Card Grading
The trading card hobby has been flourishing worldwide in recent years,
with demand for products at an all-time high. New collectors are slowly
entering the market. As expected, they have many questions regarding these new
products.
The biggest one? What is the difference between the various types of boxes?
Today’s guide will help you categorize the different box formats that a product
can have. It’s important to note that not every product is available in all
possible configurations.
Hobby Box
A “Hobby” box is the main item that most collectors refer to when
discussing a box of sports cards. “Hobby” boxes typically contain a larger
number of packs and tend to offer better odds for more valuable “hits” compared
to retail products like blaster boxes. Devoted collectors seeking mid- to
high-level cards, autographs, and cards with embedded memorabilia
systematically chase “Hobby” boxes. These boxes are typically 1 to 2 times more
expensive than retail versions, but the chances of scoring a great hit from a
“Hobby” box versus a “Retail” box are significantly higher, justifying the
extra cost. They also include a greater variety of cards, making it ideal for
new collectors wanting to gather as many cards as possible!
Premium card collectors who focus on renowned series like “Immaculate
Collection,” “National Treasures,” “Topps Dynasty,” and “Upper Deck The Cup”
have no other choice. These sets, along with most high-end card products, are
distributed exclusively in “Hobby” format.
H2 or Hybrid (International) Hobby Box
A lighter version of a “Hobby” box, the H2 typically offers either fewer
cards overall or fewer hits, but it includes variations that are only found in
“Hobby” boxes and occasionally even 1 autograph. It’s a middle-ground option
between “Hobby” boxes and “Retail” boxes in terms of cost.
Choice Box
A “Choice” box is a more condensed version of a “Hobby” box, containing
fewer cards but usually guaranteeing one autograph and some exclusive parallels
or inserts. For instance, the “Prizm Basketball Choice Box” has 1 pack with 8
cards, including an average of 1 autograph, 2 silver Prizms, 3 colored Prizms
(Blue, Yellow, and Green), and 2 other Prizm variations.
Fast Break Box
Another condensed version of a “Hobby” box is the “Fast Break” box, which
also includes an average of one autograph, about 90 cards, and unique colored
parallels (Blue, Red, Purple, Pink, Bronze, and Neon Green).
Blaster Box
A “Blaster Box” is a smaller box of cards, usually sold in retail stores,
with fewer packs. Depending on the product and sport, there may be 4-5 packs or
as many as 12-15. Typically, blaster boxes are lower in price per pack but
often include special parallels or inserts.
For example, the “Prizm EuroLeague Basketball Blaster Box” has 6 packs of 4
cards (a total of 24 cards), with an average of 3 exclusive Prizms, 3 “other
Prizms,” and 3 inserts, along with the exclusive “Ice and Green Pulsar Prizms.”
Retail (Gravity) Box
A retail box is something between a blaster box and a “Hobby” box. It was
initially designed to be sold as an individual retail package. Unlike “Hobby”
boxes, “Retail” boxes usually don’t include guaranteed hits, and unlike blaster
boxes, they often lack any kind of bonus.
The main advantage of buying retail packs is that they can be significantly
cheaper than “Hobby” boxes, and they have many more cards.
Mega Box
Mega boxes are more similar to “Hobby” boxes because they contain more
cards and usually offer better-guaranteed parallels. These are also retail
products but often include exclusive card variations, like parallels not found
in any other type of box. For instance, the 2020-21 Panini Mosaic Basketball
Mega Box includes 10 packs of 8 cards, totaling 80 cards, with an average of 1
Silver Prizm and 10 Mega Box Exclusive Mosaic Prizms per box. It also contains
the exclusive Mosaic Pink Fluorescent Prizm!
Hanger Box/Pack
“Hanger” boxes are designed to hang from a hook or rack rather than sit
on a shelf and often contain only two or three retail packs inside. Sometimes,
they also include a bonus pack with retail-exclusive cards and are mainly
intended for sale in retail stores. Single packs on the other hand are usually
sold separately at retail stores and offer no specific upside other than the
ability for someone to obtain cards from a bigger box.
