Card types
Graded cards
A graded card is a card whose condition has been assessed and sealed. The number on the label is a price signal, and the scale is worth understanding.
The scales
Grading companies use a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 as the top grade and half-points used by some companies for near-perfect cards. The names differ slightly between companies, but the meaning is consistent: a 10 is gem mint, a 9 is mint, and anything below 8 is visibly imperfect.
The label also carries the company and a serial number that can be verified. That verification is what the premium is buying: a buyer can trust the condition without holding the card.
- 10 — gem mint, the top grade and the largest premium.
- 9 — mint, sharp but with a minor flaw.
- 8 and below — visible imperfections, priced accordingly.
- Half-points (9.5) are used by some companies for the top tier.
When grading is worth the fee
Grading is a bet with a known cost and an unknown return. The calculation is: what is the card worth raw, what would it be worth at the grade you expect, and does the difference exceed the fee plus the wait.
The cards that usually justify it are vintage cards in good condition, modern rookies of star players, and low-numbered parallels. The cards that do not are base cards, commons and anything worth less than the fee.
- Worth submitting: vintage in good condition, star rookies, low-numbered parallels.
- Not worth submitting: commons, base cards, damaged cards.
- Centring is the most common reason a card misses a high grade.
- Check the edges for trimming — an altered card is graded as such.
Handling and valuing slabs
A slab is a protective case, not a permanent one: cracks and scratches on the case matter to buyers, and a cracked slab can be reholdered. Store slabs upright and out of direct sunlight.
When valuing, compare like with like. A graded copy should be priced against other graded copies of the same grade, not against raw sales — the whole point of the slab is that the two are different products.
- Store upright, out of sunlight, in a dry room.
- Price against the same grade, not against raw sales.
- Record the grade in your collection so you never re-check a slab.
- Compare raw and graded values before deciding to submit.
How it works
Three steps from a phone photo to a finished image
Scan the card
Point the camera at it — raw, sleeved, in a binder or in a slab.
Confirm the match
Check the player, year, set and parallel Zenith read.
See the value
The card lands in your collection with a market value attached.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does a graded card mean?
A grading company has assessed the card's condition — centring, corners, edges and surface — assigned it a number on a 1 to 10 scale, and sealed it in a tamper-evident case. The number is what buyers price against.
Is grading a card worth it?
When the value at the expected grade exceeds the raw value by more than the fee and the wait. That is usually true for vintage cards in good condition and for star rookies, and rarely true for commons or base cards.
What is the difference between PSA, BGS and SGC?
They use similar scales with different labelling conventions, and the market prices their slabs slightly differently. Check recent sales for the same card in the same grade from each company before submitting, since the premium varies.
Can a graded card be worth less than a raw one?
Yes, if the grade comes back lower than expected, or if the card is graded as altered. That risk is the reason to compare the raw value against the expected graded value before paying a submission fee.
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