Submit today

1 of 3

Australia's most comprehensive grading service

In our short history since opening our doors in June 2021, we have graded over 90,000 cards! We currently accept a wide array of cards including Pokemon, Metazoo, Sports, MTG, DBS, DBH, Panini, Topps, and more! We would like to thank all of our customers and vendors for helping us hit this milestone in such a short period and making us Australia's preferred grading service.

Shop now
  • Welcome Stranger Collectibles

    Follow the team at Welcome Stranger Collectibles for live auctions, breaks, towers and your chance to nab some awesome TCG Slabs, every Sunday night on the Welcome Stranger Collectibles Facbook Page!

    Follow here! 
  • Kingdom Culture Collectables

    With a weekly line up of card, comic and pack towers, your weeknights are filled with entertainment as Jay and the team bring you some of the rarest (and coolest) collectibles in the country.

    Join their members only page 
  • The Card Station

    Join the team at The Card Station as they rip the newest release packs live, smash out the towers and do giveaways!

    Webstore 
  • The Lil Buttsmarn!

    Watch The Buttsmarn open his returns, talk about collectables, and more on his sub-page the Lil Buttsmarn on youtube. Follow him for exclusive discount codes and more!

    Watch here! 
  • Silva Collectables

    You will be swimming in prizes with Silva Collectables' massive monthly tower, alongside weekly box breaks, auctions, pack battles and more!

    Join now! 
  • POPGENICS

    Check out Popgenic's range of Pop Vinyls, cards and collectables instore and online, follow the link below.

    Click here! 

Current turn-around times

Current Turn-Around Times

Bulk/Routine approx. 33+ Business Days
Critical approx.16+ Business Days
Express approx.10+ Business Days

Submit here

Affordable Pricing

Our pricing is straight forward, affordable, and does not change with card value. TCG Grading was founded to help collectors have access to affordable grading and encapsulation services, without the long wait times and high prices, close to home.

Shop Now

Animals Asia

TCG Grading has teamed up with Animals Asia to help end bear bile farming. Over 20,000 bears – mainly moon bears but also sun bears and brown bears – are held in captivity on farms in Asia to have bile extracted from their gall bladders on a regular basis, for profit. TCG Grading wants to help eliminate this cruel trade and work towards rehabilitating these animals across the Animals Asia sanctuary network. Click below to see the great work they do.

Click Here
  • Affordable bulk submissions

    Have you been sitting on a group of cards and want to protect them? Check out our bulk submission deals and choose the one that is right for you!

    SHOP 

Australia's most comprehensive grading service

TCG GRADING

Why Grade with us?

Protect your cards and your card's value by having it assessed and encapsulated by the TCG Grading team, This will not only protect your card, but it may increase your card's value over time.

Why should I grade my cards?

Grading your cards protects your cards from external elements such as humidity, moisture, and every day wear and tear. Grading also provides card owners with an accurate score outlining the card's condition.

At TCG Grading, we score based on a 1-10 grading system by analysing 100 points of contact on your card. 

We are currently accepting Pokémon, Dragon Ball, Magic, NBA and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. For other card types, please enquire via email, Instagram or Facebook. 

Surface:

We analyse the card's surface for scratches, dents, folds and bends. By zooming into the cards surface with our electron microscopes, custom set for card grading, our graders will have a close up view of your card. Over 100 points on the card are viewed to ensure a proper grade is assigned. 

Centring:

Centring of the front and back of the card is is assessed within the original manufacturers specifications. 

Corners and Edges:

Corners and edges are visually and electronically assessed based on their structure and signs of folds, bends, dents, wearing and whitening is factored in during final assessment. 

Grading Scale:

10 Flawless (FLS)
9.5 Gem Mint (GM)
9 Mint (MT)
8.5 Near Mint / Mint + (NM/MT+)
8 Near Mint / Mint (NM/MT)
7.5 Near Mint + (NM+)
7 Near Mint (NM)
6.5 Excellent / NM+ (EX/NM+)
6 Excellent / NM (EX/NM)
5.5 Excellent + (EX+)
5 Excellent (EX)
4.5 Very Good / Excellent + (VG/EX+)
4 Very Good / Excellent (VG/EX)
3.5 Very Good + (VG+)
3 Very Good (VG)
2.5 Good + (GD+)
2 Good (GD)
1.5 Fair (FR)
1 Poor (PR)

 

TCG 10 Flawless

The card must be free of staining, blemishing, whitening and if applicable, the cello-glaze must be intact. Card centring should not veer outside 60/40 on the front of card and 70/30 on the back. There must be no marks, dents, folds or impressions on the card surface.

