TCG Grading Tutorial
How Can I Get a TCG Card Graded?
To get TCG cards graded, owners send their cards to companies such as PSA and CGC who rate the card's condition with a grade.
Cards are graded on these four areas:
- Centering
- Corners
- Edges
- Surface
For example, CGC Cards uses a 10-point grading scale for Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh! and other trading cards. Below are CGC Cards' grading standards for each numeric grade as well as information on sub-grades. You'll also find grading scales and explanations for BGS, and PSA in this TCG grading guide.
What Companies Grade TCG cards?
| Grading Company | Description |
|---|---|
| PSA | Professional Sports Authenticator grades the condition of a trading card using PSA's 10-point grading scale. Pricing is based on the declared card's value, ranging from $25 for a card worth less than $500, up to $10,000 for cards valued at least $250,000. |
| BGS | Beckett Grading Service, aka BCGS, analyzes several key areas and assigns an overall grade based upon the accumulation of the individual characteristics. |
| CGC | CGC Trading Cards is the division of Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) devoted to the expert grading of the most popular trading card games and sets, including Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Marvel, MetaZoo and many more. |
How Do the Grades from Different Grading Companies Compare?
The grades from the different grading services align well across the board. The only exception is the BGS PRISTINE 10 Black Label grade. The Black Label is the highest grade possible by BGS standards and commands a premium when compared to other services’ 10s. You can’t go wrong with PSA, CGC, or BGS, it’s finding out what the community of each card game prefers.
What is the PSA TCG Card Grading Scale?
The PSA grading scale for TCG cards starts at Poor 1, and goes up to Gem Mint, abbreviated GEM-MT-10. PSA will also authenticate TCG cards that are in too poor of a condition to grade, or have been altered.
| Grade | Abbreviation | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Gem Mint | Gem Mint | Virtually perfect. |
| Mint | MINT 9 | Superb condition with extremely minor flaws. |
| Near Mint-Mint | NM-MT 8 | Super high-end card, almost a Mint 9. |
| Near Mint | NM 7 | Slight surface wear, fraying corners, minor waxing on the back. |
| Excellent-Mint | EX-MT 6 | May have visible surface wear or printing defect which does not detract from the overall appearance. |
| Excellent | EX 5 | Minor rounding of corners, some surface wear or printing defects. |
| Very Good-Excellent | VG-EX 4 | Corners slightly rounded, notable surface wear, light scuffs or scratches. |
| Very Good | VG 3 | Some rounding of corners, surface wear, light scuffs or scratches, and edge wear. |
| Good | GOOD 2 | Rounded corners, obvious surface wear, may have scratches, scuff, or light staining. |
| Fair | FR 1.5 | Corners have extreme wear, scuffs, scratches, pitting, chipping and/or staining. |
| Poor | PR 1 | Major creasing and wear, missing pieces, major creasing, extreme discoloration. |
| Authentic Only | NO | Authenticated without a numerical grade. |
| Authentic Altered | AA | Authentic but altered with no numerical grade. |
What is a PSA Half-Point Grade?
Between the grades Good 2 and Mint 9, PSA may bump the grade by a half-point if the card is near the top of the grade. When a TCG card carries a half-point grade, it won't have a qualifier.
What Is a PSA Qualifier?
A PSA Qualifier is used to identify specific characteristics of the card. Of the six PSA qualifiers, two are required, and there are four optional qualifiers.
| Qualifier | Abbreviation | TCG Card Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Marks | MK | Writing, ink or pencil marks. |
| Miscut | MC | Portions of the card are cut off. |
| Off Center | OC | Either left-right or top-bottom. |
| Staining | ST | A stain on the card. |
| Print Defect | PD | Print defects. |
| Out of Focus | OF | Out of focus or out of register. |
What TCG Cards Will PSA Not Grade?
PSA will not grade TCG cards with trimming, re-coloring, restoration, or other tampering.
What is the CGC Grading Scale for TCG Cards?
The CGC grading scale for TCG cards starts with Poor 1 and goes up to a Perfect 10.
What are CGC's Grades?
