Featured in our Grading ROI Calculator.
| Tier | Cost | Turnaround | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $22 | ~45 days | 10-card min, best entry-level |
| Express | $59 | ~10 days | No minimum |
| Priority | $149 | ~5 days | Includes DIG+ report + 360° slab video |
| Walkthrough | $299 | Fastest | Includes DIG+ report + 360° slab video |
Is Grading Worth It?
Grading is worth it when the expected premium after grading exceeds the cost of grading + shipping + your time. As a rough rule:
- Raw card value < $30: Grading rarely makes economic sense. The fee often exceeds the price premium.
- Raw card value $30–$100: Borderline. Use CGC or TAG (lower fees) if you believe the card will grade 9+.
- Raw card value $100+: Grading almost always makes sense if the card is in Near Mint condition. PSA 10s at this tier can 3–7× the raw price.
- Charizard, Pikachu, vintage Base Set: Grade everything that is NM or better. The liquidity at PSA 10 is unmatched.
Use our Grading ROI Calculator on any card detail page to get a specific estimate for that card.
Other TCGs
Magic: The Gathering
PSA, BGS, and CGC all grade MTG cards. The market is growing — Power 9 and Alpha/Beta graded cards command strong premiums.
Full guide coming soon.
One Piece TCG
A rapidly growing graded market. PSA and CGC accept OP cards. Alt-art and Special Parallelogram cards are the primary grading targets.
Full guide coming soon.