FAQ
Guard and Grading FAQ
Welcome to the Guard and Grading FAQ. Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about our service. If you have any further questions, please contact our support team directly. You will find many answers in our image movie, have fun watching it!
What is Guard and Grading?
We are officially certified by the DguSV – a state-certified company of professional appraisers – for the appraisal of trading cards (in Germany we are known as “geprüfte Gutachter und Sachverständiger”). In addition, we have assembled a full team of experienced graders who have spent many years appraising and valuing trading cards. Our team is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and security. This includes 36- and 48-megapixel digital microscopes connected to integrated monitors and a new, first-class ultrasonic sealing machine to seal the cases. High security fireproof safes are used to store the cards and CCTV cameras are installed both inside and outside the office, linked to the local police station.
Guard and Grading offers many different grading products. All of the following products can be purchased individually or in bulk (10 pieces):
Certificate of Authenticity: GnG checks the authenticity of your card and, if it is genuine, issues you with a document confirming its legitimacy. Grading is not included.
Grading: This is the normal grading process. You send the card to GnG, where the authenticity of the card is checked, the card is graded and the card is then sealed in a sleeve with the grading label. The time it takes GnG to process a normal grading depends on the current workload at Guard and Grading. If you need your grading faster, we recommend one of the following options.
Express Grading: This is the same product as above, except that GnG will grade and ship your card within 5 days of receipt at the office.
Same-Day Grading: This is the same product as normal grading, with the difference that GnG will grade and ship your card within one business day of receipt at the office.
Cross-grading: If you believe that another company has graded your card incorrectly, you can request a cross-grading. GnG will re-evaluate your card. The card is always taken out of its old case and resealed by Guard and Grading, regardless of whether the grading is higher or not.
The cases and materials
Sure! Below you will find some examples of our labels – our gold label for perfect cards and our silver label for every other card.
Our housings are made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). This material is used by Porsche, among others, for their headlights. It is completely transparent and retains its appearance in all types of lighting, as it is highly resistant to all forms of light damage. The housing resists acids and alkalis, is UV-resistant and resistant to scratches and other minor surface damage. It is also durable and resistant to counterfeiting attempts.
The dimensions are: 8,5 x 13,5 x 0,8 cm.
The cases are sealed using an ultrasonic welding machine. They cannot be opened without breaking open the housing and cannot be damaged during the sealing process.
It is not recommended to remove the graded card from the case yourself once it has been sealed. Guard and Grading is able to safely remove the card, so we advise you to contact us if you wish to remove the card from the case undamaged. Please note that removing the card will also destroy the case.
The cases can be easily cleaned with a dry microfiber cloth.
Selection criteria
Every trading card with standard dimensions and Japanese dimensions (such as Magic: the Gathering, Pokémon, Star Wars, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh! etc.) can be rated by us. In addition, we evaluate all sports cards and also games that are not available on Cardmarket, as long as they correspond to the standard TCG (MtG or Yu-Gi-Oh!) dimensions.
MtG Dimensions: 6.35 x 8.89cm / 2.5 x 3.5 inches
YGO Dimensions: 5.9 x 8.6cm / 2.3 x 3.3 inches
You can have cards in any language rated.
The card should be intact (i.e. not torn or so badly damaged that there is no structural integrity), but most “quirks” will not prevent your card from being graded.
Of course! Guard and Grading offers the grading of signed cards, altered cards, miscuts and also misprints.
Guard and Grading services are available worldwide. If you have any questions about orders from overseas, please contact our support team.
The Grading System
Guard and Grading uses the industry standard scale of 1 to 10, rounded to the nearest 0.5 (i.e. a 9.5 is a possible grade, a 9.3 is not).
The overall score is determined by averaging four sub-scores from 1-10 for centering, edges, corners and surface.
The degree of centering is measured by whether the content of the card is centered correctly. While a perfect 50:50 centering is required for a Gem Mint 10, the community’s opinion on centering is somewhat divided. Below a 10, Cardmarket grading for centering is milder, even a 60:40 split can receive a 9.5 as a subgrade.
The edge grading looks at the condition of the card frame. A Gem Mint 10 must of course have flawless edges without chipping.
The corners refer specifically to the four corners of the card. A Gem mint 10 must have four perfect corners (usually they are sharp or rounded).
Finally, the surface refers to the front and back of the card. A Gem Mint 10 has no irregularities (ink, scratches, clouding, etc.) on the surface of the card.
The final score is simply the average of all sub-scores rounded to 0.5 (see table: “Rounded to 0.5”), with a few exceptions. The first applies to the evaluation of a 10. A 10 must be perfect in at least 3 sub-scores, whereby the fourth category must have at least a 9.5 (see table “No 10”). In addition, a card may only be rated up to one point higher than its lowest sub-score (see table “Lowest sub-score”).
An authenticity check can be requested for cards at any time. The card is only checked for authenticity and is neither evaluated nor sealed.
The Shipping Process
Depending on the number of tickets, it can take up to 3 weeks (excluding shipping time). If demand is particularly high, waiting times may be longer.
If you have any questions about the process, please contact us at any time.