CARD GRADING & ENCAPSULATION

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GRADING

Submit with confidence, our graders will handle your cards with the utmost care. Every card is carefully examined under intense magnification and graded accordingly. We utilize a 10 point grading scale to accurately document any level of damage.  

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ENCAPSULATION

Once graded we seal each card in a protective plastic slab via ultrasonic encapsulation. The clear lightweight casing beautifully displays your card and its unique verification database serial number.   

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INVESTMENT

Many of us started collecting for the fun of it, however cards today have real value. Each year fewer and fewer rare cards survive the test of time. Protect your cards and watch your investment grow with All Star Grading which can grow as fewer high grades survive the test of time. Have fun and  

Standard Grading Scale

Card Grading

Gem Mint 10

  A Gem Mint 10 card’s attributes include 55/45 or better centering, sharp focus, four sharp corners, free of stains, no breaks in surface gloss, and no visible wear. A slight printing imperfection or surface scracth is allowable if it does not detract from the aesthetics of the card. 

Mint 9

 A Mint 9 card’s attributes include 60/40 or better centering, sharp focus and four sharp corners. A minor flaw may exist upon close examination. A minor flaw may be, but is not limited to: a slight nick to one corner, a small gloss break or surface scratch, a minor print line or minor refractor line, a minor focus or color imperfection, or a small print spot. 

Near Mint 8

 A Near Mint/ Mint 8 is a card with 65/35 or better centering, corners sharp to the naked eye but may exhibit slight wear under closer examination. A few small flaws may exist upon close examination. A small flaw may be, but is not limited to: very minor wear on one corner, a gloss break or surface scratch, a print line or refractor line, a focus or color imperfection, or a print spot. 

Excellent 7

 A Near Mint 7 card’s attributes include 70/30 or better centering, slight wear on some corners, minor scratching, some print spots or speckling, and print lines or refractor lines are acceptable.

Near Excellent 6

 An Excellent/ Near Mint is a card with 75/25 or better centering, slight fuzzing of corners may be evident, skewed cut may be more evident, focus or register may be off, and slight notching of edges may exist. 

Very Good 5

 An Excellent card is a card with 80/20 or better centering, minor rounding or fuzzing of corners, roughness or chipping along edge (no layering), one VERY slight surface or “spider” crease may exist on one side of the card, gloss may be lost from surface with some scratching that does not detract from the aesthetics of the card. 

Good 4

 A Very Good/ Excellent card is a card with 85/15 or better centering, corners are slightly rounded with modest surface wear. Light hairline crease may show on one or both sides. A light tear or surface break may exist. 

Acceptable 3

 A Very Good card is a card with 90/10 or better centering, corners more rounded–but not excessive, stronger creasing may exist. Poorer focus, registration, and discoloration, and staining are more noticeable. 

Poor 2

 A Good card is a card centered 90/10 or better. This card usually exhibits one or more of these characteristics: heavy print spots, heavy crease(s), pinhole(s), color or focus imperfections or discoloration, surface scuffing or tear, rounded and/or fraying corners, ink or pencil marking(s), and lack of all or some original gloss. 

Authentic 1

  This is a card that usually exhibits many of these characteristics: heavy print spots, heavy crease(s), pinhole(s), color or focus imperfections or discoloration, surface scuffing or tears, rounded and/or fraying corners, ink or pencil marking(s), and lack of all or some original gloss, small portions of the card may be missing.