PSA 1-10 Grading Scale Explained! Defining Each Grade & Showing Real Example Cards!

PSA uses a 1-10 grading scale, but exactly does that mean? In this video, we go through each grade and define it's characteristics in PSA's own words! We'll also show some genuine example cards from each grade and provide even more clarity around the grading scale.
Thank you for watching!

[@itz_taze3998]

That mat caught me off guard

[@collectorsimpact]

It's a pic of the card shop I used to manage for 10 years. I just had to get that mat made for certain discussion vids.

[@itz_taze3998]

That’s cool man

[@PA551ON]

Yo same. It really threw me off when all of a sudden these giant magic cards showed up on what I thought was a video feed of a shop

[@FishermanClay8108]

Wow, wtf.

[@jasonbourne4784]

I actually thought it was real the whole time

[@pokefresh1695]

That psa 1 charizard is the Ol back pocket shown off at recess special

[@collectorsimpact]

Haha yep, so true! I could definitely see that.

[@timmyhutt7126]

Believe it or not, I opened my first brilliant stars pack around a month ago and pulled a rainbow zard. I sent it in to psa and just found out it was graded a 10! 🎉

[@Rembran]

Great video! I wish PSA would just give an honest grade when it's due. That legendary collection Venusaur deserves to be a 10. Limiting 10 population purposely, is just direct market manipulation. Have a standard, adhere to the standard, grade honestly.

[@ezekielswiss5956]

yup i just spent 800 dollars on grading with psa on cards i have had since i was 14 "old enough to put them straight into sleeve and binder" and they robbed me hard. These cards had almost ZERO whitening on the edges and the holos were spotless. They gave me 7s on most and one fucking 8. FUCK PSA.

[@JET7C0]

Yeah, it's blatant market manipulation and really unfair, when you consider it could make a huge difference in value for someone, and even likelihood of selling, because after all, many people willing to shell out for a 9, might just go for a 10 of the same or wait for it to be available.

[@SaikawaYasashi]

Thank you! This is exactly the video I was looking for to really explain card grading. I am trying to go through my old pokemon cards to get an idea of the condition of them.

[@RLDesrochers]

So informative. Love that you had an example for each grade level. Thank you!

[@johnnytheyoungmaestro]

This is a simply helpful video, because I have a goal one day to have some of my older cards graded, and some new ones as well. But my older cards have quite a bit of damage due to not only play, but just the passing of time, really. I know they won't get high grades, but that's okay. I have many cards that just have a significant meaning, no matter the condition. Great video. :)

[@TheIdiotjen]

That's an awesome video! Very informative. I was trying to explain to my boyfriend about PSA grading and the video is very detailed. Definitely the "mood" of the grader matters a lot haha. You deserve way more subs and views man, keep it up!

[@collectorsimpact]

Thank you very much, I really do appreciate that! And thanks for watching.

[@xfluidx]

Thank you for your explanation and funny commentary!

[@EhrenSixon]

Thank you for the video. This helps so much!

[@darkmage123345]

5 is no bathroom break until hourly quota is met

[@collectorsimpact]

Haha that's a good one. Some graders seem to love 5s a bit too much, that's for sure.

[@hadrianaugustus6448]

Great video and hilarious commentary!

[@martixboywill]

Thanks for the content bro very informative also makes me look at my cards differently now 🤜🏽🤛🏽

[@TheDarkStar_Brawl]

this was rly useful for me trying to get a psa 1 graded card

[@jakobh6257]

Great video and info!

[@jessebobbitt4446]

A perfect video, if your sending cards in this is THE ONLY VIDEO you should watch.

[@BeatzByGanTu]

Thanku for explaining so clearly :)

[@giantessmaria]

thanks, finally found the info i was looking for....every other card grading video i found was just talking about 9's and 10's....as in; don't even breathe around your card or it will lose some value....really nuts how anal this stuff gets.

[@collectorsimpact]

Thank you, I really appreciate you watching. Glad you liked the vid and found it helpful. Good luck with your grading!

[@vintagetimmy1893]

Great vid!

[@kennylee6499]

Awesome video man. Enjoyed the content and your presentation!

[@collectorsimpact]

Thank you Kenny, I truly appreciate that.

