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Grading Your Assets

What is asset grading?

Asset grading is a process in which an asset owner sends their asset to a grading company to have its condition examined and assigned a numerical quality grade. Most grading companies use a scale of 1 to 10 to grade their assets, with a 10 meaning the asset is in perfect condition with no defects. Grading companies perform thorough examinations, and only products that are in excellent condition will receive high grades. In addition to receiving a grade, all assets that go through the grading process are authenticated to protect against fakes and copies.

Why get my assets graded?

Graded assets can be worth more than their ungraded counterparts. Take this Venusaur Pokémon card for example. Ungraded, the card is worth ~$500, while a PSA 10 graded version of the same card is worth almost $20,000. Graded assets are also put into the respective grading company's database and are searchable using the unique IDs that get assigned to them during grading. This enables others to search the ID and get an immediate verification check from the grading company website, showing that your asset is graded and authentic.

Who grades assets?

The 3 major grading companies for Cards are: PSA, Beckett, and SGC.
Coins are graded by 4 major companies: PCGS (owned by PSA), NGC, ICG, and ANACS.
Comics are graded by 2 main companies: CBCS and CGC.
With any of the above options, please do your own research to determine which service is the best match for you. Courtyard accepts assets from any grading company listed above and others not listed as well. If you have any questions about whether your graded asset is valid for a Connected Collectible submission, please contact us at [email protected] and we will be happy to answer any questions you have.

How much does grading cost?

The cost to get assets graded varies, and depends on the value of the asset you are having graded, the number of assets you are sending in, and the desired turnaround time.

How long does it take to get my assets graded?

Each company has a different turnaround time for assets they grade. This depends not only on how many assets you send, but also the number of assets in the grading company's backlog.

What are the differences between the grading companies?

Each grading company has certain strengths when it comes to grading cards. PSA is generally the most widely accepted grading authority. Beckett not only gives a grade for your card overall, but also provides sub-grades for the surface, centering, edges, and corners of the cards they grade. Each grading company also provides a different tamper evident “slab” that the asset is sealed into after grading. No one grading company is better than the other, it’s up to each collector to decide which company is right for them.

Does Courtyard have a preferred grading company for their Connected Collectibles?

We do not.
Still have questions? Contact us at [email protected]