Grading
A grade is an independent, professional assessment of a card’s condition on a 1-to-10 scale. It takes the guesswork out of what you’re buying.
The 1–10 scale
10Gem Mint — about as close to perfect as a card gets.
9Mint — sharp corners and clean surfaces, with only the slightest flaw.
8NM-MT — excellent eye appeal with very minor wear.
7Near Mint — light handling visible on close inspection.
5–6Excellent — honest, collectible condition with visible wear.
1–4Lower grades — well-loved cards and tougher vintage.
Higher grades are exponentially rarer — and worth far more — than the numbers just below them.
The major grading companies
PSAThe most widely recognized grader in the hobby.
Beckett · BGSDetailed subgrades on centering, corners, edges, and surface.
SGCA vintage favorite, with its signature black slab.
CGCFast-growing across trading cards.
Why buy a graded card
- The condition is locked in and verified by an independent expert.
- Authenticity is confirmed and the card is sealed in a tamper-evident holder.
- It’s easier to value, compare, and resell down the road.
We sell both raw singles and graded slabs — raw for value and flexibility, graded for certainty. Every slab in our shop carries a verifiable cert number you can check yourself.