Grading is the process of having a third-party authenticator examine a Pokémon card, assess its condition against a published scale, and seal it inside a tamper-evident plastic case along with a label stating the grade. For valuable cards, grading turns a fragile cardboard collectable into a verifiable asset that can be bought, sold and stored with confidence. This guide walks through every step of the process, from choosing which cards to submit to receiving the slab back in the post.

Should This Card Be Graded?

Not every card is worth grading. Submission fees, return shipping and insurance can add up to twenty pounds or more per card at standard service tiers, so the card has to be worth significantly more graded than raw to make economic sense. As a rule of thumb, a card needs to be worth at least five times the grading fee in its likely graded condition before submission becomes worthwhile. Sentimental cards are an exception — many collectors grade childhood favourites regardless of value.

Pre-Submission Inspection

Before sending anything off, examine the card under bright daylight or a colour-corrected lamp. Look at all four corners with a loupe. Check the edges for whitening or chipping. Hold the card flat at eye level to spot surface scratches or print defects. Examine centring by measuring the borders on the front and the back. Cards that pass this inspection cleanly have a chance at gem-mint grades; cards with visible flaws should be downgraded in your expectations before submission.

Choosing a Grader

The four major Pokémon card graders are PSA, Beckett (BGS), CGC, and SGC, with PSA dominating the Pokémon market by a wide margin. PSA-graded Pokémon cards almost always sell for more than the same card in equivalent grades from other companies, simply because the buyer pool is larger. BGS subgrades are valued by some collectors who want to see corners, edges, surface and centring scored individually. CGC has gained traction in recent years thanks to a clean slab design and competitive turnaround times.

Submission Levels and Turnaround

Each grader offers tiered service levels. Bulk and economy tiers are the cheapest but can take several months to return. Standard service is typically four to eight weeks. Express and walkthrough services are reserved for high-value cards and turn around in days, but the fees scale accordingly. Most everyday submissions go through standard or value tiers.

Packing the Card

Slip each card into a soft penny sleeve, then into a semi-rigid card holder such as a Card Saver. Do not use top-loaders — graders explicitly request semi-rigid holders so they can extract the card without flexing it. Place the holders together in a stack, wrap with a single elastic band (never directly around the cards), and pad them inside a bubble mailer or small box. Include the printed submission form and any required customs paperwork.

Posting the Submission

Always use a tracked, insured service. For high-value submissions, consider a courier with signature confirmation. International senders should use a customs broker familiar with collectables and declare the cards accurately; under-declaring to save on duty creates problems if the package is lost.

Reading the Result

Cards return in numbered slabs with a label stating the set, card name, grade and certification number. PSA grades on a 1–10 scale; BGS on the same scale with quarter-point increments; CGC similarly. A grade of 10 (Gem Mint or Pristine) is the top of the scale; a 9 (Mint) is excellent; an 8 (Near Mint–Mint) is the floor for most premium-priced graded cards. The certification number can be looked up on the grader’s online database to verify authenticity.

What Happens Next

Graded cards should be stored upright in a dark, climate-stable environment. Slabs are not airtight and can develop internal condensation if moved between extreme temperatures. For long-term storage, slab boxes from grading companies or third-party manufacturers are the standard. See our companion sports card grading explained guide for parallel context, and the grading scale glossary entry for a quick reference on what each number means.

Frequently Asked Questions