TCG 9.5 Gem Mint

The card must be free of staining, blemishing, whitening and if applicable, the cello-glaze must be intact. Card centring should not veer outside 60/40 on the front of card and 70/30 on the back. There must be no marks, dents, folds or impressions on the card surface. A miniscule or minor flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a ten. Foil lines from printing on a portion of the card if pack fresh may be considered.

TCG 9 Mint


The card should be free of staining, blemishing, whitening and if applicable, the cello-glaze should be intact. Card centring should not veer outside 60/40 on the front of card and 80/20 on the back. There must be no marks, dents, folds or impressions on the card surface. A miniscule or minor flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Foil lines from printing on a portion of the card if pack fresh may be considered.

TCG 8.5 Near Mint/Mint+

The card should be free of staining, blemishing and if applicable, the cello-glaze should be intact. Card centring should not veer outside 70/30 on the front of card and 65/35 on the back. There must be no marks, dents, folds or impressions on the card surface. A miniscule or minor flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Foil lines from printing on a portion of the card if pack fresh may be considered. No whitening should be present on the corners or edges

TCG 8 Near Mint / Mint

The card should be free of staining, blemishing and if applicable, the cello-glaze should be intact. Card centring should not veer outside 70/30 on the front of card and 80/20 on the back. There must be no marks, dents, folds or impressions on the card surface. A miniscule or minor flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Foil lines from printing on a portion of the card if pack fresh may be considered. Borders with slight off white characteristics may be considered.

TCG 7.5 Near Mint+

The card may show slight staining, blemishing and cello-glaze deterioration. Card centring should not veer outside 70/30 on the front of card and 85/15 on the back. There may be slight marks, but no dents, folds or impressions on the card surface. A minor flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with slight off white characteristics may be considered.

TCG 7 Near Mint

The card may show slight staining, blemishing and cello-glaze deterioration. Card centring should not veer outside 70/30 on the front of card and 85/15 on the back. There may be slight marks, but no dents, folds or impressions on the card surface. A minor flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with a small amount of off white characteristics may be considered.

TCG 6.5 EX/NM+

The card may show staining, blemishing and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at first glance. Card centring should not veer outside 80/20 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There may be slight marks, but no dents, folds or impressions on the card surface. A flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with some amount of off white characteristics may be considered. Slight pin prick indents may be noticeable.

TCG 6 EX/NM

The card may show staining, blemishing and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at first glance. Card centring should not veer outside 80/20 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There may be slight marks, or minor dents, folds or impressions on the card surface. A flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with some amount of off white characteristics may be considered. Slight pin prick indents may be noticeable.

TCG 5.5 EXCELLENT +

The card may show staining, blemishing and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at first glance. Card centring should not veer outside 85/15 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There may be marks, or minor dents, folds or impressions on the card surface. A flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with some amount of off white characteristics may be considered. Slight pin prick indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear.

TCG 5 EXCELLENT

The card may show staining, blemishing and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at first glance. Card centring should not veer outside 85/15 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There may be marks, or dents, minor corner folds or a slight impressions on the card surface. A flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with some amount of off white characteristics may be considered. Slight pin prick indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear. The reverse of the card may also exhibit clearer faults on a darker surface. Corners may exhibit some rounding or changes from original print quality.

TCG 4.5 Very Good / Excellent+

The card will show staining, blemishing, scratching, whitening and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at first glance. Card centring should not veer outside 85/15 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There may be marks, or dents, minor corner folds or a slight impressions on the card surface. A flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with some amount of off white characteristics may be considered. Slight pin prick indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear. The reverse of the card may also exhibit clearer faults on a darker surface. Corners may exhibit some rounding or changes from original print quality.

TCG 4 Very Good / Excellent

The card will show staining, blemishing, scratching, whitening and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at first glance. Card centring should not veer outside 85/15 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There may be marks, or dents, minor corner folds or a slight impressions on the card surface. A flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders may be more so off white on front and reverse. Some small indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear. The reverse of the card may also exhibit clearer faults on a darker surface. Corners may exhibit some rounding or changes from original print quality.