[@kavaugncholewinski6733]

I was laughing so hard at the psa 1 scenario. I already know my daughter would've taken a bite out of that charizard 😂

[@nicknick6763]

great video,

[@frederikwitte9406]

Hearing your joke about the 7 and 8 with the guy having a good night before is even better when you previously watched a video of a guy who resend 2 PSA 5s and got back PSA 9 and 10. Pretty funny and sad at the same time

[@johnreape2833]

It isn't funny in any way, if those are your cards.

[@itz_taze3998]

Great video

[@collectorsimpact]

Thanks Carter, really appreciate you watching.

[@matthewkeller9271]

I dont trust sending my 1st edition shining charizard into PSA but i would consider it a 9 if not a 10

[@MannyKunV]

thanks for the vid. ive been looking to add some high value cards to my collection. one specific card ive been looking to add ive noticed its graded 4-6 condition goes for $200-300 range. so youd think a raw would be significantly or reasonably less. but then i find creased, scuffed, damaged raw versions of sad card but people are asking for $200-300 for it. im almost at the point where i may just buy the graded card. im not looking to flip and re-sell. but something is odd when a graded 4-6 is in the same price ranged as a raw damaged card.

[@PeteCannellasSound]

A good way to get a six is to have a very valuable card, and only pay PSA $15 rather than paying down what would cover the card’s worth being substantially more. If you know your card has value, or potential value, make sure you pay the full $75 and not the standard $15. In my opinion, that’s how you get a PSA eight or nine, come back as a six or seven.

[@ethankroll4613]

Bro i would love that PSA 1 cards XD I think it would be really cool to show off

[@ngopro]

Ah thanks man for the vid. I have the same charizard you have at 5:25 I bought YEARS AGO on ebay. I always wanted to know what grade it might get. It looks like a 4 or 5. You think you'll do a vid on how to send to PSA when they start accepting cards again? I read it on their website and honestly i got a bit confused.

[@collectorsimpact]

Thank you, really appreciate it. That's an awesome charizard to have, would definitely be worth sending it in. I actually made a video about how to submit cards to PSA for when they reopen. Here is the KZbin link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWW9eWaso8ucfMk Thanks again for watching!

[@IndellableHatesHandles]

I have a card with two tiny (~1mm) white spots on the back corners and a tiny (~1mm) spot where the holo is showing on a corner. To what level is such a tiny holo spot allowed?

[@joepark8753]

Wow that juggernaut card didn’t even know about it now gonna buy one lol

[@wc_racer3541]

How do slight bends affect the grading? I have a couple of packs that I opened of AR Pokemon cards and they and a slight bend.

[@AndTecks]

I have only looked at my deck a few times since the 90's. Wonder what the value of those 1st editions are

[@shanks7987]

Would BGS grading system be very similar?

[@jcgatorfan]

Hi. Can you give me an opinion on a 1955 Hank Aaron-Bowman #179 card I own? To me, it is a 9 or 10, but you may think differently. I would appreciate it.

[@jasonf90]

is it possible to get less than a 1? would they just refuse to grade it at that point or are all damaged cards just 1?

[@marumiyuhime]

I rec that crease on the mox thats a card that was pulled up in a long box and used as a marker temporarily you hit the card accidently and boom crease

[@charliep123]

I found this video because I was searching if a PSA 1 was even possible. Before this the lowest I had seen was a 5.

[@collectorsimpact]

Yeah the 1 is actually pretty rare. There is even a special market for people that like to collect the PSA 1. In some rare cases they can be worth more than a 2, 3, or even 4 of the same card. It's odd.

[@garrettblaylock7206]

PSA graded my card a 5 and the only thing that looked bad was just partial discoloration and just minor wear on the back of the card! There is barely any problems in the front of the card! Also note it is nearly a 55 year old card so they should of gave it an “allowance” somewhat regarding the back. It is Earl Monroe’s rookie card. But what is really aggravating is that PSA doesn’t do averages for the areas of the card (edges, corners, centering, and surface added and then divided together)! Do you know if PSA has a “step-step grading process when it comes to grading cards? For example if a grader first starts grading a certain subject of that card and he/she gives it lower than a 7 (example would be centering), would the graders just grade that lower than a 7 and not grade any other subjects because they won’t take the time to grade anything else on the card if that one particular subject is under an average grade which is a 7 I think? ?? Please answer this question back as soon as possible!!! Would really appreciate it.