Fat Pack / Multi-Pack Box
A “Fat Pack” box is just as the name suggests as it allows the collector
to acquire a large number of cards from just one box, as well as exclusive
parallels, inserts, and sometimes autographs. One of the most popular “Fat
Packs”, the 2022-23 Panini Chronicles Basketball Fat Pack Box includes 12 packs
with 15 cards, totaling 180 cards, offering collectors the chance to find
Exclusive Teal parallels and Base Classics cards in Red, Blue (/99), Orange
(/75), Purple (/49), Gold (/10), and Platinum one-of-one parallels!
Champions Team Set
Champions Team Sets are special editions that commemorate teams winning
the league’s trophy with usually a 30-card box set featuring all key players,
unique team highlights, celebration moments and tribute cards honoring players
and coaches. It’s more of a special collectible for fans as it only contains
cards from the winning team.
Panini Instant/Topps NOW cards/boxes
Panini Instant and Topps NOW cards and/or boxes are exclusive,
limited-edition card series that capture the most significant, timely moments
in sports and pop culture, available for a short window after the event occurs.
This series highlights key moments from various sports, while the cards are
printed in real-time following major events such as game-winning shots or
record-breaking performances. Each card is produced in limited quantities based
on demand during a short sales period, making them rare collectibles as each
card is available for 24 hours and printed only for those who order within that
timeframe.
Both series are ideal for collectors who want to capture and own a piece of
history, with each card or box being a unique reflection of real-world moments.
FOTL and Online Exclusive Products
Most of the “Hobby” boxes usually circulate online before the official
release of the product in a special edition called “1st Off the Line” or
“FOTL”, providing collectors with a unique way of obtaining truly rare trading
cards.
Companies also occasionally come out with special editions that only circulate
online, making these a highly sought-after product, tailored for passionate
collectors, featuring a refined selection of premium content. Collectors chase
exclusive parallels, ultra-rare inserts, numbered cards and rare refractors in
these boxes that usually have a “Hobby” configuration.
Both these products are usually sold with a Dutch auction format (where bidding
starts with a high price, incrementally dropping every 5 or 10 minutes until
someone places a bid).
As with all products in the market, the different boxes have their pros
and cons, so the most important thing to consider is what you’re looking for in
a card box and what you’re willing to spend. These two factors will likely
shape almost every decision you make when purchasing a box. If you love premium
cards, “Hobby” boxes are likely your go-to, but if you’re a casual collector,
there’s a variety of lower-cost box options available.
GLOSSARY:
Artist Proof: A popular type of parallel
card that was originally produced by Pinnacle Brands
Inc. back in 1994.
Auction/Auction House: The hobby of sports card and sports memorabilia collecting
serves a wide range of collectors. Some of these collectors have a wealth of
financial resources at their disposal. Oftentimes, purchases of high-grade
cards and vintage sports memorabilia are made through one of the hobby’s
numerous auction companieslike Goldin Auctions, famous from the recent Netflix
documentary “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch”!
Autograph Authentication: The process of having an autographed
item examined by an expert or third-party authenticator like Beckett
Authentication to determine if the autograph is legitimate and, in fact, signed by
the person purported to have signed the item.
Autograph Card / Autographed Card / Auto and AU: A card that
carries a signature of an athlete, coach, entertainer,
celebrit,y or other personality.
Base Card/ Regular Card: The main cards that make up a sports
card or non-sport product’s base set.
Base Set: All of a trading card product’s
base cards.
Blaster
Box: A packaging configuration for collectible sports cards and other
trading cards, typically reserved for retail distribution through a “big-box”
store such as Wal-Mart or Target. The boxes usually contain anywhere between
5-10 packs, and on occasion, an exclusive card or cards.
Book Card/Booklet Card: A trading card that combines two
trading cards into one by attaching them with a hinge, or spine, like a book.
They can be vertically or horizontally oriented and usually are a high-end card
showcasing game-used memorabilia and/or an autograph.
Box Break: Usually referred to as a term for an event
where collectors buy a spot in exchange for receiving some of the cards in the
case/box/pack. These are typically live-streamed so that all participants in the box
break can share the excitement of seeing the pulls and hits as they happen. Box
breaks have become a popular and economical way for collectors to get
potentially higher-value or rarer cards without buying a whole box or case
themselves.
Card Show: An assembly of sports card and memorabilia collectors
and dealers. These events first originated in the 1970s as small regional
shows, usually taking place in a mall, hotel lobby, or banquet room. Today,
these shows still exist but have also evolved to include much larger shows
attended by collectors from across the world, just like the “National Sports Card
Convention”.
