Scoring or grading baseball cards is the process of analyzing a card’s condition and appearance and assigning it a numerical score or grade. This score objectively represents the card’s quality and value relative to similar cards. There are a few major companies that professionally score baseball cards, most notably PSA, SGC, Beckett Grading Services, and HGA. Their scores are widely accepted in the hobby and are important for determining a card’s worth when buying or selling.
The first step when scoring a card is to carefully examine the fronts and backs under bright lighting for any flaws, defects, creases, stains, or wear that could potentially downgrade the grade. Scoring takes into account four main condition factors – corners, edges, surface, and centering. Corners are analyzed for bends, chips or rounding. Edges are looked at for whitening, slight bends, or damage. The surface is inspected for scratches, spots, or print defects. Centering assesses if attributes like the photo or text are centered within the card borders.
Grading companies each have their own numeric scale from 1 to 10 to represent a card’s condition, with 10 being flawless “gem mint” and 1 being poor. For example, PSA uses a scale of 1-10 where a Mint 9 card has no visible flaws, an 8 has very slight wear, a 7 has light wear, a 6 has moderate wear, a 5 has heavy wear but is still complete, and 4 or less are damaged cards. SGC applies a point system where 70+ points is a 10, 60-69.5 is a 9, 50-59.5 an 8, etc down to 30 or less for the lowest graded 1s.
After analyzing the card, graders take into account attribute like centering, edges and corners equally and deduct partial points for each flaw observed down to the tenth of a point. So a card with excellent centering but a small edge nick might get a 7.5 instead of an 8. Once a grade is determined, the card is then encapsulated in a hard plastic holder with the grade clearly marked on the front for verification and protection, preventing further wear. More valuable vintage cards may get more scrutiny and need fewer flaws to be docked.
In addition to the numeric grade, extra codes or labels are sometimes used. For example, a label of “Black Label” by PSA denotes an exceptionally high quality vintage card with exceptional eye appeal. Or an SGC label of “Gem Mint” indicates a score between 9.5-10. Sometimes qualifiers are added like “with surface issues” if wear impacts the score. Grading opinions can sometimes vary slightly between companies too.
There are some key factors that can impact a card’s grade and value once scored. Age and year of the card matter – older vintage cards in top condition can be worth far more. Rare and highly sought after rookie or star players will also carry a premium. Numbered parallels, autographs, or patches can also boost a card’s worth graded highly. On the other hand, flaws have a major negative impact – even small edge or corner flaws can drop a modern card’s value considerably.
To have cards graded professionally, collectors normally submit bulk orders and pay service fees per card graded. Turnaround times and costs vary but average $10-$20 per standard sport card submitted. Some may offer economy or express services. Cards are then authenticated, analyzed individually, given a thorough grade, and preserved permanently in a tamper proof slab. This official score becomes part of the card’s pedigree and is essential for high end buyers and sellers to determine investments accurately. Without a grade, conditions may be unclear or questionable making value hard to establish.
Professionally grading baseball cards is extremely important for establishing a verifiable assessment of a card’s condition compared to pristine mint grades. The score awarded factors in all visual attributes and is recognized worldwide by serious collectors. While imperfect, the third party grading system allows for objective appraisals, consistency in the market, and accurate attribute tracking that influences pricing decisions for desirable vintage and modern memorabilia cards.
