Guide
PSA graded Pokémon cards explained
A PSA graded card is a trading card that Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) has checked, given a condition grade from 1 to 10, and sealed in a tamper-evident plastic case called a slab. Here is what the grades mean, how to read the label, and how to check that a slab is real.
What PSA grading is
PSA is a third-party grading company. Collectors send it cards, and its graders do three things:
- Authenticate the card: is it a genuine, unaltered card?
- Grade its condition on a scale from 1 to 10.
- Encapsulate it: seal the card in a slab with a printed label and a unique certification number.
PSA started with sports cards, which is where its name comes from, and today grades Pokémon and other trading card games too. Other companies, such as CGC, Beckett (BGS) and SGC, grade cards as well, each with its own scale and label. Collectors treat each company's grades separately, so a PSA 9 and a 9 from another grader are not the same thing.
What graders look at
A grade sums up the card's physical condition. Graders look closely at four things:
- Centering: how evenly the printed image sits inside the borders, front and back.
- Corners: whether they are sharp, or show rounding, fraying or dings.
- Edges: whether they are clean, or show chipping, nicks or roughness.
- Surface: scratches, print lines, dents, stains or loss of gloss.
The grade reflects the card's weakest area. A card with perfect corners and a scratch across the front cannot get the top grade.
The PSA grading scale, 1 to 10
| Grade | Name | In short |
|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | Gem Mint | A virtually perfect card: sharp corners, clean edges, a clean surface and close to even centering. |
| PSA 9 | Mint | A superb card with one small flaw, such as a slight printing imperfection or slightly off centering. |
| PSA 8 | Near Mint-Mint | A high-end card with a small flaw or two visible on close inspection. |
| PSA 7 | Near Mint | Slight surface wear or slight fraying at a corner, visible on close inspection. |
| PSA 6 | Excellent-Mint | Visible surface wear or light corner fraying. |
| PSA 5 | Excellent | Minor rounding of corners and some surface wear. |
| PSA 4 | Very Good-Excellent | Slightly rounded corners and noticeable surface wear. |
| PSA 3 | Very Good | Some rounding of corners, surface wear, and possibly a light crease. |
| PSA 2 | Good | Obvious wear, with rounded corners and possibly several creases. |
| PSA 1.5 | Fair | Heavy wear, but the card is still complete. |
| PSA 1 | Poor | Extreme wear, and possibly missing pieces. |
PSA also gives half-point grades, such as PSA 8.5, to cards at the high end of a grade. There is no PSA 9.5.
If PSA finds a card is genuine but it cannot receive a number grade, for example because it has been trimmed or otherwise altered, the label may say Authentic or Authentic Altered instead of a number.
Qualifiers: the letters after a grade
Sometimes a card meets the standard for a grade except for one specific problem. PSA may then add a qualifier to the grade, such as "PSA 8 OC". The common ones are:
- OC: off-center
- ST: staining
- PD: print defect
- OF: out of focus
- MK: marks, such as writing on the card
- MC: miscut
Collectors generally value a qualified card below a card with the same grade and no qualifier, so check for letters after the number.
How to read a PSA label
The label at the top of the slab identifies the card and its grade. It usually shows:
- the year and the set, for example a Base Set Pokémon card;
- the card's name and its number in the set;
- any variety, such as Holo or 1st Edition;
- the grade, with its name (for example, MINT 9);
- the certification number, and a barcode.
How to check a PSA certification number
Every PSA slab has its own certification number. To check one:
- Find the certification number on the label.
- Enter it in the PSA certification lookup on PSA's website.
- Compare the result with the slab in front of you: the card, the set, the year and the grade should all match. Many results also include images of the card from when PSA graded it.
If anything does not match, or the case looks opened or damaged, be careful: the slab may have been tampered with. A matching number is not complete proof on its own, because counterfeiters sometimes print real certification numbers on fake labels. Compare the card in the slab with PSA's images where they exist, and buy graded cards from sources you trust. This check is worth doing on any graded card you buy, including one you receive from WaxRoom.
PSA also publishes a population report: how many copies of each card it has graded at each grade. It shows how common a card is in a given grade, which is one reason high grades of some cards are hard to find.
Should you get your own cards graded?
Grading costs money and takes time, so it makes sense for cards whose condition and demand justify it. Before you send a card in, it helps to have a realistic idea of its condition. CardGrader.AI, the AI card grading app made by the WaxRoom team, scans a raw card and estimates its condition and value, so you can decide whether a card is worth submitting.
Graded cards in WaxRoom
WaxRoom, coming soon, puts one real, professionally graded card in every digital pack. The packs being built today use PSA-graded cards. Read how WaxRoom picks and ships real graded cards, or learn what a digital card pack is.
PSA and Professional Sports Authenticator are trademarks of Collectors Universe, Inc. Pokémon is a trademark of Nintendo, Creatures and GAME FREAK. WaxRoom is not affiliated with or endorsed by PSA or The Pokémon Company. Grade descriptions here are summaries; PSA's own grading standards are the authority.