[@FishermanClay8108]

Thanks for video.

[@vuri14]

Do they grade on if the card is bent forward ?

[@1001History]

I'm trying to source raws with the intention of a sequential 1-8 set (already got 9 and 10). The differences in the lower grades are so fine that I can already tell I'll get the order wrong, or even double up on grades hahaha

[@riktorheverez1068]

i have this strange fascination with trying to get a 1-10 of a specific card...but sometimes finding anything lower than a 5 is just as hard as finding a 10...sometimes harder lol @2:40 clearly someone who isn't afraid to have his nose broken yep - im one of those guys who is quite protective with my personal property lol the PSA 1 you have however just looks like its been in someone's pocket WAAAY too long though - the right corner looks more like wrinkling rather than an actual crease and it led to the foil to start peeling, i used to have a Holo-Foil Dark Alakazam that looked like that before replacing it with a 1st Edition NM that at the time cost about $35

[@CoinGoblin97]

I have a vintage gyrados with the same foil style as the first charizard. And there's a huge crease across the middle of the card. It actually gives me pain to find out how much that card would be worth in good condition

[@mrplow8]

I’d kind of like to have a PSA 1 of a really valuable card just for the novelty of it.

[@bullseye2583]

Same I might take a duplicate rare card and bend the crap out of it and just to make sure it gets a one cut two corners

[@daleHarrison93]

@@bullseye2583 well that would be stupid, just grade it, sell it and buy a 1 lol

[@WouldBeGamer]

Would a 1st edition Blastoise probably a psa 1-2 be worth grading? It’s still a good looking card but has some of the defects you mentioned

[@collectorsimpact]

The main benefit to grading a rare card when it's in poor condition is to guarentee authenticity, and to protect it from anymore potential harm.

[@FranSwishh]

I have a skyridge charizard holo with a hole on the side ( around 1.5mm circumference ) I can't seem to find anything for cards with wholes in it . Are they gonna grade it or htey are gonna send it back ?

[@collectorsimpact]

That is a very good question! Honestly, I don't know for sure, but it seems like that would fall under the PSA 1 category. "A poor card may be missing 1 or 2 small pieces". Depending on how they rate the severity of the hole, it may only qualify for being graded as "Authentic" rather than being assigned a number.

[@FranSwishh]

@@collectorsimpact Thanks for your reply ! I will get it graded and we'll see from there . Great video btw !

[@smichaels10]

You described PSA 6-8 perfectly. It seems so arbitrary. The scale has too many numbers. I enjoyed your presentation though. Thanks for the video!

[@collectorsimpact]

Thanks Shawn, I really appreciate it. The only grade that I can't stand is the PSA 6 lol.

[@darrin173]

I have some great hockey cards from the early 80s that I would like to have graded but im a little nervous to send them out in the mail.....

[@jjmfour2049]

I have a base set 4/102 unlimited holographic Charizard I found in a storage unit this week. It's real. Borders are about 55/45 on the back and near perfect on the front. Couple tiny spot scratches. Would you think it's worth grading?

[@collectorsimpact]

That's a pretty sweet find! Totally up to you, though I'm sure it couldn't hurt if it's in mint condition.

[@Thejosephcaruso]

I have an honest question: Is it really worth getting vintage pokemon cards graded? It seems like it’s only worth getting holos, first editions, or cards with over $100. My other question is, would you send cards under $100 to get graded? Or is it completely pointless

[@thehead69]

that mat or cloth threw me for a loop lol

[@HalfLifeOfHumanity]

What is the highest grade a card with a crease of any kind can get? Like I had a PSA 10 haunter legendary collection and exactly like you said, my toddler got a hand of it and it ended up with a 1 inch single line crease at the top down. But there is no damage whatsoever besides the crease. It is literally perfect in condition and centering, except for the tragic crease. So I Was wondering what a perfect card with a single smallish crease could ever get?

[@collectorsimpact]

Sadly I think the presence of a crease, even a very small one makes the card at automatic PSA 3 at best. I have some truly beautiful PSA 2s and 3s because they have little creases. It's pretty sad.

