PSA, CGC and Beckett - how it works and whether it is worth it.
The gap between a Gem Mint 10 and a Mint 9 looks tiny to the naked eye but often means a multiple in price, and understanding why comes down to elimination of flaws rather than extra quality.
Crossover grading lets a collector move a card from one grading company's slab into another's, but the reasons for doing it and the risks it carries are often misunderstood.
The jump from Mint to Gem Mint is decided under bright light and magnification, and it usually comes down to factors set at the factory rather than anything a collector did wrong.
Encapsulation protects a card physically, but resale value depends on buyers being able to verify that the slab and its contents haven't been swapped, cracked or faked.
Grading is only half the story; the plastic case a card ends up in affects how easily, and for how much, you can sell it on.
Corners, edges, surface and centring each get their own score before a card's final grade is set, and centring is the one most likely to hold a card back.
Some collectors submit a card already sealed in one company's slab to a rival grader hoping for a better label or a stronger sale price, but the process carries real risks worth understanding first.
The gap between a near-perfect card and a perfect one looks tiny to the naked eye but can be worth hundreds of pounds, so here is what graders are really looking at.
A plain-English walkthrough of your grading options in 2026 - CGC's London office, PSA via UK dealers, and domestic UK graders - with the costs, tiers and prep steps you need to know before you post anything.
The three major graders, how their scales differ, and how to choose the right slab for your card.
What actually happens when you send a card to be graded, and how to decide whether the slab will pay for itself.
