How to grade Pokémon cards
Quick answer: choose a grader (PSA, CGC or Beckett), inspect your card closely, set up an online submission with a service tier that suits the card's value, pack it in a penny sleeve inside a semi-rigid card saver, and ship it tracked. The company authenticates it, gives it a grade from 1 to 10 and returns it sealed in a slab.
Which grader?
PSA grades the most Pokémon cards, and PSA 10s generally sell for the highest prices. CGC is cheaper, adds a "Pristine 10" above Gem Mint 10, and is popular with modern collectors. Beckett (BGS) gives subgrades for centering, corners, edges and surface, and its Black Label 10 is the rarest result in grading. Newer companies such as TAG publish detailed scoring reports.
Inspect before you send
Look at the borders first: left against right and top against bottom, because a PSA 10 allows only a small centering difference on the front. Under a bright light, check every corner for whitening or rounding, then run your eye around the back edges for white specks, known as silvering. Finally tilt the surface toward the light to catch scratches, print lines, dents or fingerprints. If a card is not close to perfect, only send it when you want authentication rather than a big grade.
Build the submission
Open an account on the grader's site and start an order. For each card enter the year, set, number and name, plus a declared value, then pick the service tier. The declared value decides which tiers you can choose and how your return shipment is insured. Current fees are in what grading costs.
Pack and ship
- Each card goes into a fresh penny sleeve and then a semi-rigid card saver; PSA does not accept toploaders.
- Stack the savers between two stiff pieces of cardboard and band them together.
- Box them with padding, add the printed submission form, and send tracked and insured.
Wait for your grades
Track the order online. Expensive express tiers can finish in days; value tiers take weeks. Your cards return in tamper-evident slabs, each with a label and certification number you can verify on the grader's site.
Japanese cards grade beautifully
All three big graders accept Japanese Pokémon cards, and many collectors favor Japanese cards for grading because of their print quality and centering. Our Japanese singles ship straight from Japan.
How do I get my Pokémon cards graded?
Pick a grader, submit your cards online, post them with the printed form, and they come back graded in slabs.
Can a card shop grade cards for me?
Some local shops gather customers' cards and submit them in bulk for a fee, which can save you the membership and postage.
Which grading company is best for Pokémon?
PSA for resale value, CGC for price, Beckett if you want subgrades.
