Our Grading Scale

This helps our customers understand our grading scale, and what we determined each grade to mean.

Understand The Grades We Give

Every card grading company has a different measurement of how they grade cards, and HGA is no different. Below is a simple explanation to our grades and you’ll find beneficial if you’re looking to submit cards.

Flawless

A card in Flawless condition is perfect to the naked eye in all categories. Surface, corners, edges, and centering.

Gem Mint

A card in Gem Mint condition is a card that appears to the naked eye but under magnification does not meet the Flawless category. Free of any noticeable flaws without magnification.

TCG - Centering 52/48 Front 60/40 Back. Corners are Rounded.
Sports - Centering 55/45 Front 65/35 Back. Corners are Square.

Mint

A card in Mint condition having only a single minor flaw to corners, edges, or surface under close examination/magnification. Corners and edges are intact and crisp and surface is intact with original gloss and only a small defect to any of these categories.

TCG - Centering 55/45 Front 65/35 Back. Corners are Rounded.
Sports - Centering 60/40 Front 70/30 Back. Corners are Square.

Near Mint - Mint+

A card in Near Mint - Mint+ Condition has minimal minor flaws to corners, edges, or surface under close examination/magnification. Corners and edges are intact and crisp, and surface is intact with original gloss with any flaw noticeable under close examination or magnification.

TCG - Centering 55/45-60/40 Front 65/35 Back.
Sports - Centering 62.5/37.5 on Front 70/30 Back

Near Mint - Mint-

A Card in Near Mint- Mint- Condition has Multiple minor flaws to corners, edges, or surface under close magnification or one major flaw noticeable to the naked eye. Corners and edges are intact but not fully crisp, and surface is intact with original gloss but has multiple flaws. Minor wax stain on back of card, and no discoloration over any of the card.

TCG - Centering 60/40 Front 70/30 Back
Sports - Centering 65/35 Front 70/30 Back

Near Mint +

A Card in Near Mint + Condition has multiple minor flaws or multiple major flaws to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners begin to show minor-major fraying and rounding. Edges may have minor-major chipping or paint loss, slight diamond cutting, knicks. Surface is intact with minor-major gloss imperfections, dings, or print spots. Minor wax stain, and slight discoloration on the back of the card.

TCG - Centering 60/40-65/35 Front 70/30 Back
Sports - Centering 67.5/33.5 Front; 70/30 Back.

Near Mint -

Condition has multiple minor flaws and multiple major flaws to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners begin to show minor-major fraying and rounding. Edges may have minor chipping or paint loss, slight diamond cutting, minor nicks. Surface is intact with minor-major gloss imperfections, dings, print spots, and image out of register. minor-major wax stain, and slight discoloration on the back of the card. Single point of minor creasing.

TCG - Centering 65/35 Front 70/30 Back
Sports - Centering 70/30 Front; 70/30 Back

Excellent Near Mint +

A Card in Excellent Near Mint + Condition has a combination of minor or major flaws, or a single major flaw to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners begin to show major fraying and rounding. Edges may have major chipping or paint loss, slight diamond cutting, major nicks. Surface is intact with major gloss imperfections, dings, major print spots, and minor image out of register. Minor wax stain, and slight discoloration on the back or front of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing.

TCG - Centering 65/35-70/30 Front 70/30 Back
Sports - Centering 72.5/27.5 Front; 70/30 Back

Excellent Near Mint -

A Card in Excellent Near Mint - Condition has a combination of minor and major flaws, and a single major flaw to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show major fraying and rounding. Edges may have major chipping or paint loss, minor diamond cutting, major nicks. Surface is intact with major gloss imperfections, dings, major print spots, and minor image out of register. Minor wax stain front or back, and slight or discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, or a single point of major creasing visible on the back only. TCG - Centering 70/30 Front 80/20 Back Sports - Centering 75/25 Front 80/20 Back

Excellent +

A Card in Excellent + Condition has a combination of minor and major flaws, or multiple major flaws to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show major fraying and rounding. Edges may have major chipping or paint loss, major diamond cutting, major nicks. Surface is intact with major gloss imperfections, dings, major print spots, and major image out of register. Major wax stain front or back, and slight discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, or a single point of major creasing TCG - Centering 70/30-75/25 Front 85/15 Back Sports - Centering 80/20 Front 95/15 Back

