Graded Card Cases: Protection for your Precious Cards

Card evaluation by PSAs and other companies is costly. Not only does it cost money, but you wait months until your own card comes back in a hard case. When the card comes back you want to protect it as much as possible. Special cases called graded card cases are suitable for this.

What are the benefits of graded card cases?

Graded card cases protect your valuable cards from damage and dirt. Cases provided by cases.cards come with special features:

  • Magnetic closure system
  • Raised edge design
  • Stackable cards
  • Various colors

This not only protects your card, but wraps it in a beautiful case that can be presented in a variety of ways.

Comparison of different grading providers

If you decide to have your collection graded, you will have to choose a grading provider. Here, too, there are some points to consider in order to be able to make the choice according to one’s needs.

PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator)

PSA is probably the best known grading service and is chosen by collectors in many hobby areas. PSA Grading stands for a high and uniform grading standard worldwide. The graded trading cards are therefore in great demand and therefore very stable in value on the worldwide card market. The current grading and evaluation scale of PSA Grading evaluates your cards from 1-10 without underestimations or half evaluation marks. With PSA Grading the grade 10 is the best grading grade.

Another thing to consider with PSA Grading is the selection of cards to be graded. Not all cards are graded. This makes the grading of all other cards at an alternative grading service necessary.

Due to the great popularity of the PSA grading service, there are more and more processing times for grading. This means that you currently have to wait between 6 and 12 months for your cards if you have not purchased a premium service.

BGS (Beckett Grading Service)

BGS (Backett Grading Service) is just like PSA Grading a worldwide established grading service. BGS Grading also has a high grading standard. A great advantage of BGS Grading, is the additional option of subgrades. Subgrades describe the exact condition of the above mentioned grading priorities and show the grades directly on the card label. This option is particularly appealing to most collectors.

Shorter turnaround time and thus quick return of one’s trading cards is another advantage of BGS Grading. In addition, BGS Grading offers grading of a wide variety of cards.

GSG (Gold Standard Grading)

GSG Grading is a German service, which is interesting for Europe, but has no meaning on the world market. Compared to the German competition, GSG offers a higher grading standard and can be used as a faster alternative. Easy payment processing, liability in Germany and short shipping routes speak for GSG Grading as an alternative to the most popular PSA Grading.

FAQs on Graded Card Cases

What exactly is grading?

Grading is the objective assessment of the condition and value of trading cards by professional and experienced inspectors. For example, if you want to know which cards are valuable and have your cards graded, you can contact one of the grading companies mentioned in the article. With the help of their trained eye, as well as state-of-the-art technology and specially developed microscopes, they will confirm the authenticity and quality grade of your cards. At the end of each process, your cards are sealed in secured cases to ensure their long-term condition.

Why should you grade your cards?

Having your cards graded by an independent grading company such as PSA, BGS or GSG will greatly increase the value of your card. You should make sure your cards score at least a PSA Mint 9. There is usually less of an increase in value if your card is in a near mint PSA 8 case.

So you should examine your cards thoroughly before sending them for grading. We recommend the proper equipment, such as a magnifying lamp, to best visually examine the cards.

Which factors are critical for grading?

The following is a list of the main factors that influence grading. But you can also simply say as a rule of thumb: As soon as a card looks as if it has changed hands or been played more than once, it will no longer receive top values. Be honest with yourself here, because otherwise you will pay a lot of money for a service that will only disappoint you later with the truth in the form of a bad grading number. The exception here are ancient first edition cards, which might still be worth sending in.

  • Surface: The front and back of the card should not have any scratches, dents, dots or dirt.
  • Corners: Corners are round and in their original color, nothing is white.
  • Edges: No yellowing due to grease (a common death of tournament cards), no white, no fraying.
  • Centering: The card may be wider on the left or right, as well as top or bottom.
  • Other factors: A few of the grading companies have other factors, but they all go in the same direction.