Case: Typically used in reference to a packaging of a specific trading card
product. Cases contain multiple boxes depending on the product and can range
from 2-20 boxes.
Case Breaker: A term referring to a person or business that opens multiple cases of a
product or operates as a Group Breaking website.
Case Hit(s): In an effort to encourage the purchase of cases of trading cards, some
manufacturers guarantee a specific type of high-value or short-printed card in
every case. These cards are referred to as “case
hits” (e.g. StainedGlass or Downtown).
Centering: Centering, in regard
to grading sports
cards, refers to the ratio of the borders/frame of the card from left to
right and top to bottom. It is arguably the most important aspect of
a card’s marketability and eye appeal.
Certificate of Authenticity / C.O.A. / Letter of
Authenticity: Also known as a C.O.A., a Certificate of Authenticity is a document
attesting to an item’s authenticity. They are commonly issued by a third-party
grading or authentication company “certifying” that an autograph is, in fact,
legitimate or that an alleged “game-used or worn” item was, in fact, worn/used
by said player. Individual sellers can, and often do, issue their own COAs;
however, they carry very little value compared to those issued by reputable
third-party services in the hobby.
Checklist: A listing of all of
the cards contained in a product’s base, with inserts and subsets.
Chrome: The original
metallic-like trading card stock manufactured by Topps with laminated
chromium paper – a premium, metallic cardstock that is more durable than
traditional cardboard.
Condition: Used to describe the attributes of a trading card or collectible that
contribute to its overall physical quality based on a condition scale [Gem
Mint – Mint – Near Mint-Mint (Nrmt-Mt) – Near Mint (Nrmt) – Excellent-Mint
(ExMt) – Excellent (Ex) – Very Good (Vg) – Good (Gd) – Fair (Fr) – Poor (Pr)].
Die-Cut: A trading card that has had part of the card stock removed to create a
specific shape, design, or function, such as a stand-up. In today’s collecting
era, such cards are used as inserts and are usually short-printed, resulting
in increased rarity compared to other cards in
the set.
Ding / Dinged Corner: A “ding” is the term used to describe damage on the
corner of a trading card. Dings commonly occur as the result of cards being
mishandled. A card with such condition issues is obviously worth less than a
card without a “ding”. The result of a ding is a bending of the corner or a
fraying of the paper at the corner.
Donruss: A trading card manufacturer that began production of entertainment
trading cards in the mid-1950s. They began production of sports cards in 1981.
The company and brand changed hands several times, and the intellectual
property, including the Donruss name, is now owned by Panini America, with
a few products still carrying the same term, including the upcoming 2023-24
Panini Donruss Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Basketball Hobby Box!
Error Card: A trading card that contains a mistake. Some of the more common
errors include misspelled names, inaccurate statistical information, or the
wrong photograph. Oftentimes, the error is caught before the entire print run
has been completed. If the card with the mistake is corrected, this is referred
to as a Corrected Error Card. The value on which card was printed in the
smaller quantity determines which of the two cards may have any premium in
value.
Factory Set: A complete set of trading cards packaged by the manufacturer. Factory
sets typically carry a premium over hand-collated sets.
Fleer: A now-defunct, New Jersey-based trading card company whose intellectual
property is now owned by Upper Deck.
Game-Used: A piece of memorabilia that has been used in a
professional sporting event. These items can include, but are not limited
to: jerseys, bats, fielding or batting gloves, bases,
football pylons, hockey sticks, basketball nets, shoe soles, etc.
Game-Worn: A piece of memorabilia that has been worn by a player in an actual
game. These items can include, but are not limited to: jerseys, hats, shoes,
pads, etc.
- Player-Worn: A piece
of clothing or memorabilia that has been worn by a player but not in a
game. This may be their draft day jersey, a jersey used in a photo shoot,
or an item held while taking a photo. - Event Used: A
memorabilia piece that has been worn or used at a specific event, like a
player’s draft day and rookie debut events.
Graded Card: A trading card that has been examined by a third-party service
(Beckett, PSA, CSG) grading specialist for condition and
assigned a specific numerical grade that corresponds with the card’s physical
condition.
Grading Company: An independent, third-party service that
specializes in examining cards for physical condition and assigning the card a
corresponding numerical grade for the card. Today, the trading card market
recognizes the following companies as industry leaders: Professional Sports
Authenticators (PSA), Beckett Grading Services (BGS), and Sports Card Guaranty
(SGC).
