

Another risk which must be considered is that your cards will be damaged or lost in the process, so be sure to ship them to the grading company with the utmost care. Before you develop your own eye for Gem Mint Tens, consider seeking a second opinion on the condition of your cards before submitting them for grading. Even the adage of cards being gem mint fresh out of the pack isn’t always the case. A card which might seem to be a Perfect 10 to the untrained eye could still have flaws, resulting in disappointment when it comes back with a less than mint grade.

Receiving high grades can add value to your cards, but for some modern cards any grade less than “Gem Mint” 9.5 or 10 could result in the loss of value.

So, if you’re going to get your cards graded, you better be sure they’re going to be worth the investment. Unless you have the opportunity to drop the cards of for grading in-person, this will include supplies, postage, and insurance for your shipment. Beyond the grading fees themselves, you must consider all of the costs of getting the cards to the grading company in the first place. Grading in bulk or using more premium grading services comes with substantial upfront costs, never mind the opportunity cost associated with sending the cards away. While some grading companies offer services starting at $10 per card, these low-price services come with longer turnarounds and certain maximum value restrictions. If you’re looking to sell your card in the short term, think carefully before sending away for grading unless you are using one of the fastest turnaround services. For leading grading companies’ standard services, many collectors have been waiting for more than six months to receive their cards back. Given how volatile the trading card market can be, your cards’ value will likely change during the time they are going through the grading process. As the trading card industry boomed amidst the pandemic, turnaround times at most major grading companies became much slower than expected and are still in flux today. If you want to make quick cash, forgo grading and sell your cards raw. This certification number could help identify your card if it were to ever be stolen, which can be especially valuable for vintage or otherwise unnumbered cards. When your card gets graded, it gets added to the grading company’s database and assigned its own certification number.