[@HalfLifeOfHumanity]

​@@collectorsimpact Ah its okay, that had been my fear but I also made piece with the loss of the card as anything more than Nostalgic for me. A sad loss of $60, and what could have been $700 for a truly immaculate card. It may not be viable for grading and selling anymore, But its still a beautiful card as you said. But over time, the grief I felt over the crease destroying the monetary value of the card, the crease has taken on new life as a reminder of how blessed I am to have a daughter I can spend all day playing with so carefreely. Its a reminder of how I put my daughter above everything both figuratively and literally in this case where my daughter ended up "Above" the card when she sat on it and put a little crease in it. Luckily though, she did not grab the Expedition #9 Rev holo Dragonite that is also flawless and still an extremely strong PSA 10 contender :) Nor the Golem Legendary I picked up that day, which is a very strong 9, possibly 9.5. Thank you so much for the feedback!

[@johnreape2833]

@@collectorsimpact According to this video, a card with a minor crease could still grade vg/ex, psa4

[@northunited280]

underrated!

[@collectorsimpact]

Thank you!

[@mikeahrens8796]

How much does it cost to grade a card ?

[@northunited280]

i have 2 first edition at PSA 5-7 idk exacly but i think 7 is it good?

[@collectorsimpact]

Yeah it's not bad that's for sure. Psa 7 is near mint so it's still solid.

[@northunited280]

@@collectorsimpact phew

[@cashmerefire7335]

That damaged Charizard is still so sick. Messed up cards still have value for real

[@SaintsGoat9]

What would my card get if the front is near perfect and the back has three big scratches and a dent

[@CU.ed1]

5

[@budgetcardbreaks]

this is what worries me i feel like a erf3ct card with one bad corner isnt rven worth grading

[@nihao3273]

I got a card back without any creases, no whitening, no scratches and perfectly centered. It was graded a 4… what gives?

[@marumiyuhime]

did you pull that jug from a pack its perfect

[@Aniko]

Anyone confused at 25:25?

[@TheOneGhost12]

You say on the 9 that it wasn’t centered but if you look on the psa website at the examples 60/40 they allow that looks like a 60/40? So why no 10

[@collectorsimpact]

Yeah that's a good point, and honestly I don't know why it didn't pull a 10 considering the centering was within that window (and its mint condition no doubt). Lately there seems to be a lot of speculation about PSA issuing less 10s for the extremely rare pokemon cards. From what I've seen, it certainly feels that way.

[@TheOneGhost12]

@@collectorsimpact - if you were me about to send in cards your wanting to go up in value over time who would you send it too ?

[@collectorsimpact]

@@TheOneGhost12 Currently, PSA is still partially shut down, and heavily backlogged. But PSA is still the industry leader, so I'd lean towards them for longterm growth. It's just gonna take awhile to get the cards back from them (or to be able to submit in bulk). I definitely would not go with a newer grader for long term value gain though. For flipping sure, but for long term the more established the grader, the better.

[@michaeldemaio257]

So it doesn’t matter if there bent and I mean like not straight all the way. And I meant not bent marks I’m say straight. If the card is perfect but isn’t straight all the way that doesn’t matter????

[@ethanspino]

I think my base set charizard is a psa 1. It has like a dent root loooking thing and a bunch of white spots. Rip 💀

[@michaelbovee6808]

There has to be unfair grading with some cards in some fashion because human beings are doing it, and human beings can absorb an odd bias towards certain things for some reason. I am going to maybe assume that if there is a heavy population of a card in one grade, some graders might take one of two approaches where one grader might be harsher or less likely to add to that number in an effort to not get it too big. Where lets say another grader might be one to already assume the card might also be that high grade when they first see it because so many are, and it skews their perception and might cause them to give less scrutiny to it thus more likely to move it in through with a 10 grade. The whole business of grading does not sit very well with me because I know when you combine significant money, human beings and judgement with consequential authority, you WILL find some level of fraud some where on the chain. I heard that if a PSA card is graded higher they can up charge the owner of the card? If that in fact is true, there is the first opening for fraud and compromise of the industry. The obvious conflict of interest is unacceptable in my opinion. It’s the same as someone who makes their livelihood performing surgery telling you you need a surgery, where they have complete discretion and authority in suggesting something that is also the very thing that they make the most money on. It is big time in their best interest to grade higher so as to be able to justify that extra charge. At the very least it has to influence decisions when they are teetering between two different grades, where if they go with the higher of the two they can upcharge. Idk if this is still industry standard?