Graded/Grading Card Scale: Each individual grading company
bases its card grades on a numerical scale. All but one company uses a scale
from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest grade. SGC uses a 10 to 100 numerical
scale. Each number on the grading scale corresponds to a card’s physical
condition on the Condition Scale.
- Pristine: A term used
by BGS to describe the highest possible grade, a 10 - Gem Mint: A term used
by PSA to describe the highest possible grade, a 10
Group Break: An opportunity for a “group” of collectors to come together online
and split the cost of a box or case of cards, and then divide the pulled cards
amongst themselves in a manner that was previously agreed upon before the break
begins.
(The) Hobby: An abbreviation
term used for the hobby of collecting (sports) cards.
Hobby Box: These are high-end boxes that typically feature a
greater number of chase cards, which makes them more expensive/valuable. Unlike
retail boxes, which are widely distributed in big box stores (think: Walmart or
Target), hobby boxes are usually distributed exclusively through hobby shops or
online.
Hit or Hit Card: A modern hobby term referring to higher-valued cards or those perceived
to be of having a higher value than other cards pulled from a box of trading
cards. These cards are typically those that are autographed, contain a piece of
memorabilia, or are significantly short-printed.
Inscribed/Inscription: A term used in autograph collecting
where the subject, in addition to signing their name, includes a specialized
notation, such as a statistical achievement, nickname, Hall of Fame
induction year, or personalization (e.g,. Nikola Jokic adding “The Joker”
nickname).
Insert Card: In general, it can be used to describe all non-base and
non-parallel cards in a trading card set. These cards typically have their own
themes, names, designs, and numbering.
Junk Wax: A term used in reference to the majority of trading cards manufactured
between the late 1980s and early 1990s. This was an era of over-production in
the trading card industry, the likes of which the hobby had not seen up until
that time or since. The cards from this era have little, if any, monetary
value. Unfortunately, many of us who are between the ages
of 35 and 45 have thousands of cards from that era. But
we still love them…!
Kaboom!: A hugely popular modern insert featuring a comic book style design,
printed in limited numbers, that has a higher market value.
Lenticular: A printing technology that causes a 3D-like effect ,allowing the image
or images to have the appearance of movement when viewed at different angles.
To create this effect, a small, ribbed, plastic lens is used to produce images
that give the illusion of having depth.
Licensed Card: A trading card that carries with it the official endorsement and
authorized usage rights from a respective sports licensing body like the NBA,
NFL, NHL, or MLB.
Limited Edition: A term often used by trading card manufacturers
and memorabilia companies in an attempt to imply scarcity of an item. A limited
edition item’s worth is proportional to the precise number that are made. If
the supply of the item exceeds demand, the card or item will result in having
little or sometimes no value.
Limited Production Run: A term often used by a trading
card manufacturer to describe a product’s total print run when it is
considerably smaller than that of the company’s other trading card products.
Lot: An auction term typically used to describe a number of items up for bid, like trading
cards. The cards, or other items, may be the same type, or they may be an
assorted variety.
Manufacturer: A company like Panini that produces trading cards or
memorabilia in the sports and entertainment collectibles market.
Master Set: An entire print run of cards from a product, including all base,
parallel, and insert cards, including autographs and memorabilia.
Memorabilia Card: A card that contains a piece of player-related
equipment, venue item, or other authentic items in some
way connected to the player or subject depicted on the card. The item
is actually embedded in the car,d and these are also referred to as
Relic Cards.
Numbering: The card number affixed to the back of a trading card
indicates its order in its respective set.
- Serial
Numbering: Usually stamped in foil on the card ,indicating its exact print
run and represented as xx/xxx, with the first set of numbers indicating
the exact card’s serial number and the second set of numbers showing the
total number of cards of that type printed. Serial numbering is most
commonly used on parallels and insert cards.
On-Card Autograph: A term used to describe an
autographed card whose signature is directly on the card and not on a sticker
label affixed to the card.
- Hard-Signed: Another term
synonymous with On-Card. - Sticker Auto,
Sticker Autograph: An autographed trading card
that has a sticker or label signed by the card subject affixed to the card
as compared to being signed “on-card” or hard-signed.
