Centering
Are the borders balanced around the artwork?
- Compare left and right borders, then top and bottom.
- Check front and back. One side may be less balanced.
- Watch for tilted images and diamond cuts as well as side-to-side shift.
Is this card worth grading?
Use this guide to inspect the card, then decide whether grading serves your collection. It cannot predict a grade. Only an in-hand assessment against the full MAG standard sets the official result.
Before you look
Wash and dry your hands. Work under bright indirect light on a clean, lint-free surface. Take the card out of its sleeve only if you can do it safely, holding the edges.
Inspect front and back straight on, then tilt slowly. A phone torch at a low angle reveals surface texture. A photo alone will miss defects.
Walk the four condition areas
Write down what you see in neutral terms. A visible flaw does not rule grading out. A clean-looking card still carries no guarantee.
Corners
Are all four tips sharp and intact?
- Inspect each corner front and back under bright indirect light.
- Look for whitening, fuzzing, blunting, bends, or a splitting tip.
- Change the angle. Small impacts vanish when viewed straight on.
Edges
Are the cut edges clean all the way around?
- Scan each edge slowly against a dark, plain background.
- Look for white flecks, chips, nicks, dents, rough cuts, or peeling foil.
- Check the back, where edge wear shows more clearly.
Surface
Is the face free from marks and damage?
- Tilt the card under one light to reveal scratches, scuffs, dents and print lines.
- Check both sides for stains, fingerprints, gloss loss, ink defects and indentations.
- Never press or scrub. Creases and altered surfaces matter more than dust.
When grading may be worth it
Condition is one part of the decision. Weigh value, rarity, purpose and replacement difficulty too.
The card is scarce or difficult to replace
Rarity, a low print run, age or collector demand can make authentication worth it even when condition is imperfect.
Certification could add useful confidence
A permanent certificate makes the card easier to document, insure, display or sell with clear provenance.
The numbers make sense for this card
Compare the fee and shipping against recent sold prices for the same card, raw and graded. Use sold listings only.
It matters to you beyond resale
A favourite pull, gift or childhood card may be worth protecting even when the money says otherwise.
A useful final question
If the grade comes back lower than you hoped, would authentication, protection and documentation still make the fee worthwhile? If yes, submit. If no, keep the card raw.
Ready for an in-hand assessment?
Submit when the purpose and cost make sense. Read the full standards first if you want our methodology.