The Ultimate Pokémon Trading Card Grading Guide - (2024)

Introduction

Curious about getting your Pokemon cards graded? Keep reading and you’ll learn the finer points of how Pokemon card grading works, understand why it’s important to many(but certainly not all) collectors, and find out which companies offer the best services & prices.

Contents:

• 1. Why Grade?
• 2. How To Grade?
• 3. What’s the Price of Pokemon Card Grading?
• 4. What Really Makes a Card Valuable?
  

WHY YOU GRADE CARDS:

Quick Note: The price is the price. If you’re looking to sell a card that you love, never let anyone else tell you what your card is worth; you know what it’s worth to you and customers know what they are willing to pay. Finding the right match can take time, and many factors cause prices to adjust, CONSTANTLY.

Pokemon card grading can be valuable tool to help determine the general market value of your collection, and it’s important to know how the grade affects price so you can decide if card grading is a worthwhile investment for your collection.

While there are several factors that determine a card’s value(art, history, rarity, nostalgia, limited supply, etc) one of the most important factors to consider is the card’s condition. A very rare Pokemon card in mint condition will fetch more money than a card in poor condition with faded colors, creases, scratches—even if the cards are otherwise identical.

So why grade your cards? If you are interested in selling your collection, it helps to know the market value of each card as precisely as possible; once you know the value, your goal is to maintain the condition of the card over time by keeping it safe from forces that will degrade the card and its value(light, heat, humidity, water, the enemies). Even the smallest imperfections can reduce a cards value.

The main benefit of sending cards to a card grading service is that the sealed, tamper-proof holder it comes back in will verify the condition of the card and help to protect the card. Typically this will increase the value of your card (as compared to unsealed), and will allow buyers to quickly determine that your card is authentic.

An authentic and professionally graded Pokemon card has a higher resale value than an identical but ungraded card.

It makes sense to pay for professional card grading when your cards are in near mint-mint condition, with only very minor imperfections and you want to maximize the long term resale value of your card.

HOW TO GRADE POKEMON CARDS:

• Most Cards Are Graded Using A 1-10 Scale, With 1 Being The Lowest score, and & 10 The Highest, Most Valuable.
• Begin By Evaluating The Card Surface, Edges, & Corners, Noting Any Imperfections.
• Next Determine the Print, Cut, & Centering Quality.
• Each Category (Surface, Edges & Corners, Print, Cut, Centering) Is Given An Individual “Sub-Grade” (1-10)
• Categories with a Sub-Grade less than 10 Indicate A Flaw
• Sub-Grades are averaged together; each category carries a different weight depending on who is grading the card and some Sub-Grades are more impactful to the final overall Grade.

SURFACE:
Check for scratches, stains, dents, creases, and any printing errors like holographic bleed or out-of-focus print. Use a variety of light sources, a magnifying glass, a microscope if you have, any magnification tool that will allow you to take a close look with clear vision to note any defects.

PRINT QUALITY & CENTERING:

Centering refers to how evenly the card is printed; borders of matching width are most desired. The card is also checked to make sure it was not printed at an angle. Well centered cards will tend to receive higher grades. You must inspect the top, bottom, left, and right borders on both front and back of the card to determine how centered it is or is not. The front of the card tends to be more important than the back, especially regarding centering, but both should be measured carefully.

Print quality must also be evaluated in the contexts of richness of color, correct colors, properly focused print, and the card must be checked for any ink errors including holographic bleed. Last but not least, you will occasionally find a card known as a mis-cut; this is a card that was not cut properly and may be of incorrect dimensions or simply have a poor cut quality.

See Also

Sports Card Grading 101: The Definitive Tutorial - All Vintage CardsComprehensive Guide to Card GradingHow We Grade - Edge Grading Card Condition Scale3 Great Card Centering Apps & Tools

I once found a card that has been caught in the sealing machine that closes booster packs, leaving a distinct ridged pattern on the top border of the card, known as a “crimped” card. While some collectors might value “misprints,” overall you may find it harder to sell these cards; it may not be worthwhile to get them graded.