| Grade | TCG Card Condition |
|---|---|
| Pristine 10 | A Pristine 10 is a card that has received the grade of Gem Mint 10 with all four sub-grades being 10. This "quad 10" is the best a card can be. It has no post-production flaws under 10x magnification in all four sub-grades. |
| Gem Mint 10 | A Gem Mint 10 card must have perfect centering and no evidence of any manufacturing or handling defects. Corners will appear perfect to the naked eye and Gem Mint under 10x magnification. The surface is free of print spots and should also display perfect gloss. |
| Mint+ 9.5 | The card will have excellent centering and exhibit only negligible handling or manufacturing defects. |
| Mint 9 | The card shows at least above-average centering and only a few minor manufacturing or handling defects. |
| NM/Mint+ 8.5 | A card with at least average-to-above-average centering. The card will show small handling defects. |
| NM/Mint 8 | A well-preserved card with at least average centering and small-to-moderate handling defects. |
| NM+ 7.5 | A well-preserved card with a moderate defect or a few small defects. |
| NM 7 | A slightly played card that has strong eye appeal but has a moderate defect or a few small defects. |
| Ex/NM+ 6.5 | A slightly played card with minor scuffing, indentations, soiling or fading. |
| Ex/NM 6 | An attractive card that is still bright. It will have a moderate defect and a few small defects. |
| Excellent+ 5.5 | A moderately played card. It will have moderate and small defects. |
| Excellent 5 | A played card with moderate and small defects. It may also have a light crease. |
| VG/Ex+ 4.5 | A card with obvious signs of play with loss of sheen and whitening extending the entire border. |
| VG/Ex 4 | A heavily played card with several moderate defects including creases. |
| Very Good+ 3.5 | A heavily played card with a couple of major defects. There will be no tears, however. |
| Very Good 3 | A heavily played card with several major defects as well as some moderate defects. There will be no tears, however. |
| Good+ 2.5 | A card that exhibits major-to-extreme defects with heavy creases and significant discoloration. |
| Good 2 | An extremely played card that has poor detail and an accumulation of major defects. |
| Fair 1.5 | A damaged card with poor eye appeal and extreme defects. |
| Poor 1 | An extensively damaged card with large tears and other extreme defects. |
What is the BGS Grading Scale for TCG Cards?
The BGS grading scale starts at POOR 1 and goes to PRISTINE 10. The final grades for TCG cards are in half-point increments. Please note that Beckett Grading Services provides final grades in half-point increments (i.e., 10, 9.5, 9, 8.5 etc.). Cards that are assigned a grade with a half-point increment typically share characteristics from both the level above and the level below the actual grade given.
A TCG card graded POOR-1 is off center, has heavily rounded corners, chipped edges, and severe creases or print spots. The surface has severe color or focus imperfections.
A PRISTINE-10 card's corners and edges are perfect to the naked eye, it's centered nearly perfectly, and the surface has flawless color, registration, and focus, and perfect gloss on the surface.
A GEM MINT 9.5 is just one step down from a PRISTINE-10, and the most noticeable difference is the price at auction. A GEM MINT 9.5 TCG card has nearly perfect centering, the corners are mint to the naked eye, but slight imperfections allowed under magnification. A MINT 9.5 TCG card's surface shows deep color with no registration or focus imperfections, perfect gloss, and no scratches. The remainder of the grades are below:
BGS Grading Scale for TCG Cards
| Grade | TCG Card Condition |
|---|---|
| Pristine 10 | Centering: 50/50 all around on front. 60/40 or better on back. Corners: Perfect to the naked eye and Mint under magnification. Edges: Perfect to the naked eye and virtually free of flaws under magnification. Surface: No print spots. Flawless color, devoid of registration or focus imperfections. Perfect gloss, devoid of scratches and metallic print lines. |
| GEM MINT 9.5 | Centering: 50/50 one way, 55/45 the other on front. 60/40 or better on back Corners: Mint to the naked eye, but slight imperfections allowed under magnification. Edges: Virtually Mint to the naked eye. A speck of wear is allowed under intense scrutiny. Surface: A few extremely minor print spots, detectable only under intense scrutiny. Deep color, devoid of registration or focus imperfections. Perfect gloss, devoid of scratches and metallic print lines. |
| MINT 9 | Centering: 55/45 both ways on front. 70/30 or better on back. Corners: Mint upon close inspection. A speck of wear is allowed under intense scrutiny. Edges: Virtually Mint to the naked eye. Unobtrusive specks of chipping on the borders are allowed. Surface: A handful of printing specks or one minor spot. Very minor focus or color imperfections. Clean gloss with one or two tiny scratches barely noticeable to the naked eye. One faint, unobtrusive metallic print line is allowed. |
| NM-MT 8 | Centering: 60/40 both ways or better on front. 80/20 or better on back. Corners: Sharp to the naked eye, but slight imperfections allowed under close examination. Edges: Relatively smooth borders. Specks of chipping visible to the naked eye are allowed. Surface: A few minor print spots. Very minor color or focus imperfections. Solid gloss with very minor scratches detectable only upon close inspection. Or a subtle metallic print line. |
| NEAR MINT 7 | Centering: 65/35 both ways or better on front. 90/10 or better on back. Very slight diamond cutting is allowed. Corners: Very minor wear on two or three corners is allowed. Edges: Slight roughness, minor chipping or very minor notching is allowed. Surface: A few noticeable print spots or minor speckling is allowed. Minor color or focus imperfections. Very minor border discoloration. A very minor wax stain on back. Solid gloss with a few minor scratches detectable upon close inspection. A few metallic print lines. |
