How Card Grading Works: PSA, BGS, SGC, and CGC Explained
6 minute read · Updated July 2026
Grading is the hobby's answer to a simple problem: two people can look at the same card and honestly disagree about its condition. A grading company examines the card, assigns it a number on a 1 to 10 scale, and seals it in a tamper-evident holder called a slab. That number travels with the card forever, which is why graded cards are easier to buy, sell, and price than raw ones.
This guide covers what the major companies actually grade, what the numbers mean, and how to decide whether grading a card makes sense for you.
What graders look at
Every major company evaluates the same four things. Centering measures how evenly the image sits between the borders, front and back. Corners are checked under magnification for the softness and whitening that handling causes. Edges are examined for chipping and rough cuts. Surface covers print lines, scratches, stains, creases, and focus of the print itself.
A single flaw can cap a grade. A card with perfect corners but a crease will grade low no matter how clean it looks in a photo, which is one reason in-hand photos of the actual card matter so much when buying raw.
The big four grading companies
PSA is the largest and most recognized name, and PSA 10 (Gem Mint) is the benchmark grade most modern collectors chase. PSA uses a 1 to 10 scale with half grades below 10.
BGS (Beckett) is known for subgrades: every BGS slab shows separate scores for centering, corners, edges, and surface alongside the overall grade. A BGS 10 Pristine is rarer than a PSA 10, and the famous Black Label 10 requires perfect 10s in all four subgrades.
SGC has graded cards since the late 1990s and is especially respected for vintage. Its black tuxedo slab is popular with collectors of pre-1980 cards.
CGC came from the comic book world and has become a serious option for Pokemon and other trading card games, with a reputation for strict surface checks.
- PSA: biggest market recognition, strongest resale liquidity on modern cards
- BGS: subgrades tell you exactly why a card earned its number
- SGC: vintage specialist with fast-growing acceptance across sports
- CGC: strong in Pokemon and TCGs, comic book heritage
What the numbers mean
A 10 is gem mint: sharp corners, clean surface, strong centering. A 9 is mint, usually one barely visible flaw. An 8 is near mint to mint and still displays beautifully. A 7 shows honest light wear. Grades of 5 and 6 mean visible wear that a photo will show. Anything 4 and below has significant flaws such as creases, rounded corners, or writing, though for rare vintage cards even a 1 can carry real value because the card itself is scarce in any condition.
Ungraded cards are called raw. On this site, raw cards are listed with an honest condition call and photographed in hand, and graded cards state the company and grade right in the title.
Is grading worth it?
Grading costs money per card and takes time, so the math only works when the grade unlocks more value than the fee. Three questions help: Is the card worth meaningfully more in a high grade? Does it actually look gem mint under a bright light and magnification? And is the card authentic beyond doubt? If a card is a low-value base card, grading usually costs more than the card will ever be worth.
Check current pricing and turnaround directly on each company's site before submitting, because service levels and fees change. When in doubt, compare recent sold prices for the same card raw versus graded.