What is card grading?

How does grading work?

A card is judged on four aspects: the centering of the artwork, the corners, the edges and the surface. Each aspect receives its own subgrade, and together they determine the final grade on a scale up to 10, where 10 stands for a virtually perfect card. Half points (such as 8.5 or 9.5) exist as well.

After the assessment the card is sealed in a transparent, tamper-evident holder: the slab. The label shows the final grade and a unique certificate number. At WDTC, every graded card can also be found in the public library, so anyone can verify a certificate.

Why grade a card?

The four main reasons:

• Value: a high-graded card is almost always worth more than the same card raw, because its condition is objectively established.
• Protection: the slab shields the card from moisture, dust, scratches and fingerprints, it stops ageing.
• Authenticity: grading confirms your card is not a counterfeit, which is decisive for buyers of expensive cards.
• Sellability: a graded card sells more easily and internationally, because the buyer does not have to rely on photos.

Which cards are worth grading?

Not every card needs to be graded. Rule of thumb: grading pays off for cards that are rare, in demand or dear to you. Think of older holos, first-edition cards, popular Pokémon such as Charizard and Pikachu, Magic tournament staples or iconic Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. A card with mostly sentimental value can be worth grading too: the slab preserves it in its current state forever.

Unsure about your card’s condition? Read up on what determines the grade first: centering, corners, edges and surface tell the whole story together.

Grading in the Netherlands

Grading has long been associated with American companies, but shipping to the US means high postage, customs formalities and long waits. Within the Netherlands and Belgium it can be done closer to home: you ship within the Benelux, pay in euros and communicate in your own language.

At WDTC you order a grading package online, send in your cards and find the result, including all subgrades, in the public library.

The grading scale: what do the numbers mean?

Grading uses a scale up to 10, and collectors worldwide read that scale roughly the same way. A 10 stands for a virtually flawless card: tightly centered, sharp corners, clean edges and a spotless surface. A 9 is a top-end card with at most one tiny blemish, and around an 8 you still have a very presentable collectible. From 7 downwards wear becomes clearly visible, and cards below 5 are obviously played.

Important to know: a lower grade has value too. The certificate honestly records the card’s state, and for older cards nobody expects a 10. A rare card from 1999 with a 6 is still a rare card from 1999, now with proof of authenticity and condition.

What does card grading cost?

Grading is priced per card, and submitting several cards at once is cheaper per card through a bundle. Current rates are always on our pricing page; they do not differ per game, grading a Pokémon card costs the same as a Yu-Gi-Oh! or Magic card.

The real question is a trade-off: do the certainty about authenticity and condition, the protection of the slab and the potential resale premium outweigh the fee? For rare, sought-after or sentimental cards the answer is usually yes. For bulk cards from a recent pack it usually is not, and we are honest about that.

Sell raw or grade first?

Selling an ungraded (“raw”) card is perfectly possible, but the buyer has to rely on photos and your description. That suppresses the price: uncertainty costs money. A graded card removes that uncertainty, the condition has been established by an independent party and the certificate can be verified publicly.

Rule of thumb for sellers: the more valuable the card and the better its condition, the more grading pays for itself. In doubt? First assess the condition yourself using the four subgrades as a guide, and check what comparable graded copies actually sell for.

How to get started

Ready to grade your first card? This is the route:

• Assess your card’s condition with the four subgrades as a checklist: centering, corners, edges and surface.
• Pick the grading package that fits your number of cards and order it online.
• Pack your cards following the packing guide: penny sleeve, toploader and a sturdy, padded parcel.
• Follow the result: every graded card appears with all subgrades in the public library.