Which cards are worth grading? A guide to choosing well

• Proof of authenticity: a graded card has been checked. For a buyer, that ends any doubt about fakes.
• Proof of condition: the grade states exactly what condition the card is in, with photos and subgrades you can look up online.
• Protection: the sealed slab protects the card from fingers, dust and humidity.
• Easier resale: a graded card sells faster and at a clearer price, because the buyer knows what they are getting.

Grading does not improve a card: it tells the truth about it. A damaged card stays damaged, but it is graded honestly.

• 1. What is it worth today, ungraded? Look at real sales (sold listings, not asking prices). If the card is worth less than the cost of grading, a grade will almost never change that.
• 2. What condition is it really in? Check centering, corners, edges and surface under a lamp. A card pulled from a booster and sleeved straight away has a good chance of a high grade.
• 3. Is it in demand? A rare, popular or old card interests many buyers; a common card far fewer, even in perfect condition.
• 4. Why grade it? To sell it, to protect it, or because it matters to you: all three are good reasons, but they lead to different choices.

• Rare cards in very nice condition: alternate arts, secret rares, gold, parallel or numbered cards, especially if they were sleeved straight out of the booster.
• Vintage cards in good condition: the first Pokémon, Magic or Dragon Ball sets are increasingly rare in good condition. A grade confirms their authenticity and condition.
• Valuable cards you plan to sell: the grade reassures the buyer, especially for a remote or international sale.
• Promo cards and limited editions: tournaments, events, Japanese exclusives. They are often copied, so authentication is worth a lot.
• Cards with sentimental value: your first card, a gift, a signed card. The grade may not raise its value, but the slab will protect it for good.

• Common, cheap cards, even in perfect condition: grading would cost more than the card is worth.
• Badly damaged cards (heavy crease, torn corner, water damage) when the goal is resale: the grade will be low and the card will not be worth much more.
• Low-value cards whose authenticity you doubt: a fake card receives no grade.
• Duplicates of the same card: grade the best copy, not all five.

When in doubt, pick the nicest cards in your collection rather than sending everything. Five well-chosen cards beat thirty sent at random.

To resell, do the maths: price of the graded card (based on real sales of graded copies) minus the price of the raw card, minus the cost of grading. If the result is clearly positive, the card is worth it.

For your collection, the maths matters less. What matters is protecting the cards you care about and knowing exactly what you have. Many collectors grade a whole set, card by card, to keep it intact.

• Centering: compare the left-right and top-bottom borders, front and back.
• Corners: look at them on a dark background; the smallest white dot counts.
• Edges: turn the card under a lamp to spot chipping.
• Surface: tilt the card under the light to see scratches, dents and print lines.

Our article on the 4 grading criteria explains in detail how we grade each point. We never promise a grade before the inspection: the real condition shows under the loupe.

We grade Pokémon, One Piece, Dragon Ball, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering, sports cards and other collectible cards, in English, Japanese, Thai and other languages. Every card receives four subgrades, a final grade from 1 to 10 and an online certificate with its photos.