6 Places You Can Get Cards Graded in Person

Consider | Illustration by Zezhou Chen

Card grading is an important part of being a collector. You want to make sure that your high-value cards keep their value, whether you’re looking to sell or trade them in the future or just looking to have them insured.

There’s a lot of risk involved when grading comes with sending thousands of dollars of card stock through the mail, so I’ve got a quick rundown on where to have your cards graded in person.

Where to Get Cards Graded In Person

Field Research | Illustration by PINDURSKI

In-person card grading comes in two main forms. Some options offer you an in-person, same-day turnaround, while others only allow for an in-person drop-off, with the cards shipped back to you later or available for pick-up at the same place you left them. I’ve ranked the following grading services based on how quickly you can have your cards graded and how easy it is to find information on having it done in person, while you wait.

#4. MNT Grading

In the interest of being more thorough, I wanted to mention that MNT Grading processes grading for many local dealers and game stores across Canada, and a few in the US. Their website states that they don’t offer in-person drop-offs themselves at the moment, but they still take local drop-offs through the dealers listed on their dealer locator.

This isn’t really getting cards graded in person, though. You’re just doing an in-person drop-off and pick-up at a location near you, but your cards are still being sent elsewhere for grading. This process can also be slower, as many dealers only bulk ship your cards and those of other clients once per month. The service is cheaper, although your dealer of choice may quote a higher price than you’d pay if you were shipping directly to MNT yourself.

I want to add that I found MNT by looking up one of my local game stores, Carta Magica, which has locations in Ottawa, Ontario, and Montréal, Québec. Their main website mentions card grading, but the services are all listed as out of stock. However, it seems that they’ve moved some of the events and grading products over to CM Professional Events. I’m not sure if I trust them based on the website, though. The English version shows a lack of proofreading (see the drop-off instructions that read, “We at the end of each month to MNT Grading”). Further, neither Carta Magica location is listed on the MNT Grading Dealer Locator. All of this makes me want to say, “caveat emptor” (buyer beware).

#3. PSA

PSA is one of the more well-known card grading services, and they often attend card shows, conventions, and other events. These booths often allow for authenticating autographs and dropping off cards to be graded. The PSA events calendar mentions that on-site grading is available at certain events, but there’s no specific guarantee of turnaround time because it can be hard to predict the demand. There’s also no specific price that’s quoted for these events; all I could find was a breakdown for one specific event in Toronto in 2023.

PSA’s Canadian office in Halifax, Nova Scotia, offers in-person drop-off, but they don’t do any of the grading on-site. Instead, your cards are sent to Santa Ana, California, so the quickest turnaround that they offer is 15 business days.

As with MNT, there are many trading card stores across North America that offer grading services fulfilled by PSA, so check your local game store to see if they can have your cards shipped to PSA.

#2. Beckett

Beckett Collectibles is a company based in Plano, Texas, that offers grading for all kinds of collectibles, including grading services for trading cards. While most grading services give your card an overall grade, Beckett also offers the option to get subgrades for some of the key features like centering and corners.

Beckett attends trade shows, though you’ll need to make an account with them to access the list of upcoming shows where you can find them.

You can also make an appointment through their Contact page if you want to drop off your cards in person at their office in Plano. While they don’t seem to have a same-day option, their Priority grading option for trading cards runs at $140 per card if you want subgrades, or $100 without them, and it comes with a turnaround of 2-5 business days.

Beckett Collectibles also partners with some gaming stores if you care more about the in-person drop-off experience but don’t mind waiting for your cards to come back.

#1. KSA

KSA is a Canadian company that offers grading services in Ontario and British Columbia. While you can send them your cards through the mail, they also take in-person drop-offs at both locations without an appointment.

If you’re looking for a more immediate turnaround, KSA also offers a same-day grading at the price of $100 CDN per card. This service and the online booking tool are mainly geared toward the Ontario office in Elmira, but the website also mentions that you can contact the Vancouver office directly by email or by phone to ask about in-person grading there.

I’m frankly rating KSA above the rest because of how easy it was to find rates for their in-person, same-day services. Everyone else made me dig, and even then, I didn’t always find what I was looking for.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Cards Graded in Person?

You can expect to pay about $100 per card for in-person grading. The in-person, same-day grading offered by KSA goes for $100 CDN per card, but you have to book an appointment and get yourself and your cards to their office in Elmira, ON.

PSA’s events calendar doesn’t quote specific prices for in-person grading, although they published an article in preparation for their 2023 appearance at the Toronto Expo. Their fees for that show started at $129 CDN per card at a declared value under $2,100 CDN, with an end-of-show turnaround. You could pay more to access higher card values and quicker turnarounds, as well, but having your cards graded at an event also means that you’ll have to pay to attend the event itself.

Beckett Collectibles doesn’t mention a same-day option for grading, although you can make an appointment for in-person drop off. The quickest grading option for TCG cards is Priority grading at $140 or $100, depending on if you want subgrades, and you’ll get your cards within 2-5 business days.

Getting Cards Graded in the EU

GetGraded

GetGraded is a UK-based grading service that offers grading through the mail or through a few partner stores. While I couldn’t find a specific price for their in-person grading service, their FAQ section mentions that you can bring your cards into their home office. There’s the option to come back when they’re ready, or to have them graded while you wait. GetGraded’s Express Card Grading has an estimated turnaround of 2-4 business days and is priced at £20 per card for 1-9 cards, but it isn’t available for 10 or more cards. I’d expect that their in-person services would be more expensive and limited by the quantity of cards.

GRAAD

GRAAD is a company based in Milan that offers in-person, same-day grading at their head office. You’ll have to put together an order on their website first, but it’s possible to select that you don’t need to have your items shipped. Same-day card grading starts at €54 per card for up to nine items, then decreases to €48.60 for 10- 30 cards, and €45.36 per card for 31 cards and more.

Wrap Up

Forensic Researcher | Illustration by Aldo Dominguez

And that’s our quick look at having your cards graded in person! Don’t forget that getting to these places can also add to your costs, especially if you need to travel or pay entrance fees for trade shows or conventions. But, especially for the places that offer same-day services, you have the peace of mind that you’ll get your cards back on the same day you drop them off, rather than having to wait for any shipping or other processing times. Even if it’s just a drop-off that’ll be shipped to you, there’s something humanizing about having that face-to-face contact.

Have you had your cards graded in person? Are there any card grading companies we’ve missed that offer in-person, same-day grading? Let me know in the comments below or over on Draftsim’s Discord.

Thanks for reading and take care! (Of yourself, and your cards.)