How to Prepare Pokémon Cards for a Grading Submission

The grade is decided when your card arrives at the grader. But the outcome starts much earlier, with what you choose to send and how you send it. A careless submission can cost grades, money and months. A careful one gives every card its best chance. Here's the process we follow.

Step 1: Choose the Right Cards

Start with ruthless selection. Grading costs the same whether a card comes back a 10 or a 6, so the cheapest submission is the card you don't send. Pull anything with a visible crease, heavy whitening, obvious centering problems or surface damage. Then run the break-even math: the expected graded value, at realistic grade odds, should clearly beat the raw value plus the full cost of grading. Our guide to whether you should grade your Pokémon cards walks through that calculation.

Step 2: Pre-Grade Every Card

Inspect each card the way a grader will:

• Centering: Measure front and back. Back centering on Pokémon cards is often worse than the front.

• Corners: Check all four under magnification for softness, fraying or touches of white.

• Edges: Look for chipping and whitening, especially on the back border.

• Surface: Tilt the card under a single bright light to find scratches, print lines, dimples and indentations.

Grade your own cards conservatively. If you're unsure whether a card is a 9 or a 10, plan for the 9.

Step 3: Clean Carefully, or Not at All

Dust and fingerprints can hide flaws or lower a grade. If a card has surface dust, wipe it gently with a clean, dry microfiber cloth in one direction. Never use liquids, erasers or chemicals, and never try to fix a corner or press out a bend. Altered cards are typically rejected or labeled as altered, and either outcome costs more than the dust.

Step 4: Use the Right Holders

Most graders prefer cards submitted in a penny sleeve inside a semi-rigid card saver, rather than a rigid toploader. Card savers are easier for graders to remove cards from safely. Use fresh sleeves, and insert each card gently so the corners don't catch. Never use tape on the holder itself. If you want to secure the opening, use a removable tab on the outside, or follow the grader's instructions.

Step 5: Fill Out the Submission Correctly

• Choose the tier based on each card's value and how quickly you need it back. Check the grader's website for current prices, value limits and turnaround times, since all three change regularly.

• Declare honest values. Use recent sold prices at the grade you expect. If a card grades higher and exceeds the tier's limit, you'll be moved up a tier and charged the difference. Declared value also affects insurance coverage.

• Group cards by tier. Cards in one submission generally need to share a service level, so split high-value cards into their own submission.

• Identify each card precisely: year, set, card number, name and any variant. Clear entries prevent misidentification on the label.

Step 6: Document Everything

Before anything ships, photograph the front and back of every card in good light. Keep a list of each card, its declared value and its holder. If a card is damaged, lost or misidentified, those photos and records are your evidence. They're also a useful record of how your own pre-grading compares with the final results.

Step 7: Pack It Like It Matters

• Stack card savers neatly, sandwich them between pieces of sturdy cardboard, and secure the bundle with rubber bands around the cardboard, not the cards.

• Put the bundle in a sealed bag to protect against moisture.

• Use a sturdy box with padding so nothing shifts in transit. Never ship a grading submission in a padded envelope.

• Ship with tracking and insurance that covers the declared value, and keep the receipt.

Step 8: Track and Wait

Track your submission through the grader's online portal. Turnaround estimates are estimates. They can stretch during busy periods, so plan your selling or display timeline with a cushion. When the cards come back, compare the grades with your pre-grades. That feedback makes your next submission sharper.

Common Submission Mistakes

• Sending cards in rigid toploaders when the grader asks for card savers.

• Under-declaring values to save on fees, then paying upcharges anyway.

• Mixing tiers in a single submission.

• Skipping the photos and having no record when something goes wrong.

• Grading everything instead of only the cards that make financial sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I submit Pokémon cards in toploaders or card savers?

Most graders prefer semi-rigid card savers with a penny sleeve inside. Check your grader's current packing instructions before you ship.

Can I clean a Pokémon card before grading?

Only by gently wiping away dust with a dry microfiber cloth. Never use liquids, chemicals or pressing, which can damage the card or get it flagged as altered.

What declared value should I use?

Use the card's value at the grade you realistically expect, based on recent sold prices. Under-declaring can lead to upcharges and reduced insurance coverage.

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