Excellent +

A Card in Excellent + Condition has a combination of minor and major flaws, and multiple major flaws to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show major fraying and rounding. Edges may have major chipping or paint loss, major diamond cutting, major nicks. Surface is intact with major gloss imperfections, dings, major print spots, and major image out of register. Major wax stain front or back, and major discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, or a single point of major creasing. TCG - Centering 70/30-75/25 Front 85/15 Back Sports - Centering 80/20 Front 95/15 Back

Very Good Excellent +

A Card in Very Good Excellent + Condition has a combination of minor and major flaws, and multiple major flaws, or a single extreme flaw to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show minor-extreme fraying and rounding. Edges may have minor-extreme chipping or paint loss, diamond cutting, nicks. Surface is intact with minor-extreme gloss imperfections, dings, print spots, and image out of register. Minor-extreme wax stain front or back, and Minor-extreme discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, or multiple points of major creasing.

TCG - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation
Sports - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation

Very Good Excellent -

A Card in Very Good Excellent + Condition has a combination of minor and major flaws, and multiple major flaws, or multiple extreme flaws to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show major fraying, rounding, slight loss of corner. Edges may have minor-extreme chipping or paint loss, minor-extreme diamond cutting, minor-extreme nicks. Surface is intact with minor-extreme gloss imperfections, dings, print spots, and image out of register. minor-extreme wax stain, discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor-extreme creasing, a single major crease.

TCG - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation
Sports - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation

Very Good +

A Card in Very Good + Condition has a combination of minor and major flaws, and multiple major flaws, and multiple extreme flaws to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show major fraying, rounding, slight loss of corner. Edges may have minor-extreme chipping or paint loss, minor-extreme diamond cutting, minor-extreme nicks. Surface is not intact with minor-extreme gloss imperfections, dings, print spots, and image out of register. minor-extreme wax stain, discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, multiple major creases, a single extreme crease.

TCG - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation
Sports - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation

Very Good -

A Card in Very Good - Condition has a combination of minor, major, and extreme flaws, to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show minor-extreme fraying, rounding, slight loss of corner. Edges may have minor-extreme chipping or paint loss, minor-extreme diamond cutting, minor-extreme nicks. Surface is not intact with minor-extreme gloss imperfections, dings, print spots, and image out of register. minor-extreme wax stain, discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, multiple major creases, or multiple extreme crease.

TCG - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation
Sports - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation

Good +

A Card in Good + Condition has a combination of minor, major, and extreme flaws up to even minor card loss, to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show minor-extreme fraying, rounding, slight loss of corner. Edges may have minor-extreme chipping or paint loss, minor-extreme diamond cutting, minor-extreme nicks. Surface is not intact with minor-extreme gloss imperfections, dings, print spots, and image out of register. minor-extreme wax stain, discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, multiple major creases, and multiple extreme crease.

TCG - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation
Sports - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation

Good -

A Card in Good - Condition has a combination of minor, major, and extreme flaws up to even minor card loss, to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show minor-extreme fraying, rounding, slight loss of corner. Edges may have minor-extreme chipping or paint loss, minor-extreme diamond cutting, minor-extreme nicks. Surface is not intact with complete loss of gloss imperfections, dings, print spots, and image out of register. minor-extreme wax stain, discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, multiple major creases, and multiple extreme crease.

TCG - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation
Sports - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation

Fair -

A Card in Fair - Condition has a combination of minor, major, and extreme flaws up to even extreme card loss or damaged, to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show minor-extreme fraying, rounding, slight loss of corner. Edges may have minor-extreme chipping or paint loss, minor-extreme diamond cutting, minor-extreme nicks. Surface is not intact with complete loss of gloss imperfections, dings, print spots, and image out of register. minor-extreme wax stain, discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, multiple major creases, and multiple extreme crease.

TCG - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation
Sports - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation

Poor -

A Card in Poor - Condition is damaged, to corners, edges, or surface. Multiple of these errors may exist : Corners show minor-extreme fraying, rounding, slight loss of corner. Edges may have minor-extreme chipping or paint loss, minor-extreme diamond cutting, minor-extreme nicks. Surface is not intact with complete loss of gloss imperfections, dings, print spots, and image out of register. minor-extreme wax stain, discoloration on the front or back of the card. Multiple points of minor creasing, multiple major creases, and multiple extreme crease.

TCG - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation
Sports - Centering Off Center - O/C Designation

Note: As of 3/14/2024, we are no longer grading cards at a 9.5. With our new grading scale, previously graded 9.5 cards would be be considered a 10 or a 9.

Ready To Submit Your Cards?

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