EDGES & CORNERS:

Corners need to be crisp and have solid color. Fraying edges with layers showing is a collector’s nightmare! Cards with corner damage are not worth grading in most cases.

Check your card’s corners and edges carefully for whitening on both front and back. A small amount of white does not completely diminish a card’s value, but you can be assured that card will not receive a perfect Grade.

While you can grade your own cards at home, understand that the score you determine for your card will likely differ from that you receive when you submit your card to professional grading services. It is still a good idea to attempt to grade your own cards first to determine if it is worth paying for a professional grading service.

When you grade at home, or list your cards for sale, you can use the following Simple Grading Scale:

Near Mint (NM)
Lightly Played (LP)
Moderately Played (MP)
Heavily Played (HP)

If you choose to get your card professionally graded, one of the biggest benefits is the ultrasonically-welded case your card is returned in, usually known as a “slab.” The sealed case ensures your card is tamper and water resistant.

There are three main companies to choose from if you want to get your Pokemon cards graded professionally:

HOW MUCH DO CARD GRADING SERVICES COST?

Each company charges different rates, and you will need to prepare yourself to pay for the shipping costs associated with sending your cards for grading as well. The cost of card grading services tends to increase the more valuable your card is.

You may want to consider insuring any shipments that include high value cards, which will cost more, but is well worth the investment in the event that your cards are damaged or lost during transit. Some companies even REQUIRE you to purchase insurance when you use their grading service.

Remember, getting your cards professionally graded is a choice to make an INVESTMENT in your collection. In some cases, for example if your card receives a low grade, you may actually be LOWERING the final resale value of your card; RAW ungraded cards are often worth more than an equivalent graded card that receives a low score.

How To Submit Your Pokemon Cards For Grading:

To help keep cards safe and in their best condition as they enter the grading process:

Put your card in a penny sleeve for one layer of protection, and then put your sleeved card inside of a plastic semi-rigid card holder. Next use two pieces of sturdy cardboard to cover the front and back of your protected card(s). Wrap your cardboard sealed card(s) with bubble wrap and seal in a snug box properly taped and labelled for your destination along with a clear return address..

-click here- for PSA Guidelines on Card Grading Submission Shipping Recommendations

WHAT’S A POKÉMN CARD REALLY WORTH?

The value of any card is determined by a number of factors. Perhaps the most important is..what the card means to the person it belongs to. Some cards are literally priceless because they bring so much value to an individual that they would never imagine selling or parting with their card in any way. If however, you decide to sell some of your collection, there are a couple of quick ways you can determine what the current market values for your cards are.

You can usually sell your card for significantly higher prices if it is Rare, Holographic, Vintage, or in high demand with the current market. Check the following websites for current price information. You can also check websites like eBay to see what has sold recently, and at what prices.

But in all seriousness, the most important thing about collecting Pokemon cards is to have fun. If you’re enjoying yourself, that’s all that really matters. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! I hope this Pokemon card grading guide has helped you learn more about how grading works and how it can affect your collection.

I personally am a big fan of loose, or raw, cards. Without all the expenses of getting cards slabbed/graded, I can sell High Value Singles & Premium Re+Packs @ ThePokeTrader.com for a lot less so you get more for your money!

• High Value Cards
• Booster Packs
• Digital Tribute Cards
• Premium Re+Packs

Visit Thepoketrader.com for these products and more!

Watch on Wednesdays! Every week, a new episode of : The PokeTrader Radio Broadcast is released on YouTube. Watch for your chance to win a free card!

Talk to me:

This is a guide on how to get Pokemon cards graded. Whether you want to know how to send cards to PSA, or how to get Pokemon cards graded for free, you can find valuable information here.

Learn about card grading costs, available grading service providers, how to grade cards at home, what professional card graders are looking for, why graded cards can be more valuable, all to help you decide if grading Pokemon Cards is worth it to you or not. If you want to know how much it costs to grade cards, or if it is worthwhile investment, all your answers about Pokemon slabs can be found here. Learn about the best ways to protect your favorite and most valuable cards, Pokemon card grading standards, and understand Pokemon card condition and how it affects the value of your collection.Thank you for reading and supporting!