The major companies that offer grading services for baseball cards are PSA, BGS (Beckett Grading Services), SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation), and HGA (Hierarchy Grading). Each company has their own standard for grading on different criteria like centering, corners, edges and surface to give each card an overall grade.

The first step is to select which card you want to grade. Make sure to choose high quality, valuable cards that are worthy of the grading process. Damaged or worn cards are unlikely to grade well. You’ll also want to make sure the card is authentic and not forged or altered in any way. Grading companies can sometimes detect forged cards.

Once you’ve selected the card, you’ll need to prepare it for shipment. It’s important to package the card securely to avoid any possible damage in transit. The recommended method is to put the card in a standard thin penny sleeve and toploader. Then place that inside a team bag for additional protection.

You can then fill out the submission form which requires details like your name, address, phone number, email and a full description of each card you’re submitting including the year, sport, player, set and any identifying marks. You’ll also select the turnaround tier which determines how quickly the card will be graded – options range from economy to expedited service.

Payment is required upfront and is based on the tiers, number of cards and additional services. Basic grading costs range from around $15-$30 per card depending on company and tier selected. Shipping to and from the grading company is additional. Once payment is processed, you can ship your cards to the company.

The grading process takes several weeks on average depending again on the tier paid for. Companies like PSA and BGS have detailed standards they use to examine each card under strong lighting across 10 different areas like centering, corners, edges and surfaces. Numerical grades are given on a scale, usually 1-10, with 10 being flawless mint condition.

After grading, the card will be encapsulated or “slabbed” in a tamper-proof plastic holder that displays the card along with its numeric grade. Higher mint grades of 8, 9 or 10 have considerable market value premiums compared to lower grades. You’ll then be notified via email when grading is complete and your shipped back.

Upon receipt, you can check the assigned grades to see how well each card fared in the process. Graded cards hold much greater value than raw ungraded cards and provide authentication and protection in the holder. They are easy to spotlight in a collection or resell to other collectors confident in the integrity and impartiality of the third-party grading service used.

Having baseball cards professionally graded provides documentation of a card’s condition, which is invaluable for collectors and investors alike. While there is some cost involved, top graded examples can see multi-fold increases in value and secure authentication that raw cards lack. With proper preparation and selection of the right grading company, submitters can feel confident their vintage and modern cards are being evaluated fairly and consistently. This helps maintain integrity and transparency for the entire hobby.