CARDINAL
Guides

Guides for card collectors

Plain answers to the questions collectors ask before they grade, buy or sell: how the grading companies compare, what each grade means, how to spot wear and tell printings apart, and how to submit or sell cards.

  • PSA vs CGCPSA vs CGC (and BGS, SGC, TAG) compared: grading scales, subgrades, and what a 10 from each sells for, from prices across hundreds of valuable cards.
  • The PSA grading scaleWhat every PSA grade means, from Gem Mint 10 to Poor 1, plus half grades, qualifiers like OC and ST, and what usually keeps a card from a 10.
  • How to submit cards for gradingStep by step: choosing a grading company and service level, preparing and packing cards, shipping, tracking your order and what comes back.
  • BGS Black Label explainedWhat a Beckett Black Label is, how it differs from a Gold Label Pristine 10 and a Gem Mint 9.5, what the subgrades need to be, and what the grades sell for.
  • CGC Pristine 10 vs Gem Mint 10How CGC's two 10s differ — centering, corners, surface — what a 9.5 is, and how CGC grades sell compared with each other and with PSA.
  • 1st Edition vs UnlimitedHow to spot a 1st Edition Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh! card, what Shadowless means, how Magic's Alpha, Beta and Unlimited differ, and how much more 1st Edition cards sell for.
  • TAG vs PSATAG's 1000-point score and defect report vs PSA's single grade: scales, what you get back, eligibility, and what a TAG 10 sells for next to a PSA 10.
  • Spotting whitening, print lines and wearWhere to look and what to look for — corner and edge whitening, print lines, scratches and dents — and how each one shows up in a grade.
  • How to sell a card collectionValue the collection first, separate the few cards worth real money, choose where to sell each part, and handle offers and scams.

Also: Is your card worth grading? · What are my cards worth? · How pre-grading works