- Take your cards to trade shows or card conventions to have them evaluated in person.
- Check if there’s a grading service with an office in your area. Drop off your cards to have them graded on-site.
- Contact local card and comic shops in your area to see if they offer in-person grading or drop-off service.
In-Person Card Grading Locations
Trade shows or card conventions Many of the major grading companies, such as Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and Beckett, have a booth at conventions or trade shows for collectors to authenticate your cards. Check the PSA calendar or the Beckett show list to check the dates of the conventions they’re attending and if they’ll have grading services on-site. Try to take your cards near the beginning of the convention, and you’ll usually be able to pick them up before the show is over. Grading services at conventions can grade trading cards, like Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, or Yu-Gi-Oh, as well as sports memorabilia, like baseball or football cards. Check the card submission guidelines online before taking them to the convention. PSA, for example, requires a printed submission sheet from their website before taking any card drop-offs. If you drop your cards off later during the convention or the service isn’t offering in-person grading, the service will then take your cards back to the grading offices and mail them out to you when they’re finished.
Card grading office If you live in the same city where the grading office is headquartered, contact them to see if they offer in-person drop-offs or grading services. If you’re able to, schedule an appointment and take all the cards you want to be graded with you. The service will either grade the cards immediately, but more than likely you’ll have to wait for a few days before they’re finished. Beckett offers local drop-offs and pickups at their office in Plano, Texas. While they won’t grade your cards in-person right away, they will hold onto your cards and mail them back to you once they’re finished. PSA has an office in Woodbridge, New Jersey but they do not currently accept card drop-offs.
Trading card or comic book stores Check the local shops near you that specialize in trading cards or collectibles to see if they’ve partnered with a professional grading service. Many times, these stores have already established a relationship with the services and may have graders on-site. Otherwise, the store can send the cards for you so you don’t have to worry about shipping them yourself. Collectible stores tend to have better shipping insurance, so it’s less likely that your card will get lost or damaged in transit. Ask the employees at the store if they know of any card grading services in the area that they trust. They may be able to point you to someone who can grade your card in person.
Average Card Grading Prices
Expect to pay $100 USD or more per card for in-person grading. Many grading companies consider in-person grading as an express service, which is usually more expensive than sending them in. Since the grading company has to check the quality of your cards, give them a grade, and seal them in plastic cases in a quick turnaround time, you’ll have to pay for the expedited service. Since getting cards graded can be a little pricey, only take in cards that are in perfect condition and are rare so you’re not paying for low-value cards. You may find prices as low as $10–15 USD per card if you’re getting a lot of them graded in bulk, but the service may have to mail your cards out rather than grading them on-site.
Benefits of Card Grading
You ensure your cards are authentic. When the service looks over your cards, they’ll double-check if the cards are legitimate or if they’ve been altered in any way. While it’s usually pretty easy to spot a fake card, the grading service will confirm if you have the real deal. Most services will not charge for cards that weren’t given an official grade. Some grading services also authenticate signatures if your cards are autographed.
You learn how valuable your cards are to collectors. Once you know the grades of your cards, check what the same cards have sold for online so you know their value. Since cards with the same grade will usually go for a similar price, you’ll know exactly how much to charge if you plan on selling them. Some people won’t buy cards online unless they’ve been graded because they’re worried about being scammed. If you had trouble selling ungraded cards before, then getting them graded may help you make the sale.
Your cards stay protected in their current condition. After a service grades the quality of your card, they encapsulate it in a plastic case to keep it safe. Since your card can’t get damaged inside the case, it’ll retain its value for as long as you keep it in your collection. After you get your cards graded, don’t take them out of their cases, or else they may drop in value.
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