Grading the condition and quality of baseball cards is an important part of the hobby for collectors and investors. With millions of cards in circulation from over a century of the sport, properly assessing each card’s condition is necessary to determine its rarity and value. In recent years, several companies have emerged offering professional grading services to bring standardization and authentication to the marketplace. Sending cards away can be an expensive and time-consuming process. Thankfully, there are now mobile apps that aim to help collectors perform preliminary at-home grading of their baseball card collections.
One of the pioneering apps in this space is Card Grader by Sports Card Investments. Released in 2015 for iOS and Android devices, Card Grader allows users to take photos of their cards and receive an estimated numerical grade directly on their phone or tablet. The app utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms trained on a vast database of professionally graded cards to analyze several condition factors in the uploaded images. These include centering, corners, edges and surface or “CEG” attributes that are fundamental to the grading process used by services like PSA and BGS.
After taking multiple high-resolution photos of the card’s front and back at prescribed angles, Card Grader’s AI examines the images to evaluate each condition element on a 1-10 scale. It then computes an overall estimated grade between 1-10 that aims to mimic the standards set by the major third-party authenticators. While not a replacement for true professional grading, the app provides collectors a fast and affordable way to gauge potential grades of cards in their collections to help identify candidates worth submitting. Over time, the algorithms also continue improving as more user-submitted photos are analyzed.
Another popular grading app is Collectable, available for iOS. Similar to Card Grader, it uses computer vision technology trained on professional standards to grade cards based on photos. Some key differences are that Collectable provides estimated letter grades from PSA/BGS scales (1-10 converts to G-P/S-M) and allows direct photo uploads instead of requiring multiple angled shots. It also incorporates a social feed where users can follow others, like/comment on cards, and potentially find buyers/sellers based on their collection interests.
For Android users, Topps Grading is an app specifically for Topps baseball cards from 1952 to the present. After uploading photos, it analyzes CEG attributes and potential autograph/relic authenticity to generate estimated PSA/BGS grades. The grading algorithms are currently only trained to assess modern Topps flagship sets rather than the entire span of baseball card production history. The app aims to help collectors identify their best Topps cards for potential submission or sale.
e-Slab is another app-based grading solution, but with a unique twist. Developed by Certified Sports Guaranty (CSG), it allows users to submit digital images of their cards through the app, which are then reviewed by CSG’s team of expert graders. Within a few days, the collector receives a full CSG encapsulated “e-Slab” label with the assigned authentic grade. While not a true replacement for a plastic holder, the e-Slab acts as an official CSG authentication and attempts to bring professional third-party grading within financial reach of most collectors. Submission costs are lower than traditional grading services at $9.99 per card.
As the collecting hobby continues rapidly evolving in the digital age, grading apps are a promising innovation that aims to make condition assessment more accessible and efficient. They are not perfect substitutes for professional third-party authentication just yet. The algorithms and training datasets still have room for improvement to match human expert analysis in all cases. Serious investors should still consider submitting prized vintage cards to the major authenticators like PSA and BGS to maximize value. But for general collecting purposes or quick preliminary screenings of large collections, apps can be great preliminary tools to stay organized and identify standout cards worth further consideration through traditional grading later. As the technology advances, app-based grading solutions may eventually rival or even replace physical submission services for some users and card types. Only time will tell how grading standards and practices continue developing between manual and digital methodologies.
Grading apps are a convenient new option for baseball card collectors and investors looking to efficiently analyze collections at home. While not definitive replacements for professional third-party authentication just yet, they provide estimated conditions scores through artificial intelligence trained on established standards. This allows collectors to stay organized and identify candidates for potential traditional grading submissions or sales. As computer vision and machine learning algorithms continue advancing, app-based grading solutions show promise to eventually rival or even replace physical submission services depending on individual needs. They are helping drive grading accessibility and efficiency gains within the growing hobby.
