11 Easy Tricks & Tips For Grading Cards

Who couldn’t use some great tips for grading cards? Most of us have learned the benefits of submitting your best cards with SGC, PSA, CGC and Beckett, but there are some nuances we can learn that will help improve our chances at getting better grades, improving our collection’s value!

11 Tips For Grading Cards with SGC, PSA and More!

Getting good grades isn’t easy – just ask my high school self! But you can help your chances with these tips and tricks! The links in this article are sent to affiliates of mine, like Amazon and eBay, so I do make a small commission if you buy through them. Thank you!

1. Use a Card Centering Tool

If you aren’t real sure about the centering of your card, you can use a cheap card-centering tool, which can help you see if it’s 60/40, 70/30, 90/10 or any size in between! This will help you determine the likely grade of a card, too.

2. Wipe Chromium Cards with a Microfiber Cloth

Whether you are submitting a Topps Chrome card or Panini Prizm, or any of the other chromium cards, you’ll want to do your best not to leave any fingerprints or smudges on the card. Use a microfiber cloth (like one you’d get to clean a pair of eyeglasses) to wipe off your cards. Make sure you wipe from the inside out, so you don’t catch any corners!

3. Always Use Brand New Penny Sleeves

When you go to put your card into a Card Saver, use new penny sleeves to make sure you give your cards the best chances at good grades. Older penny sleeves sometimes have debris in them, or dust, or whatever, which can rub on the surface of a card – and possibly affect its grade. Penny sleeves literally cost less than a penny!

4. Tips For Grading Cards: Snip the Corners of Your Penny Sleeves

You’ll need to put your cards in penny sleeves before slipping them into Card Savers for submission. But many of us – including me! – have trouble sliding the card into the penny sleeve without catching a corner, which would affect its grade! So, if you just snip a small piece off one (or both) corners, you should be able to slide the card in much easier.