One-of-One Card: A one-of-a-kind trading card, typically serial
numbered as such with the designation 1/1, meaning that there is only one of
that exact trading card in existence.
Pack: A group of cards
packaged for sale by a manufacturer.
Parallel ή Variation: A card that is similar in design
to its counterpart from a base set but offers a distinguishing quality. This
can be in the form of border color, texture, card material, printing technology
employed, among other characteristics.
Penny Sleeve: A thin plastic pocket used as the first level of card protection. They
can also be inserted into a top loader for further protection. Penny sleeves
are inexpensive and come in quantities of 100 to a package.
Personal Collection: A term used in the modern hobby to describe cards
that a collector is typically not willing to sell or trade. These cards belong
to the focus of a person’s collection.
Population Report (POP): The number of cards that have
been graded by a specific grading company. It is also used in expressing the
number of cards receiving a specific grade. For example, PSA 10 Prizm RC of Luka Doncic has a POP
Report of approximately 20.000 copies.
Printing Plate: In recent years, the actual plates used in the printing
process have become collectibles in and of themselves. Each trading card in a
set is made using four (4) individual plates in the following colors: Black,
Cyan, Magenta & Yellow. These plates are often inserted into packs and are
serial numbered 1/1.
Prism: A card that displays a metallic-like quality with a bright and
shiny design that creates an appearance that refracts or disperses light.
Prizm: A term used by Panini America to describe their own type of specific
parallel cards. They also use it as its own brand name, which in recent
years has become the market standard. The cards display a metallic-like
quality with a bright and shiny design that creates an appearance that refracts
or disperses light.
Rainbow: The complete series of all the possible parallel colors of a player’s
specific card.
Rare Card: A card or series of cards of very limited availability, making them
hard to obtain. The term is very subjective and today is used all too liberally
to hype a card’s value. It should be noted that when using the term in
reference to vintage trading cards, “rare” cards are harder to obtain than
scarce cards.
Rated Rookie: A baseball card term originally used by the Donruss company to
designate a top-tier rookie player. Rated Rookie remains in the hobby lexicon
as part of the Donruss brand of baseball cards now owned by Panini America.
Raw Card: A card that has not been encapsulated by a grading or authentication
company.
Redemption: A program established by multiple card manufacturers that
temporarily substitutes a card that should be in the product for the right to
redeem that card when it is available from the manufacturer. The practice
became necessary in the 2000s as the demand for autographed cards increased.
Oftentimes, manufacturers are left to the mercy of athletes to return their
contracted autographs and must wait to fulfill those redemptions until the
cards are returned. However, the manufacturers cannot wait an indefinite time
to release the product in which the cards are supposed to be contained,
resulting in the practice of including a redemption card.
Refractor: Similar to a Prism Card. A card that utilizes a printing
technology that produces a visual effect that refracts and disperses light in a
manner that produces a prism or rainbow-like effect. The process has become
very popular with modern trading card manufacturers as a result of increased
demand for these types of cards from collectors. Topps was the first
trading card company to utilize this dynamic printing process.
Release Date: A term used by trading card manufacturers to denote when a new
trading card product is scheduled to be available to the public. These dates
are often fluid as a result of unforeseen circumstances in the manufacturing
process.
Reprint: A usually unlicensed card that has been purposely
reproduced of an original, usually more expensive, card or set.
Rookie Card/RC: Designates a player’s first officially licensed trading card after
making the roster for one of the four major sports professional teams at the
major league level (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL).
Rookie Patch Autograph / RPA: A card that features
a rookie’s autograph and a patch relic, which makes it a very
sought-after card for any collector.
Scarcity: A card or series of cards with limited availability. The term is
very subjective and today is used all too liberally to hype a card’s value. It
should be noted that when using the term in reference to vintage trading cards,
“scarce” cards are easier to obtain than “rare” cards.
Short-Print (SP): A base-set card that is printed
in lesser quantity than other cards in the set. Once occurring because of
necessity, given the number of cards on a printing sheet and the total number
of cards in a set, manufacturers now do this to spur additional sales as
collectors pursue completion of the set.
Super Short Print (SSP): These cards are even rarer than
(SP). Usually, a print under 50 is considered SSP.
Slabbing/Slabbed: The process of encapsulating a card for
protection and tamper resistance after it has been graded and/or authenticated.
Team Card: A sports card depicting a picture of an entire team.
