Card GradingGet the appHow to Grade a Trading Card: A Front-and-Back Checklist →
Inspect centering, corners, edges, and surface, with a practical checklist for your next card.
Pokémon card condition
Check your Pokémon card before you grade it.
Card Grading helps you capture a card’s front and back, identify it, and review the visible condition factors that collectors care about before a professional submission.
Card Grading provides an estimate only. It does not authenticate cards or assign official grades.
Capture both sides
Use clean, even light and photograph the full card front and back.
Review condition
Look closely at centering, corner wear, edges, whitening, and surface marks.
Make your call
Save the result and decide whether to keep, sell, or submit the card.
What to inspect on a Pokémon card
High-grade candidates typically combine balanced centering with sharp corners, clean edges, and a clear surface. A beautiful front can still be affected by flaws on the back, so scan and inspect both sides.
Centering
Compare the visible borders on every side. The card does not need to look perfectly symmetrical to be collectible, but uneven borders can matter when the goal is a top grade.
Edges and corners
Look for whitening, chipping, lifting, dings, or soft corners—especially against a dark background. Handling and storage damage often appears first here.
Surface
Use angled, indirect light to reveal scratches, print lines, dents, stains, and other marks. Do not try risky cleaning or alteration methods before a submission.
Next step: use the app’s estimate as one input in your decision. Only a professional grading company can authenticate a card and issue an official grade.
Before your next submission
Compare submission costs with our free calculator, then use the illustrated condition checklist to review both sides.