Pokémon card grading explained

How card grading works, what PSA, BGS, CGC and SGC grades mean, how the companies differ in price and reputation, and when grading a card is worth the fee.

By Cardboard Terminal · 2026-10-20

Grading is the process of having a third party inspect a card, assign it a condition grade and seal it in a tamper-evident holder with a label. It turns a card into a standardised, verifiable object with a public price history, which is why nearly every valuable Pokémon card trades graded.

The scale

All the major graders use a 10-point scale. The four things graded are centering, corners, edges and surface. A 10 is a flawless card. A 9 has one minor flaw. An 8 has light wear visible without magnification. Below 7 the price drops steeply for most cards, except vintage cards where even a 5 can be worth owning.

The grading companies

• PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is the largest and the price-setting standard for Pokémon. A PSA 10 is the benchmark. Its population report is the most watched.
• BGS (Beckett) adds four sub-grades and a Black Label 10 (all four sub-grades at 10) that commands a premium above a PSA 10. A BGS 9.5 is roughly equivalent to a PSA 10 in condition but usually sells for less.
• CGC grew quickly in Pokémon with fast turnaround and a 10 Pristine grade above 10 Gem Mint. CGC 10s generally sell below PSA 10s of the same card.
• SGC is strong in sports cards and has a growing Pokémon presence; prices typically trail PSA.
• TAG, AGS and others use computer-assisted grading and have smaller markets.

Why the same grade prices differently by company

Price follows demand and population. PSA has the largest buyer base and the longest history, so its grades carry the most liquidity and usually the highest price. The gap is biggest at the top: a PSA 10 of a vintage holo can sell for well over a CGC 10 of the same card. For mid grades the gap narrows. Our card price pages show prices by grader and grade where enough sales exist.

When grading is worth it

1. The card is worth meaningfully more graded than raw. For a $10 card the grading fee is most of the value; for a $300 card a PSA 9 or 10 can double it.
2. The card is in genuinely high grade. Check centering with a ruler and inspect corners and surface under a bright light before paying to grade.
3. You are willing to wait. Turnaround runs from weeks to months depending on the service level and the backlog.

Buying graded cards

Always verify the cert number against the grader's record (see how to verify a PSA cert), compare to recorded sales in the same grade from the same company, and prefer listings with clear photos of the slab. The deal finder reads the label on every slab it lists and prices it against that exact grade.