Team Set: All the cards from a sports card set consisting of players from a
specific team.
- Subset: Can be used
to refer to a themed number of trading cards within a product’s base set
or to be used synonymously with insert set.
Top Loader: Thick,
plastic casing used to protect and store cards. Valuable cards are
typically placed in a thin penny sleeve and then in a toploader for maximum
protection.
Variation (VAR): A card that is, in some way, subtly
different from the same cards in any set. These variations can include, but are
not limited to, characteristics such as: a different color background or
lettering, a corrected error, a name misspelling, or a photo variation.
Vintage: A subjective term used to describe older sports cards and entertainment
trading cards. Some people refer to anything printed before 1973 as vintage.
This was the last year that Topps issued cards in more than just a couple of
series. Other people consider anything produced prior to 1970 to be vintage.
Wax: A general term used to describe trading cards, either as a single pack
or a box full of packs. Even though manufacturers today use different packaging
types, the generic term “wax” has remained part of the hobby vernacular.
Sports Card Grading Guide
Understanding how and why to
grade a sports card can be an invaluable tool for both new collectors and
grizzled veterans of the hobby.
Card Grading Defined
Card grading is the practice of submitting a trading card to a
third-party service. The card is inspected for authenticity and ranked, usually
on a 10-point scale, for the condition. The card is then assigned an overall
grade, sealed in a tamper-proof holder, and finally assigned a cataloged serial
number.
The benefits of card grading include indisputable provenance of
authenticity, no subjective condition assignments, and an accountability system
through an online database. All of these factors combine to, more often than
not, increase the value of the card when compared to an ungraded card in equal
or similar condition.
The Grading Companies
Professional
Sports Authenticators (PSA), Beckett Grading Services (BGS), and Sportscard Guaranty
(SGC) are the main companies used to grade a card.
In addition to the companies mentioned above, the marketplace has seen
several other grading companies come and go over the years. Plenty of their
cards still exist on the secondary market. These include Global Authenticators
International (GAI), Card Collector Services (CCS), and Sports Collectors
Digest (SCD), to name a few.
When grading became popular in the early to mid-’90s, new grading
companies sprouted up in unprecedented quantities. Some earned very poor
reputations. While smaller and less well-known companies exist, it is
strongly advised that collectors only trust their collection to those first
mentioned: PSA, BGS, and SCG. Those are the companies with the best reputation
in the hobby.
Fees between the companies vary, so collectors are encouraged to see the
pricing policies listed on their respective websites. Collectors can also pay
for different levels of service.
The Cost of Card Grading
As mentioned earlier, exact fees differ among card grading companies;
however, they all charge based on the following criteria:
- The number of
cards submitted. - The desired
turnaround time to have your cards graded and returned. - The value of
the card. - Whether a card
containing an autograph is to be authenticated as well as graded. - If the card is
oddball or oddly sized.
Also, keep in mind that you are required to pay two-way shipping. When
sending to the company, pay for the appropriate amount of insurance, delivery,
and signature confirmation. For return shipping, each company will have its own
established fee structure. This usually includes insurance.
The Specifics of Card Grading
Before submitting anything to a card grading company, there are a few
things to be aware of to get the most out of your grading
submission:
What to Grade
Choosing what cards to grade is a personal and subjective decision. But
there are some guidelines to follow that will not only save you money but also
increase the value of your collection.
For example, grading any one-of-one card makes little sense from
a financial standpoint, although people continue to do so. The cost of
having the card shipped, graded, insured, and returned is unlikely to increase
the worth of an already highly valued card enough to offset those costs.
However, some collectors may like the added protection of a graded slab.
Submitting vintage cards for grading, in particular, makes for a solid
investment. Player collectors, team collectors, and set builders often target
cards in a specific grade. Removing the subjectivity of self-assessment
provides a foolproof way of making sure a card is actually in the condition the
owner claims.
Even vintage commons can bring a strong return if submitted to a
reputable card grading company. A mistake many collectors make with
older cards is overlooking these commons. Many high-end set builders will often
pay top-dollar for that graded NM or Mint backup utility infielder’s card
simply to complete their collection of graded cards.
Modern prospect and rookie autographs are also highly desirable in
high-grade condition. The obvious reason is that, if that player attains star status, their
most popular rookie cards will always be those that are signed and in Mint
condition.
