Card Grading Guide
What graders actually score, how to eyeball a card before you send it, and how to decide whether grading is worth the fee. When you have a card in mind, the grading ROI calculator turns your own costs and expected grade into a keep-or-submit answer.
Run the grading ROI calculatorCentering
How even the borders are, front and back. Back centering is usually worse and easy to overlook, so check both.
Corners
Sharp vs. frayed or rounded. Corner wear is the most common thing that caps an otherwise-clean card below a 9.
Edges
Chipping and whitening along the perimeter. Dark-bordered cards show edge wear the most.
Surface
Print lines, scratches, scuffs, and gloss. Tilt the card under light to catch what a flat photo hides.
Is grading worth it for your card?
Enter your raw value, expected grade, and the grader's fees to see break-even against verified comps.
Card Grading FAQ
Should I get my card professionally graded?+
Grade a card when the verified median for the grade you realistically expect clears your raw value, grading fee, shipping, insurance, and selling fees. The grading ROI calculator does this math with your own numbers, so run a card through it before you fill out a submission form.
How do graders score a card?+
PSA, BGS, and SGC all judge four things: centering (how even the borders are, front and back), corners (sharpness vs. fraying or rounding), edges (chipping and whitening), and surface (print lines, scratches, scuffs, and gloss). A single weak sub-area caps the overall grade, so a card that is a 9 everywhere except one soft corner grades below a 9.
How do I judge a card myself before submitting?+
Look at the card in good light and check the same four areas graders use. Hold it at an angle to catch surface scratches and print lines, and compare the front and back borders for centering, since back centering is often worse and easy to miss. If any one area looks worn, assume that is your ceiling. This is a screening pass, not a guarantee: lighting, angle, and hidden flaws move the real grade, which is why the grade only becomes final at the grader.
What's the difference between PSA, BGS, and SGC?+
PSA has the largest market and the strongest resale liquidity for baseball, especially modern. SGC has become the preferred choice for vintage and pre-war cards and offers faster turnaround. BGS (Beckett) is known for subgrades and is strongest on modern and ultra-modern. The right grader depends on the card era, your budget, and your exit strategy.
How much does it cost to grade a baseball card?+
Costs vary by grader, declared value, shipping, insurance, and service level. Check the grader's current pricing, then enter those costs into the grading ROI calculator instead of relying on a static fee estimate.