Do I use any tools that can help cards have a better shot at grading a PSA 10? Where do I buy my supplies?
If you need help grading with some best tips and tricks, I suggest this article. It may change the way you grade, so always be informed. You don't need to necessarily follow what I do word for word. This article is a guide that tells you what tools I use for grading.
Refer to this YouTube Video as well (I am a bit new to videos but this should be helpful): Video
Tools: I use a variety of tools for grading. Approximate cost for these can range depending on quality and brand.
Here is a comprehensive checklist:
- Lint Roller
- Why?
- To grade cards, you need to make sure you have a clean surface so that no dirty/lint/dust goes onto your card before and after you sleeve
- How?
- ALWAYS wash your hands with soap and water, then clean off your playmat or whatever surface you use to grade cards. Oil from your hands can be picked up by grading companies. You can simply use the lint roller to pick up any other dust or particles from your mat but rolling them on with a fresh layer of tape from the lint roller.
- Where?
- Playmat/Clean Surface
- Why?
- You should have a clean surface that soft to the touch in case your hands put any pressure onto your card. This will make it so your card doesn't scratch
- How?
- Simply lay down the playmat on a surface that's flat and away from any liquids/food or other things that can get in your way. I will only use the playmat for grading and then put it away after use.
- Where?
- You can buy your favorite playmat from any LGS or from online.
- Pokemon Center $25
- Blacklight (Pen preferred)
- Why?
- A Blacklight will illuminate any white scratches/foil scratches from the surface of the card
- How?
- Turn on the blacklight and look at the card from variety of angers. Best to hold the card by the edges and not touch the surface. Examine the back and the front as well and take your time.
- Where?
- Magnifying Glass
- Why?
- Magnifying glass lets you see if there are any imperfections on your card, and whether or not dirt should be removed from the cards itself.
- How?
- Turn on your light and use the magnifying glass on the corners, edges, and surfaces of the back and front of the card. Edges is something to look at since edge wear and edge dings sometimes does not show up when you are looking purely at the front/back of the card; the sides/edges should be looked at as well.
- Bad edges can bring a card to a 9 automatically, same with surface and corners.
- Where?
- Ring Light
- Why?
- Ring lights give you differential views when looking at the surface of the card, especially on foiling/holographic areas of the card. They are especially bright as well and can latch onto a desk and not get in your way if you put it near the edge.
- How?
- Turn on the ring light and put your card under it, holding onto the edges of the card raw. You can examine the card for any surface scratching, holo scratching or any bends/tears. This will maximize the chance of getting a good grade the more you spot.
- Where?
- Soft Microfiber Cloth
- Why?
- Microfiber gets rid of most surface issues from the card and should be the first wave of defense when trying to get a notable surface issue off the card
- As a reminder, this WILL NOT get rid of holo scratches, print lines, or other print defects on the card. I will usually just binder a card with any of these imperfections and NOT submit them for grading.
- How?
- Use one finger and rub the surface of the card with the cloth. Sometimes you can clasp it with two fingers on both front and back of the card for more friction to remove the surface dirt.
- Where?
- Q-tip
- Why?
- Qtips, unlike a microfiber cloth, can target specific parts of the card where you see notable surface residue. Sometimes you will ask yourself, what is this? Why is this black smudge on the card. The worst think it can be is a print line or an actual print error, which WILL lower your chance of getting a PSA 10.
- Vintage cards will sometimes have "black spots" that can be gotten rid of with a semi-wet Qtip. This is caused by hand oils and lint/dust that can accrue onto a raw card during shuffling/play or simply being left out to the elements.
- As a reminder, this WILL NOT get rid of holo scratches, print lines, or other print defects on the card. I will usually just binder a card with any of these imperfections and NOT submit them for grading.
- How?
- I will usually wet the Qtip first, and then dry it slightly, so its not too wet. A semi-wet qtip always has a better chance of removing surface residue. LIGHTLY rub the part of the card that has a spot, and it should come right off if it is dirt. If it does not come off, I recommend not grading the card as PSA or any other grading company can ding the card's "Surface" score.
- Where?
- Any major retail store will have it
- Amazon 2pk $16
- Penny Sleeves
- Why?
- These are soft sleeves that won't damage your card when you put the card in and when you pull the card out, this is very important
- Don't use hard sleeves (Dragon Shield, Katanas, Ultra Pro Hard Sleeves) for any grading. If you have a spec of dirt on the card or inside the sleeve, simply sliding in the card WILL damage the card's surface
- How?
- ALWAYS USE NEW SLEEVES: I cannot stress that enough. Don't use recycled sleeves for grading and don't use sleeves that have any bends in them
- Simply slip your raw card into the sleeve, then put the sleeve in your semi-rigid cardholder
- Where?
- eBay 500 Ct $7
- Brands: Ultra Pro, Cardboard Gold, pretty much any major card supply manufacturer will have their own penny sleeve, but generally get the better brands for more efficiency and also in bulk if you want to save money.
- Good to buy this in bulk for your next submission. Getting 1 pack individually will add up. Find a friend in the hobby and split them if you'd like as well
- Card Saver 1 Semi-rigid card holder
- Why?
- These are semi rigids trusted by PSA and even partnered with PSA
- This are different from top-loaders since semi-rigids keep the card in place. Usually for top-loaders, the card can move around a LOT. It will be bad if your card suddenly comes out during shipment to PSA or even inside your collection in general.
- You most likely won't grade your cards right away, having your cards in semi-rigids help it stay still when you aren't touching them. I normally have a stack, put them in a box, and then when I do decide to grade, pull them out and start the grading process.
- How?
- Open up the Semi-Rigid with your index finger, clench with your other hand, then slip your card (within the penny sleeve) within it, pushing until its all the way down. Do this lightly or else you may bend your card.
- Where?
- eBay 200 Ct $25
- Good to buy this in bulk for your next submission. Getting a 50 pack individually will add up. Find a friend in the hobby and split them if you'd like as well
- Post-it Stickies
- Why?
- This is optional
- This primarily helps with getting your card OUT of the semi-rigid. If you are indecisive like me, sometimes you will go like "I'm not going to submit this card anymore, going to submit other cards first" then you can take the card out easily without risk of damaging it
- How?
- Remove a single Post-it sticky from the case and place it on the back of your sleeved card
- Then put the entire thing into a semi-rigid
- Where?
- Any major retailer
- Amazon $16 (Bulk)
- Centering Tool
- Why?
- This tool helps you look a the centering of your card and decide whether or not it is a good one to grade
- This is better than using your edges to look at the front, bottom, left and right sides of the card.
- How?
- Place your card into a penny sleeve first (to be safer)
- Put the centering tool on the card and make sure the top, bottom, left and right are in good positions. Bad Centering even on a minty card will bring the card to an 7-8-9 if the centering is bad so this definitely helps tremendously to get better chances of a 10
- PSA allows for centering to be 60-40 at worst for a 10, but I would still recommend this process, especially if you are grading with Beckett or CGC, where you'd strive for the 10 or Perfect grades.
- Where?
Grading can be an expensive hobby, but when done right, can increase the size and value of your collection. Grabbing these tools will definitely help you out in the long run after a one time cost of accruing these tools.
Happy Grading!
Note: I am not sponsored nor did any websites above pay me for any content. I'm just giving you some ideas into what I personally use and how to budget.
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