Card Grading

Having your hockey cards graded means sending your cards to a grading company, who will examine your cards - thoroughly - and seal them in a clear acrylic slab, with the verdict clearly visible on the label on the top.

Cards are graded on four sub-grades: centering, edges, corners and surface, and are then given a total grade, based on how they score in the different categories. Print defects or loss of shine and gloss of the card will reduce the grade.

Some companies print the sub-grades on the label (like Beckett and Swedish PCG), others don't (like PSA). Some companies can give a card half a grade (like a PSA 6.5), some don't. Beckett has a black label version of their graded cards that are exclusively reserved for cards that grade 10 in all sub categories.

Why grade your cards?
There are different reasons to grade a card. Maybe you have a card you like very much and want to protect as much as possible. Encasing it in a slab is a good way to do that and still be able to handle the card. 

Maybe you just think it looks really nice with the slab and the label, or feels really nice when you hold it. Yet another reson can be that you want to get the card authenticated, to make sure it's not a fake.

The most common reason that show up in facebook groups, however, is to grade the card to increase it's value and sell it at a profit. If this is the case then be aware that there are many card grading companies, and only very few of them actually increase the value of your card. It basically have to be graded by one of the top North American companies. PSA is the biggest company, with an estimated 78 % market share in 2024. 

You may also want to consider that in order for your card to increase it's value when grading, it will need to score pretty high. As an example, looking at sales of Connor McDavids regular young guns on e-bay in the later half of February 2024, his ungraded ("raw") card has sold for between $620 - $1000. His PSA 8 in the same time period has sold for $695 - $775.

Assesing the quality of your raw card
It's not uncommon to see comments like "I just pulled this card and I think it would grade at least a 9" in a facebook group. 

Some aspects of a cards quality can be easy to determine with the naked eye, even an untrained one. If your card is remarkably off-centered, or if the cards edges are rough, you can be sure the sub-grades for these aspects won't be high. However, things like microscopic scrathes on the surface may not be easily visible in normal light, or without magnification, but they will give your card a lower score. And a grading company will find those imperfections. It's worth remembering that grading companies use highly specialized equipment when examining the cards. 

Authentications and graded autographs
Some companies offer other options for your card as well. Maybe you just want to know if it's authentic, but don't want a grade on your card. Or you want to know if the autograph on the card is authentic. You will get your card examined, sealed in a slab with a label that says "Authentic" but no grade. Some companies also grade autographs on a scale from 1 to 10, separately from the grade of the card.

"Buy the card, not the slab"
Many people do not grade their cards at all. They either like their cards raw, or disslike the look of the slabs, or don't think it's worth the money it costs to grade their card. The phrase "buy the card, not the slab" is sometimes used as a way of stating that it's the hockey cards that are the collectibles, and that there's no point paying extra because someone gave it a grade.

Learning more
If you want to learn more about card grading, check out some of these card grading companies (there are a lot more, this is just a small selection):

In depth tutorial
on allvintagecards.com

Gemrate
Third-party grading tracker

PSA
The global market leader in 2023, and one of a few companies where a high grade will increase the value of your card.

Professional Card Grading  (PCG)
Swedish card grading company

Raukcard
Swedish card grading company