Whether you’re new to the Pokémon Trading Card Game hobby or a seasoned collector, chances are you’ve seen people posting their professionally graded cards online. Getting your Pokémon cards graded can take time and effort, but it’s well worth it for the end product, especially as a collector.
Here, we’ll be going over how to get your Pokémon cards professionally graded step-by-step, including tips for first time gradings, company recommendations, and a summary of why people bother with getting their collector’s items slabbed in the first place.
How to grade Pokémon cards step-by-step
1) Assess your collection
Before you even pick a Pokémon TCG grading service to use, take a look through your collection and decide what you want to send off first. Having around five to six cards that you’re hoping to get professionally graded is a great place to start.
It’s unlikely you’ll be able to send off an entire collection or set if you’re newer to the hobby—this would be extremely costly and some smaller services may not offer bulk evaluations—so picking your cards beforehand will help to streamline the grading process nicely.
A good place to start if you’re unsure is by identifying any niche pieces in your collection. Do you have any vintage pieces or cards from extremely popular expansion sets like Evolving Skies? Any tournament prizes or trophy cards? Getting these kinds of cards graded can be rewarding.
2) Figure out your grading goals
After you’ve decided which cards you want to get a professional to take a look at, it’s worth considering what you want to get out of the Pokémon TCG grading process. Some goals might be:
- To find out more about a rare or unknown card
- To prepare for selling graded stock at a card show
- To simply find out the overall value of your cards
It might sound obvious, but understanding what you want to get out of grading will help you pick the best possible grading service for your needs. There are plenty of options out there, some better than others, and they’re all slightly different with unique features and provided services.
3) Pick a reputable grading service
Next, spend some time looking into the best Pokémon TCG grading services online. They don’t have to be Pokémon-specific—you can send Pokémon cards to a general collectible grading service and still get a positive outcome.
The most widely accepted, industry-standard card-grading service is the Professional Sports Authenticator service, also known as PSA. PSA offers grading services for everything from Funko POP figures to sports cards, and they’re a solid option for grading Pokémon cards, too.
PSA is based in the United States, using UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL shipping services, and you can send them cards from outside of the US, too. If you’re sending from outside of the US, make sure to research any necessary customs paperwork to ensure your cards get there and back safely.
Pokémon grading services can be found all over the world, so if you can’t send to the US, you should be able to find one in your local area. Make sure to double check reviews online if you’ve never heard of the company before—it’s much better to be overly cautious when it comes to grading.
If the idea of sending your Moonbreon through the postal service makes you nervous, it could be worth looking into card shows and conventions to see whether any grading services are on the vendor list. Events like the U.K.’s London Card Show often have pop-up grading services on-site which are convenient and easy to use.
Other worthwhile companies to check out are CGC, BGS, and Ace Grading. Make sure to review the different services and tiers that each company offers, as well as their shipping and submission guidelines to check that you’ve found the right grading service for you.
When you’ve picked out the company you want to grade with, head to their website and purchase your slot. You’ll need to buy the grading service before sending your cards. Usually, you’ll get an order confirmation slip and label to include in your package.
4) Send your cards safely
Packaging is crucial to think about when sending cards to be graded. Your cards are being marked on condition and quality, after all, so sending them in just a paper envelope and penny sleeve is equivalent to setting your own money on fire.
PSA’s official website has a great breakdown of how to prepare your cards for a grading submission. They suggest:
- Double sleeving your cards
- Using cardboard slices to protect the cards further
- Adding extra protection with a layer of bubble wrap
- Avoiding any paper envelopes or mailers
It’s better to go overboard with your packaging instead of just winging it and hoping for the best. If you’re unsure whether you’ve got the right approach to safely sending your cards, it’s worth checking out an online community like r/pokemoncards on Reddit for inspiration.
Don’t forget to include any necessary paperwork or confirmation slips in your package before sending off your cards to be graded.
5) Wait for the results
Once the cards are off in the post, it’s simply a case of waiting for them to make their way back to you. For the most part, a Pokémon grading procedure will involve:
- Authentication, to check your cards are real and worth grading
- Analysis and grading, going over every inch of the card for quality
- Repackaging and protection, placing a card in a plastic slab with a label
Some services may offer additional sub-grading practices or approach the task from a different angle, though, so getting in touch with their customer service team for further information is worthwhile if you’re interested in learning more.
Pokémon card grading services usually take weeks and sometimes months to finish up with a batch of cards, so don’t expect them back too quickly. Most well-known grading services like PSA will offer a speedier service for higher-tier packages, with an average turnaround of two to four weeks.
If you’re getting cards graded for the purpose of selling graded stock online or at a show, for example, make sure that you start the process of getting them graded way before you think you need to in order to avoid any disappointment.
Why get your Pokémon cards professionally graded?
One of the main reasons why you should get your Pokémon cards professionally graded is that it can give you a better understanding of how valuable your collection is.
It’s all well and good making an estimate based off of online posts about the same card, but if you’re a collector who likes to track the value of their collectibles and monitor the prices over the years, having professional input is crucial.
Additionally, grading services can help you verify exactly what sort of cards you’re dealing with. This doesn’t just mean figuring out if a card is authentic or not—although this is also an important aspect of grading—as grading services can help with identifying more niche, unknown cards or misprints.
Finally, getting your Pokémon TCG cards graded can also help keep them in top condition. The majority of grading services will neatly slab and label your cards, sending them back in industry-standard packaging to keep them safe during the journey.
If you’re on the fence about grading your cards, it’s worth waiting until you pull a collector’s piece like a Moonbreon. It is an upfront investment, but if you’re a collector and want to make the most out of your cards, it’s undoubtedly worth it.
Published: Dec 4, 2024 11:49 am