Trained experts, consistent results

The Grading Scale

Every card gets a thorough, accurate assessment. Below are our grades, qualifiers, and exactly what our graders scrutinize.

Grades

  • 10Gem Mint
  • 9Mint
  • 8NM-MT
  • 7Near Mint
  • 6EX-MT
  • 5EX
  • 4VG
  • 3Good
  • 2Fair
  • 1Poor

Qualifiers

  • MCMiscut
  • OCOff-Center
  • AAltered
  • CCounterfeit
  • QAQuest. Auth.

What our graders assess

We authenticate and check every card for alteration using multiple technological methods before grading begins.

Centering

Measured to 1/1000th of a millimeter, we calculate Left, Right, Top and Bottom centering percentages for both the front and back of the card.

Corners

Among the easiest areas to damage — from pack-pull to storage. We check corner sharpness, damage and overall integrity.

Edges

Commonly damaged through chipping, kinks or splitting. Edges are scrutinized for coloration, damage, sharpness and integrity.

Surface

Foil and holographic cards scratch easily. We inspect for print defects, rubbing, scratches, dents and more to determine the surface grade.