TCG Academy
Learn
Master card grading in 6 modules
6
Modules
4
Companies
1–10
Scale
Use bright indirect light from the side or above; avoid flash and harsh reflections.
Tilt the card slightly until holo glare is off the text, corners, and edges.
Fill most of the frame, but keep all four corners and the full border visible.
Tap to focus before capture and retake if small text or edges look soft.
Use a dark, matte background for light cards and a light, matte background for dark cards.
For grades, capture both front and back flat on the same surface whenever possible.
Cards are graded on a 1-10 scale, where 10 is a perfect card. Professional graders evaluate four key areas to determine the final grade. Here's what each tier means:
10
Gem Mint — Virtually perfect. Flawless centering, sharp corners, clean edges, pristine surface.
9.5
Gem Mint+ — Near perfect with only the slightest imperfection under magnification.
9
Mint — A superb card with only minor flaws. Centering may be slightly off.
8
Near Mint-Mint — Great condition with minor corner or edge wear visible on close inspection.
7
Near Mint — Good card with some visible wear. Light corner whitening or minor edge nicks.
6
Excellent-NM — Noticeable wear including corner rounding, edge wear, or light scratches.
5
Excellent — Moderate wear throughout. Visible corner, edge, and surface issues.
1-4
Poor to Good — Significant wear, creases, stains, or damage. Mainly valuable for rare cards.