Card Grading: How It Works, What It Costs and Which Company to Choose (PSA, BGS or GRAAD)

There's a moment in every collector's life when a card stops being just a card and becomes a question: "should I get it graded?". Grading — the professional certification of authenticity and condition — is the step that turns a beloved card into an asset the market recognizes. But how does it work exactly? What makes up the cost? And above all: PSA, Beckett or GRAAD? In this complete guide we answer everything, with how our service really works and the criteria to decide whether, what and with whom to grade.

Key Takeaways

1. What Grading Is (and What It Really Changes)

Grading is the professional examination of a card by an independent certification company, which verifies its authenticity and assesses its condition on a standardized 1-10 scale, analyzing four parameters: centering, edges, corners and surface. At the end, the card is sealed in a rigid tamper-proof case (the "slab") with a certification label and registered in the company's public database.

What changes, concretely? Three things. Certainty: the grade removes every ambiguity about condition — no more "near mint according to the seller," but a grade assigned by a third party. Protection: the slab physically preserves the card for decades. Value: for the same card, a certified high-grade copy is systematically worth more than its raw counterpart, because the market pays for certainty. It's why the world's most important cards all travel inside a slab.

2. PSA, Beckett/BGS or GRAAD? The Three Companies Compared

Our service gives you access to all three reference companies, with submissions managed entirely from Italy — and the right choice depends on card and goal. Here's each one's profile; for the in-depth card-by-card comparison there's our PSA vs BGS vs GRAAD guide.

PSA: the global standard

PSA is the most recognized company in the world, with the sector's highest grading volumes: a PSA slab is immediately legible to any buyer, anywhere — which translates into maximum liquidity at resale. It's the natural choice for cards destined for the international market and for those chasing the PSA 10, the most traded grade of all.

Beckett/BGS: subgrade rigor

Beckett Grading Services stands out for the four subgrades declared on the label (centering, edges, corners, surface) and for proverbial strictness, culminating in the legendary Black Label — the perfect 10 across all four parameters. It's the company of choice for those wanting the most analytical picture of their card and for those hunting certification's absolute peak. BGS submissions are active on our service, with mandatory outbound insurance calculated directly by the form.

GRAAD: European excellence

GRAAD is Europe's fastest-rising company: a rigorous assessment method, well-crafted slabs and — thanks to continental logistics — more accessible entry costs. It's the ideal gateway to grading for those certifying their first cards, and an increasingly popular choice among experienced collectors for mid-range pieces.

Did You Know?

Beckett's Black Label — a perfect 10 across all four subgrades — is one of the hardest certifications to obtain in all of collecting: on iconic cards, a Black Label copy can be worth many times the same "plain" grade 10.

3. PSA Dual Grading: Autographs and Sketches

A special chapter goes to PSA Dual Grading, the service that unites the card's grading with the authentication of the autograph and/or sketch. If you own cards signed at events and conventions, or original sketch cards, this is the only path certifying both dimensions in a single pass: the card's condition and the signature's authenticity.

For the market it makes an enormous difference: an unauthenticated autograph is, in a buyer's eyes, just ink — with authentication it becomes certified history. In our request form you'll find Dual Grading as a dedicated option, with rates based on the card's declared value.

4. How Much Grading a Card Costs: What Makes Up the Price

Let's talk costs, with the transparency this service deserves. The per-card price depends on three variables: the chosen company (PSA, Beckett/BGS or GRAAD), the service level — Base, with standard lab timelines, or Express, with a priority lane — and the card's declared value, which sets the pricing tier. The price list also includes PSA Dual Grading for autographs and sketches and, for Beckett, the Card Grade Review (crossgrading, for re-grading other companies' slabs).

Added to these are the outbound shipping insurance (mandatory for Beckett/BGS, optional for PSA and GRAAD) and the insured return by express courier, or free in-store pickup in Scandicci. In any case, you don't have to do the math yourself: our grading request form calculates the quote in real time as you enter your cards — company by company, service by service, with no surprises — and once submitted it gives you a printable copy of the quote to include in your package. Price lists are updated periodically: the form's quote is always the valid one.

5. Which Cards Are Worth Grading: The Decision Criteria

Grading is an investment, and like every investment it should be made where it pays. The basic rule: the value added by certification must exceed its cost. The profiles that almost always pay off: modern chase cards in excellent condition (where the gap between raw and high grade is greatest), valuable vintage (where authenticity certification is itself half the value), cards destined for sale (the slab multiplies trust and liquidity) and sentimental pieces to preserve for decades.

The profiles that don't pay off: common or mass-reprinted cards, copies with evident flaws (a certified low grade can be worth less than the same card raw) and cards whose value doesn't justify the service's cost. The most frequent doubt — "would this card get a good grade?" — has a professional answer, as we'll see right away.

6. Before Grading: Pre-Grading Analysis and Restoration

Sending a card to grading "blind" is the best way to pay for a disappointing grade. That's why we offer two preparatory services that change the outcome, priced in tiers based on the card's declared value. The pre-grading analysis: we examine the card under a digital microscope, assess centering, surface, edges and corners with the same criteria the companies use, and tell you honestly what grade to expect — so you decide with data, not hopes.

Conservative restoration — also available bundled with the analysis: professional cleaning and treatment of minor flaws — fingerprints, residues, micro-imperfections of the surface — that can make the difference between an 8 and a 9. You'll find all the details on the restoration service page, and you can request both directly from the grading form, row by row.

7. How Our Service Works: From Quote to Return

The path is designed to remove every complexity for you. One: you fill in the online form, entering your cards one by one — and here's the convenience that makes the difference: each card can go to a different company within the same request (the vintage to PSA, the Black Label candidate to BGS, the mid-range to GRAAD, the signed one to Dual), with the quote updating in real time. Two: you deliver the cards to our Scandicci store or ship them insured. Three: we handle the entire process with the labs — international shipping, customs, follow-up.

Four: on return, you pick up in store or receive your graded cards at home by insured courier. For high-profile collections — over €10,000 in declared value — our White Gloves service kicks in, with dedicated management from intake to return. And if you first want to understand what your collection is worth, start from the professional valuation.

Conclusion

Grading is where collecting and the market shake hands: it certifies what you own, protects what you love and adds value to what you might one day sell. With three companies available — PSA, Beckett/BGS and GRAAD — plus Dual Grading for autographs, the preparatory services and a quote that calculates itself, it has never been this simple to do it right from Italy.

At GS Gameon we grade cards every week for collectors across Europe, and we put the same care into yours: honest advice on what's worth grading, complete management of the process and total transparency on costs. Your next certified card starts here.

Note: prices and timelines vary based on the grading companies' and couriers' price lists. The exact quote is always the one calculated by the form on the date of your request.