Sending cards to be graded is one of the best ways to make a profit in the sports card industry. Buying a card raw, inspecting it, sending it to a grading company, and receiving a high score will result in profit 99% of the time. However, this aspect of the card industry is one that a lot of collectors and investors stay away from because they are uncomfortable with or simply unfamiliar with the process of grading cards. Going over the basics of grading will allow collectors to set a foundation for one of the most important aspects of the hobby.
Grading a card simply means using a third party service to professionally inspect the condition of a card. A grading service will place your card in a protected case (or “slab” as the hobby calls it) and place the numbered grade on the label at the top. The grades can range anywhere from 1-10 and each number correlates with a condition.
PSA 10: Gem Mint
PSA 9: Mint
PSA 8: Near Mint-Mint
PSA 7: Near Mint
PSA 6: Excellent-Mint
PSA 5: Excellent
PSA 4: Very Good-Excellent
PSA 3: Very Good
PSA 2: Good
PSA 1.5: Fair
PSA 1: Poor
There are three major grading companies that are universally used today: PSA , BGS, and SGC. Each company has its pros and cons, but PSA has distanced itself from the competition, as it is seen as the superior grading company and brings the most value to cards after being graded by them. It is important to note that each of these companies grades autographs on cards as well, however, each service has a different turnaround time for its customers' submissions.
Grading services will grade the condition of a card based on different aspects and criteria. Centering, corners, edges, color, and surface are all factors that determine the grade of a card. For best practice, keeping cards in a protective sleeve and a plastic top loader will assure that they are in the best condition possible. While this only scratches the surface, understanding the basics of card grading are vital for any hobby enthusiast so they can be as successful as possible in this space.