Collectibles Glossary

Every grader, term, and parallel explained. Direct from grader and manufacturer sources.

PSA

Professional Sports Authenticator — largest grader of trading cards by volume.

BGS

Beckett Grading Services — grades with overall score + 4 subgrades (centering, corners, edges, surface).

CGC

Certified Guaranty Company — major grader of comics, with TCG division since 2021.

Pop Report

Population Report — total count of items graded at each grade by a specific grader.

Cert Number

Unique identifier on a graded item’s slab/label; verifiable on the grader’s official site.

Centering

How well a card’s artwork is centered within its borders. Affects grade significantly.

Surface

Card surface condition: scratches, scuffs, print lines all affect grade.

Corners

Corner sharpness; rounded corners reduce grade.

Slab

Sealed plastic case used by graders to protect and authenticate items.

Raw

Ungraded item. Often sold pending grading.

WATA

Sealed video game grader; major auction premium player since 2019.

VGA

Video Game Authority — older sealed-game grading service.

PCGS

Professional Coin Grading Service — top coin grader.

NGC

Numismatic Guaranty Company — top coin grader.

Sheldon Scale

1-70 grading scale used for coins by PCGS and NGC.

Refractor

Chrome-like parallel of a base card with light-bending finish.

Numbered

Card with edition number printed (e.g., 1/100). Lower print runs typically more valuable.

1st Bowman

Player’s first MLB-licensed card; Bowman/Bowman Chrome rookie premium.

Reserved List

Wizards of the Coast list of MTG cards that will never be reprinted.

PSA 10

GEM-MT — highest standard PSA grade. Significant value premium over PSA 9.