The 5 Best Places to Get Cards Graded

Tribute Mage | Illustration by Scott Murphy

Card collectors interested in maintaining and understanding the value of their collection should consider a card grading service. This applies to Magic players, Pokémon players, and anybody collecting sports cards or other TCGs. Not only does grading give you protection in the form of slabs, but you'll also know exactly what your cards are worth.

Players who wish to sell their cards will find this just as valuable as collectors. Purchasing a graded card might be more expensive, but it promises quality and quells any fears of well-made counterfeits or scams. Any TCG or CGC player interested in picking up big-ticket items should make sure they’re graded.

But where can you get your cards graded? Let’s check out a few methods.

What Is Card Grading?

Master Trinketeer | Illustration by Matt Stewart

Card grading is the process by which a company evaluates the condition of your collectables and assigns them a numerical grade based on said condition. While I’m focusing on trading and collectable cards, grading companies can grade a wide range of collectibles, including comic books, photographs, and other memorabilia.

The TCG/CCG scene has four major competitors when it comes to grading: PSA, BGS (Beckett), CGC, and SGC. All four companies share a 10-point grading scale, though they may have different criteria for certain grades. Most of the differences between companies come down to the time it takes them to grade your cards, how much their grading services cost, and their weight and notoriety on the secondary market.

#5. Local Game Stores

The first place you’ll think of taking cards for grading would be your local game store (LGS), with good reason. Most LGSs won’t offer grading services unless they happen to partner with one of the companies above. What they can offer is advice.

Card grading is time-consuming and expensive, and most cards aren’t worth grading. While your LGS might not grade them, they can help you figure out if anything in your collection is worth trading (assuming you take the time to find the most likely cards; don’t lug a bunch of binders and throw it at them). They can also help verify that your cards are real before you send them off. Not every store might go through with this, but most are more than happy to help!

#4. Get Graded

Most of this list’s entries are for the US and Canada, but Get Graded is a UK-based grading company. Their standard grading price is £12 per card for orders containing 1-9 cards, or £10 each for orders of 10 or more. This service comes with a turnaround of 20-30 business days. You can also get express grading with a turnaround of 2-4 business days for £20 per card.

Another option for EU-based collectors would be GRAAD, a Milan-based company that accepts shipped orders and orders taken to their head office. They offer a few services, including a standard service that starts at €20 per card with a turn-around of 15 days, up to €54 per card for same-day grading services. There's a higher-tier digital service that starts at €50 per card, and an authentication service that simply proves your card is authentic, starting at €14 for a same-day turnaround.

#3. Conventions

Trading and collectible card conventions can be a great spot to encounter businesses that do in-person grading services. The services they offer vary from company to company and event to event, but it can be a great place for in-person grading services with a quick turnaround, though you should always check the services the company will offer at their events. SGC didn’t have an event schedule, but here are the event schedules for Beckett, PSA, and CGC.

#2. In-Person Grading Services

In-person grading services have a few benefits over mail-in services, first and foremost being that you don’t need to worry about your cards getting mishandled or otherwise damaged in transit. Really, it gives you lots of peace of mind since you can directly pass the goods to the service provider. These services are often drop-off and pickup.

Beckett, PSA, and CGC all offer in-person drop-offs. All three accept products and orders at any shows they attend or their main office. Each company offers a variety of services at scaling prices, but the prices for each company’s base packages are:

·       PSA: $24.99/card with an estimated turnaround time of 45 business days.

·       Beckett: $14.95/card with an estimated turnaround time of 45 business days.

·       CGC: $11/card with an estimated turnaround time of 50 business days.

·       SGC: $12/card with an estimated turnaround time of 5-10 business days.

All four companies offer additional services, including expedited or immediate turnarounds that cost considerably more. Several of the companies also have prices that vary based on the declared value of the item getting graded.

#1. Mail-In Grading Services

PSA packages for mail-in grading

Perhaps the most common means of getting your cards graded is via a mail-in service. You’ll undergo the exact same process, except your cards will be shipped to and from the company rather than any in-person stuff—which has its own conveniences.

All four leading companies offer the same pricing regardless of how they receive your order. When shipping, make sure you check exactly how the company wants you to package the cards to make everything as easy as possible. In general, you should expect to sleeve your cards, drop them into card saver or toploaders, and encase the toploaders in cardboard. You want these things to move around as little as possible to minimize the chances of something going wrong during shipping.

Mailing your cards can be risky, especially if you have some big-ticket cards, but it’s often the most convenient way to get the job done if you don’t live near one of the main offices or aren’t at a venue that regularly hosts card conventions.

Wrap Up

Projektor Inspector | Illustration by Leonardo Santanna

Getting your Magic cards graded is expensive and time-consuming but also rather exciting. Knowing the approximate condition and potential value of your collectible or trading cards can be satisfying at the very least and potentially lucrative if you ever decide to let go of that Black Lotus for a new house.

Which method would you use for card grading? Have you had cards graded with any of these companies before? Let me know in the comments or on the Draftsim Discord!

Stay safe, and thanks for reading!