This chapter will take you through the standards used to grade cards and the companies that provide card grading services.
What is card grading?
Card grading refers to sending a card to a third-party authentication & grading company who will
- guarantee the authenticity of the card,
- give the card a “grade” based on its condition and
- encapsulate the card in a holder or “slab”.
Card grading standards
Cards are graded on four key components across all the major grading companies - with all four “sub-grades” contributing to the overall final grade.We’ll include some examples of common flaws on cards for each component.
Centering
The centering grade is based on how closely the image on a card is to the center of the card. This includes both from the top, bottom, left and right edges. The front and back of the card are taken into account.
Surface
The surface grade is based on the condition of the surface of the card - including if there are any imperfections both to the naked eye and under magnification. The front and the back of the card are taken into account.
Corners
The corner grade is based on how sharp the four corners of the card are.
Edges
The edge grade is based on the condition of the four edges of the card - including if there are any imperfections both to the naked eye and under magnification.
Autograph grading and standards
Some card grading companies will also grade the condition of an autograph on a card. A card with an autograph grade will have two grades on its holder/slab.
Autographs are graded based on the
- boldness of the autograph,
- amount of skipping or retracting by the signer,
- placement of the autograph and
- resemblance to common autograph patterns of the signer.
Card grading companies
There are a number of different card grading companies - each with different price points, turnaround times and grading scales. Gemrate.com provides a daily update on the overall grading trends across the four major grading companies - we’ll look at these companies in this section.
PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator)
Company Info
| Grading scale | Autograph grading available? | Grading standards | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 (.5 grades up to 8.5) | Yes | PSA Website | PSA Website |
Current Slab Design(s)
SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Company)
Company Info
| Grading scale | Autograph grading available? | Grading standards | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 (.5 grades up to 9.5) | Yes | SGC Website | SGC Website |
Current Slab Design(s)
CGC (Certified Guaranty Company)
Company Info
| Grading scale | Autograph grading available? | Grading standards | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 (.5 grades up to 9.5) | Yes | CGC Website | CGC Website |
Current Slab Design(s)
BGS (Beckett Grading Services)
Company Info
| Grading scale | Autograph grading available? | Grading standards | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 (only .5 grade is 9.5). Also offers printing subgrades (individual grades for centering, surface, corners and edges) on the label, at an additional cost. | Yes | BGS Website | BGS Website |
Current Slab Design(s)
