{"id":1929,"date":"2021-03-26T15:04:07","date_gmt":"2021-03-26T05:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ggwpacademy.com\/?p=1929"},"modified":"2021-09-07T18:08:04","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T08:08:04","slug":"pokemon-card-grading-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ggwpacademy.com\/pokemon-card-grading-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Pokemon Card Grading Explained [UPDATED 2021]"},"content":{"rendered":"
Do you remember the first deck of Pokemon cards you ever got? The excitement you had in opening that sealed pack, then browsing through a set of colorful cards, excited to bring it to school the following day?<\/span><\/p>\n How would you feel if you discover that deck in the same exact condition ten years after?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Trading cards really brought a lot of thrill and excitement to our lives back then. But for a select number of people, keeping the condition of these cards over time was their vision. Why? Is it to earn an enormous amount of money by selling them? To keep a beautiful memory? For passion?<\/span><\/p>\n Whatever the reason is, if you happen to have what you think is a rare or well-preserved Pokemon card, it\u2019s best to get them traded immediately.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To help you with this journey, we\u2019ll explain the basics of Pokemon Card Grading.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Out of all the trading cards of our generation, there is only a handful that became collector\u2019s items that can be resold for a good amount. If you kept your NBA trading cards, Magic the Gathering Cards, or Pokemon Cards in good condition, then there\u2019s a high chance that you can sell those for a good amount.<\/span><\/p>\n However, this is not the case for every old Pokemon card out there. Although you can check the condition yourself, you still won\u2019t be able to sell it at a good price unless it\u2019s been verified by an authority.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Just ask yourself, would you take the risk of buying jewelry from someone claiming it to be 24 karats, or would you rather go to an authorized, well-known jewelry shop?<\/span><\/p>\n Having your cards graded by respectful card grading companies lets you know what your card\u2019s exact worth is. So, there is no chance of underselling your card. That right there is enough reason to get your cards sent to the companies we\u2019ll mention later.<\/span><\/p>\n So, if you\u2019ve kept your Pokemon cards in good condition, it\u2019s time to get them out of your cabinet and have them graded!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Currently, three official card grading companies are trusted by card collectors worldwide. They are <\/span>Beckett Grading Services (BGS<\/span><\/a>), <\/span>Certified Guaranty Company (CGC)<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)<\/span><\/a>. Having your cards graded by any of these companies would give your card a seal of legitimacy that can drive up its resale price.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Each of these card grading companies has its own grading scores and sub-grades or qualifiers. And although their ratings are almost the same, each one would still hold different values in the marketplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Meaning, a GEM-MT 10 Charizard graded by PSA would sell higher than a Pristine 10 Charizard from CGC. This is because PSA is the more trusted and reputable grading company between the two.<\/span><\/p>\n But, In a nutshell, your Pokemon cards will be graded on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being the lowest card grade you can receive.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Below are the things card graders would evaluate when you give your card for grading:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When grading Pokemon cards, the condition of the card\u2019s surface is the most important. Graders would put your card under a microscope (literally), to find micro-tears, scratches, stains, and any other visual defects on your card.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you have Pokemon cards with large tears or scratches, there\u2019s almost no use in having them graded because these would greatly depreciate the value of your cards, making it a waste of money.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The next thing that will be evaluated will be the edges and corners of your card. They\u2019ll be looking at whitening, which is an indicator of frequency and usage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n High-value cards would have minimal to no whitening on the edges and will maintain a sharper edge compared to cards that have been played a lot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For most card collectors, edges and corners aren\u2019t as important as the surface and the card itself. But for purists, having a flawless card means a lot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lastly, the graders will be evaluating the print and cutting quality from the manufacturer. Although this is something out of your control, it\u2019s still important in determining the value of your Pokemon cards.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n They\u2019ll be evaluating how good the print quality is and if there are any printing defects like off-centered images, out-of-focus pictures, etc. Moreover, they\u2019ll be looking at whether or not the borders of your card are even and if your card is printed dead-center.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you have cards with manufacturing defects, don\u2019t expect to get a high grade, even if you took good care of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Beckett Grading Services (BGS) was established as a card collecting pricing guide. However, in 2001, they started their grading services. Although they are best-known for MTG card grading, most Pokemon card collectors still consider a BGS 10<\/a> as the gold standard in card collecting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On their website, BGS claims to offer a <\/span>simple grading scale<\/span><\/a>. Like mentioned, they use a 1 to 10-point grading scale, with descending increments of one-half point.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\n
Why should you get your cards graded?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Where should I get my cards graded?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How will my cards be graded?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n
\u2705 Surface<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u2705 <\/span>Edges and Corners\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
\u2705 <\/span>Printing and Cutting<\/span><\/h3>\n
How Beckett Grading Services Grades Pokemon Cards<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
\u00a9 Bekett Grading Services<\/h6>\n