TCG 3.5 Very Good +

The card will show staining, blemishing, scratching, scuffing, whitening and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at first glance. Card centring should not veer outside 90/10 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There may be marks, or dents, minor corner folds or a slight impressions on the card surface. A flaw may be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with a very noticeable amount of off white characteristics may be considered. Slight pin prick indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear. The reverse of the card may also exhibit clearer faults on a darker surface. Corners may exhibit rounding or changes from original print quality.

TCG 3.0 Very Good

The card will show staining, blemishing, scratching, scuffing, whitening and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at first glance. Card centring should not veer outside 90/10 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There are probably marks, or dents, minor corner folds or a slight impressions on the card surface. A flaw will be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with a very noticeable amount of off white characteristics may be considered. Pin prick indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear. The reverse of the card may also exhibit clearer faults on a darker surface. Corners may exhibit rounding or changes from original print quality.

TCG 2.5 Good +

The card will show staining, blemishing, scratching, scuffing, whitening and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at from a distance. Card centring should not veer outside 90/10 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There are marks, or dents, minor corner folds or a slight impressions on the card surface. A flaw will be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with a very noticeable amount of off white characteristics may be considered. Pin prick indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear and possible surface whitening or removal. The reverse of the card may also exhibit clearer faults on a darker surface. Corners may exhibit rounding or changes from original print quality. Car may be slightly manipulated or warped.

TCG 2 Good

The card will show staining, blemishing, scratching, scuffing, whitening and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at from a distance. Card centring should not veer outside 90/10 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There are marks, or dents, minor corner folds or a slight impressions on the card surface. A major flaw will be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with a very noticeable amount of off white characteristics may be considered and the surface may be highly damaged. Pin prick indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear and possible surface whitening or removal. The reverse of the card may also exhibit clearer faults on a darker surface. Corners may exhibit rounding or changes from original print quality. Card may be slightly manipulated or warped.

TCG 1.5 Fair

The card will show staining, blemishing, scratching, scuffing, whitening and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at from a distance. Card centring should not veer outside 90/10 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There are marks, or dents, minor corner folds or a slight impressions on the card surface. A major flaw will be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with a very noticeable amount of off white characteristics may be considered and the surface may be highly damaged. Indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear and possible surface whitening or removal. The reverse of the card may also exhibit clearer faults on a darker surface. Corners exhibit rounding or changes from original print quality. Card may be slightly manipulated or warped. Card looks worn.

TCG 1 Poor

The card will show staining, blemishing, scratching, scuffing, whitening and cello-glaze deterioration, visible at from a distance. Card centring should not veer outside 90/10 on the front of card and 90/10 on the back. There are marks, or dents, minor corner folds or a slight impressions on the card surface. A major flaw will be present, preventing the card from achieving a higher grade. Borders with a very noticeable amount of off white characteristics may be considered and the surface may be highly damaged. Indents may be noticeable. The surface of the card may exhibit visible wear and possible surface whitening or removal. The reverse of the card may also exhibit clearer faults on a darker surface. Corners exhibit rounding or changes from original print quality. Card may be slightly manipulated or warped. Card looks worn, may have pieces missing, severe folds may be present.

NG - No Grade (Raw Encapsulation)

NG or raw encapsulation can be requested for any licensed card. Custom cards not manufactured by the licensee may be encapsulated but can only receive a (NO GRADE) NG. Replications and fake cards will not be encapsulated under any circumstances. 

A - Authentic

A card that has been signed without provenance will receive an A grade. This means the card is authentic, but the signature cannot be verified.

Qualifiers:

OC: Cards deemed off-centre outside of manufactures specifications. 

MC: Cards deemed miss-cut outside of manufacturers specifications. 

What don't we grade?
We are no longer grading Star basketball cards. We do not grade Demon Slayer Waifu cards. Any cards exceeding standard Panini sizes, please reach out to our team at service@tcggrading.com.au 

What can I expect from TCG Grading

You can expect accurate, card inspection, modern labelling and case design, as well as fast turn arounds. TCG Grading uses the most up to date macro and microscopic technology alongside lighting and centring tools to fairly assess and grade your cards.

Affordable

Our grading prices are some of the best in the market, customers who submit larger volumes can take advantage of our bulk package deals.

Supports Charitable Causes

TCG Grading has partnered with Animals Asia to end bear bile farming and other inhumane animal practices, click our Animals Asia tab to read more about the great work that they do!

Operations

TCG Grading has a robust supply chain and physical office location based in inner Sydney. Our expanding team, supply chain partners, and printing suppliers provide the highest quality services to our customers and vendor networks.