Every major grader scores the same four things: centering, corners, edges, and surface, each out of 10. They roll those into one number, with the weakest category dragging the total down. PSA needs about 55/45 centering and clean corners for a 10. The grade is mostly predictable before you ever ship the card.
- Four criteria, scored out of 10: centering, corners, edges, surface. Every major grader uses the same four.
- The worst sub-grade drags the final number down. Three 10s and one 9 usually lands a PSA 9.
- Centering kills more vintage cards than any other flaw; PSA wants roughly 55/45 or better for a 10.
- The PSA 10 to PSA 9 gap is huge, up to 20x on 1st Edition Charizard, so only submit real 10 candidates.
- BGS publishes subgrades and uses a weighted average, which is why BGS 9.5 is a common, distinct grade.
The four criteria
Every major grader scores the same four attributes: centering, corners, edges, and surface. What separates them is how those sub-grades roll up into a final number, how strict each step is, and which subgrades they print on the slab.
Centering
Centering is the ratio of border on opposing sides, left to right and top to bottom. A perfectly centered card reads 50/50 both ways. PSA wants roughly 55/45 or better for a 10, and BGS prints the centering sub-grade right on the slab. The hard truth: a card with flawless corners, edges, and surface but 70/30 centering will not get a 10 from any major grader.
Corners
Look at all four corners under 10x magnification. You want crisp 90-degree angles with no whitening, denting, or fraying. The most common damage is barely visible whitening from sliding in and out of a sleeve over twenty-five years. PSA tolerates a tiny amount; BGS is harsher about it.
Edges
Run a fingernail very lightly along each edge and watch for whitening, chips, and roughness. Wizards-era Pokémon cards used a soft cardstock that picks up edge whitening far more easily than modern prints. That is the reason pack-fresh Base Set cards in PSA 10 stay scarce despite enormous print runs.
Surface
Scratches, print defects, indentations, holo lines. The holo window on a Base Set Charizard is the most scrutinized surface in the hobby. Hold the card at 45 degrees under a strong light and rotate it slowly; any hairline or scratch will catch the light and show itself.
What each grade means
Graders score from 1 to 10, but only the top of the scale moves serious money, where a single point can multiply a card several times over.
| Grade | PSA label | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Gem Mint | Virtually perfect: sharp corners, clean surface, roughly 55/45 centering or better |
| 9 | Mint | One minor flaw, like slight whitening or a faint surface mark |
| 8 | NM-Mint | Light wear on close inspection; minor edge or corner whitening |
| 7 | Near Mint | Noticeable but still minor wear; presents well |
| 5 to 6 | EX to EX-MT | Clear handling: soft corners, edge wear, light scratches |
| 1 to 4 | Poor to VG-EX | Heavy wear, creases, or worse; condition drives the price |
How the final grade lands
PSA does not publish a formal formula. The working understanding is that the four sub-grades carry roughly equal weight, with the worst of the four applying a slight drag on the final number. A card with three 10s and one 9 typically comes back a PSA 9. BGS uses a documented weighted average that gives less weight to the lowest sub-grade, which is why "BGS 9.5" exists as its own grade and shows up more often than "BGS 10."
The PSA 10 vs PSA 9 question
For most cards the PSA 10 price sits dramatically above the PSA 9. The 1st Edition Base Set Charizard shows the most extreme version, where the 10 runs roughly 20x the 9. The practical takeaway: the cost of submission is small next to the value of a 10, but only when you hold a real candidate. Sending a card that will land at 8 or 9 on a $100 service fee is a losing trade unless the card underneath is valuable enough to carry it.
PSA vs BGS vs CGC vs SGC
PSA leads the market for vintage Pokémon, and PSA 10 1st Edition Charizards trade at a premium over any other slab. BGS dominates parts of the modern hobby and carries the most-publicized subgrade tradition. CGC is the youngest of the four but is gaining share fast, with very quick turnaround. SGC is rarer in Pokémon and better known in the broader card market. The short version: if you are grading to sell, PSA gets the best resale on Pokémon about nine times out of ten. For the full breakdown, see which grader to use, and when.
Common questions
- How does PSA decide a card grade?
- PSA scores four attributes: centering, corners, edges, and surface. It does not publish a formula, but the lowest of the four tends to set the ceiling. A card with three 10s and one 9 usually grades a PSA 9, because the weakest category drags the final number down.
- Will my Pokémon card get a PSA 10?
- Only if it is close to flawless. PSA wants roughly 55/45 centering or better, sharp corners with no whitening, clean edges, and a surface free of scratches under raking light. Inspect all four under magnification first; a single soft corner or off-center axis caps the card at a 9.
- How big is the price gap between a PSA 9 and a PSA 10?
- It is large, and it grows with the card. On common cards the gap may be modest, but on a 1st Edition Base Set Charizard the PSA 10 runs roughly 20x the PSA 9. That spread is exactly why pre-grading before you submit matters so much.
- Which grader is best for Pokémon?
- For resale, PSA wins about nine times out of ten, especially on vintage. BGS leads parts of the modern market and is known for subgrades, CGC is fast and gaining share, and SGC is respected but thinner in Pokémon. See PSA vs CGC vs BGS for the full comparison.