[@marvelouspacks35]

Lol SGC grading scale love 9.5-10 pristine… way more transparency

[@collectorsimpact]

Yeah I'm loving SGC a lot too.

[@longlivebillgates]

It's time to create an industry standards for grading. Collectors need a bigger voice in the grading scale. I have a near perfect PSA 1. It recieved a one because the card has the smallest of pin holes. So a pinhole is worse than a crease?

[@JC-jt3ug]

Your PSA 1 makes my yugioh cards look like someones dragged them through a forest

[@brucebell6231]

The background messed with me a lot at first lol

[@budgetcardbreaks]

Seems like a lot of these near mint raw cards I buy on tcgplayer would be 7s or 9s this makes me mad. It’s the highest raw grade possible. It should be nine at worst

[@mightyafro2058]

I have a psa 10 #228 charzard ex I got out a booster pack 😂🔥

[@jasonfuller2734]

PSA 1 to 8 = way to go champ, crack and resubmit for a higher grade. PSA 9 = so close or not so fast guy. PSA 10 = Nice! Thanks for all of those resubmits, you made it or Congrats! Your $2 base card is now worth $6. PSA is doo doo.

[@_jaska]

My 3 year old transforms 8-10s into 1-2s regularly

[@haytch1598]

I think the card graders try to minimise giving out 10 even if the card is a 10, that's why Id prefer to start my own grading company to grade the card

[@ZeldagigafanMatthew]

There are plenty that do 9.5s.

[@lanstar4447]

The 7 is an 8 and the 8 is a 7.....change my mind.

[@collectorsimpact]

I swear I feel that way for so many of the grades from PSA (and other graders too). The 6 is the most questionable imo. I've had 6s that could easily be 8s and others that could easily be 5s or 4s. 6 is the "ehh, whatever just give it a 6" kinda grade lol

[@johnreape2833]

@@collectorsimpact I have never had a card graded before. This is the exact reason that I am afraid to have someone {who may be semi-competent} making that kind of decision.

[@jamesnesran2348]

imo the jump between 1 and 2 is strange. 1 is for awful cards but 2 is not too bad.

[@tuoxcal]

Well ya didn’t go over every grade

[@earthpond8043]

It’s whack that it cost so much to get a card graded

[@moztron3754]

the background hurts my brain

[@ollivanders8100]

Who wants me to open a STILL SEALED 1999 not for consumer sale boosterbox? This one: kzbin.infoCom5GSqC2tE?feature=share Should i open it at 100k subs?

[@strong8705]

Grading is wrong. Imagine authentically used deck of cards with scent, wears, creases, all suggesting great age and value. Or one card with old sports player you love, graded 1. My scale would be much different. Off-centering makes card unique too. Like with old people. Silver hair is a plus, wrinkles make texture. Plastic dolls are for those who can not appreciate stamps of time.

[@user-hm5zb1qn6g]

Grade 10: Submitted by bulk submitter Grade 1-9: all the other shmoes who submit.

[@Poke_BallZ]

Psa 10 should be perfect corners, surface, centering, edges. Otherwise it’s not a 10 anything. Psa is a sham and people go with it because of greed.

[@riktorheverez1068]

i feel like PSA 2 is a lie, that is NOT GOOD lol (at least to the vast majority that is not even average condition)

[@kylecocktails]

just throw it in a hard thing and call it a 10 yourself no need for psa

[@garrettblaylock7206]

This would look a lot more helpful if you explained the cards without them in the top loaders. Not throwing shade im just saying.

[@anonymousviewer4750]

Video started out good but the silly voices about the bully and ruining the card was just so cringe. Bye

[@SampleDeezeNutz]

OR MAYBE THE GUY WITH THE CHARZARD WAS A POKEMON TCG MASTER AND HE USED THAT CHARIZRD TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP. RMEMBER THE CIRCULATION OF THE CARDS IS WHAT DETERMINES THE PRICES. ITS LIKE JORDANS WEAR YOUR SHOES, PLAY YOUR CARDS, I DIDNT PLAY MINE BACK IN 2000, ONLY NERDS PAYED THE CARD GAME JK. 😁

[@chrisdixon370]

Really cool great info!