| EX-MT 6 | Centering: 70/30 both ways or better on front. 95/5 or better on back. Slight diamond cutting is allowed. Corners: Fuzzy corners, but free of dings and fraying. Edges: Moderate roughness, moderate chipping or minor notching is allowed. Surface: Noticeable print spots. Minor color or focus imperfections. Minor border discoloration and color or focus imperfections. Minor wax stains or extremely subtle ink marks. Relatively solid gloss with minor scratches, but devoid of scuffing. Noticeable metallic print lines. |
| EXCELLENT 5 | Centering: 75/25 both ways or better on front. 95/5 or better on back. Slight diamond cutting is allowed. Corners: Four fuzzy corners, a touch of notching or a minor ding is allowed. Edges: Noticeable roughness - but no layering. Very slight notching or noticeable chipping is allowed. Surface: Noticeable print spots. Minor color or focus imperfections. Minor border discoloration. Minor wax stains or very light ink mark. Some gloss lost from surface with minor scratches, but devoid of scuffing. |
| VG-EX 4 | Centering: 80/20 both ways or better on front. 100/0 or better on back. Moderate diamond cutting is allowed. Corners: Slight notching or layering, or moderate dings are allowed. Edges: Readily chipped or notched and/or slightly layered. Surface: Heavy print spots. Hairline creases. Moderate color or focus imperfections. Moderate border discoloration. Moderate wax stains. Very light ink mark or tape stain. A good deal of gloss lost from surface. Very minor scuffing or an extremely subtle tear in the form of a touch of broken surface paper. |
| VERY GOOD 3 | Centering: 85/15 both ways or better on front. 100/0 or better on back. Moderate diamond cutting is allowed. Corners: Slightly rounded or noticeably notched corners with slight layering is allowed. Edges: Heavy notching, moderate layering or heavy chipping is allowed. Surface: Heavy print spots. Very minor creases. Noticeable color or focus imperfections. Noticeable border discoloration. Noticeable wax stains. Light ink mark or tape stain. Very little surface gloss. Minor scuffing or a very minor tear. |
| GOOD 2 | Centering: 90/10 both ways or better on front. 100/0 or offcut on back. Noticeable diamond cutting is allowed. Corners: Noticeably rounded or heavily notched corners with moderate layering. Edges: Severely chipped, notched or layered. Surface: Severe print spots. Noticeable creases. Noticeable color or focus imperfections. Noticeable border discoloration. Heavy wax stains. Moderate ink mark or tape stain. A surface devoid of gloss. Noticeable scuffing or a noticeable tear. |
| POOR 1 | Centering: 100/0 or offcut on front or back. Heavy diamond cutting is allowed. Corners: Heavily rounded or heavily notched with noticeable layering. Edges: Destructive chipping, notching or layering. Surface: Severe print spots. Heavy creases. Severe color or focus imperfections. Heavy border discoloration. Severe stains. No original gloss. Heavy scuffing or a severe tear. |
How to Get Your TCG Cards Graded
Here's an EASY step-by-step process for getting your TCG cards graded.
Step 1: What do you have?
The first step is knowing what is in your collection. The last thing you want is to spend money on grading cards that are not worth the grading fees. Look for things like rarity, variant, etc.
Look at our TCG Value Guide page to see which TCG cards are collectible and valuable.
Step 2: What condition is the card?
Looking at condition is critical, as collectability doesn't always equate to value. You can have a sought-after card that grades low; it won't sell for a high amount.
Step 3: What grading service should you use?
We recommend PSA, CGC, and BGS. You can't go wrong with any of the three services, but we recommend looking online to determine what grading service is better for the card game or the grade. Some communities lean towards one and the other community the other, so it's good to check the trends.
Step 4: How do you submit?
Each company has an online submission portal that you can access simply by creating an account.
Step 5: Request a Free Appraisal
To get the same free appraisal online as in-person, simply upload photos and tell us about your TCG Cards. Our experts will authenticate your items and give an estimate of their auction value.
TCG Grading FAQs
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
|---|---|
| Which TCG grading services does Heritage Auctions use? | PSA, CGC, and BGS |
| How much does it cost to get a trading card graded? | The cost will vary depending on the card's value and the turnaround time. |
| When is it worth the cost to get a TCG card graded? | It is worth getting a card graded if it would grade high or if its value is twice as much as the grading fee. |
| What does GEM MINT mean in TCG cards? | The term GEM MINT means that the card is without any in flaws, it's in perfect condition. |
| What does a Gem Mint 10 grade mean? | A GEM MINT grade means the card is the highest grade possible; cards awarded this grade are highly collectible and multiple in value. |
| How can you tell if a trading card is Gem Mint 10? | The card shows no flaws, not even the slightest imperfection. |
| What is the PSA equivalent to a gem mint trading card grade? | GEM MINT 10 grade |
What about GEM MINT Pokemon Cards?
| QUESTION | ANSWER |
|---|---|
| How much is a GEM MINT 10 Pokemon card worth? | The card's value will vary depending on its popularity, but if a Pokemon card grades GEM MINT 10, it will sell for multiple times over the next lower grade. |
| How do you tell if a Pokemon card is Gem Mint? | The card shows no flaws, not even the slightest imperfection. |
| How can I show you my trading cards? | Simply upload photos of your cards with a description for a free appraisal by our experts. |
Heritage Auctions, the world's largest collectibles auctioneer, is where passion meets expertise. With industry-leading specialists and global reach, we help collectors understand what makes their items valuable and as the best place to sell fine art and collectibles, we help sellers achieve the highest prices at auction.