The Grading Scales
Beckett grades their cards on a scale of 1-10 with sub-grades (.5s). PSA
Grades on a flat 1-10 scale and SGC Grades on a scale out of 100, which they
then use to give the card a grade of 1-10.
Cards are graded based on these four factors: Centering,
Corners, Edges, and Surface.
They give each attribute a grade of 1-10, then combine those to give the
card a final grade of 1-10. Anything above a 9 is worth book value
or greater, as BGS 9 (known as a “Mint 9”) is the condition expected of the
card out of the pack. A grade of 9.5 is Gem-Mint, which is a nearly flawless
card. This is the condition most collectors want. Then there is a
“PRISTINE 10,” which is the holy grail of cardboard. Pristine 10s are rarely
handed out. A Pristine 10 can turn a $10 card into a $1,000 one.
Centering: Centering is basically the width of the border. Ideally, the border
sizing should be equal on the left, right, top, and bottom. Sometimes,s judging
the centering won’t be as simple as looking for equally spaced borders. The
bottom line is that the card should feel balanced. If a card appears lopsided,
this means the centering is off.
Corners: This is arguably the most important and most scrutinized of the grading
attributes. A card with four sharp corners can alleviate other concerns,
especially on older cards. Study all four corners, looking at the front of the
card first, then look at the back of the card. This is the best way to
double-check. If a corner shows imperfections on both sides, it’s not your eyes
playing tricks on you. Sometimes the ink, foil or other factors can create the
illusion of a weak corner, so always be sure to check the back. If a corner or
two is an eyesore to look at, you're probably looking at a card that
will grade under 8.5. Slight corner imperfections, such as barely visible
white, might be the difference between a BGS 9 and a BGS 9.5, but can also
result in no change.
Edges: The four edges of a card are important, as well. Some brands are
notoriously terrible with edges, especially cards with dark or black borders.
At the same time, less is expected from these, so lower your expectations.
Graders also look at the back for this, too. Edges should be sharp, and the
color should be constant. Imperfect edges have dings, dents or subtle
discolorations. As with corners, barely visible white isn’t the end of the
world.
Surface: Surface is the condition of the cardboard as a whole. With glossy cards
such as Bowman Chrome, scratches on the surface can be an issue, as well as
faded autographs. In addition, cards made with foil stock are prone to small
pieces of foil coming off, leaving white specks on the card. With older cards,
the main concern is creases and moisture damage. Many 1980s cards suffer from
ink smearing and stamp marks that happen when the card goes through a print
press. Many times, a crease is hard to notice at first, as the
picture on a card can hide one very well.
Autographs: The autograph grade has nothing to do with the grade given to the card
itself. If the ink isn’t smeared and the autograph isn’t faded, it will
normally be a 10. All graded autographs must be “out of pack” autos (not
hand-signed or in-person). It is very easy to “eye grade” an autograph.
Although the grading process may technically be scientific,
learning how to look at a card has more to do with your gut reaction. If a card
looks great, it looks great. There’s a thin line between having high
expectations for condition and being paranoid about perfection.
Specific Graded Card Terms
Qualifier: Condition issues that would otherwise render a card with a specific
grade on its own merit.
Off-Center (OC): When the centering of a card falls below the minimum standard for that
grade, it is designated as “OC”.
Stained/Staining (ST): Cards with staining below the minimum standard for
the grade are designated “ST”.
Print Defect (PD): Cards with significant printing defects are
designated “PD”.
Out of Focus (OF): Cards with the focus of the photograph below the
minimum standard are designated “OF”.
Marks (MK): Cards with writing, ink or pencil marks, or evidence of an
impression left from having been written on are designated “MK”.
Miscut (MC): Cards that are cut in any manner, in that they do not meet the standard
dimension for that particular se,t will be considered to be “MC”.
What to Do When You Can’t See a Card
in Person?
The hardest and riskiest way to buy a card is when you can’t see it in
person. If the scan of the card you wish to buy seems to be hiding something or
doesn’t offer an accurate or visible picture, it’s time to close your eyes and
type. Simply ask the seller questions to help clear up anything you aren’t
certain about. A few sample questions are shown below.
Are all 4 corners sharp?
I noticed _____. Is that on the card or on the case of the card?
Are there any noticeable imperfections?
Now You’re Ready To Practice “The Eye of Collector”