Card Grading

At TAG Collectibles, card grading is one aspect that can take your collectibles investment from good to great.

The practise of submitting a trading card to a third-party agency is known as card grading. The card is examined for authenticity and given a condition rating, usually on a 10-point scale. After that, the card is given an overall grade, sealed in a tamper-proof holder, and given a catalogued barcode or serial number.

The advantages of card grading include undeniable authenticity, no subjective condition disagreements on condition, and an online database for accountability and easy look up. When compared to an ungraded card in equal or similar condition, all of these characteristics combine to improve the value of the card.

However, not every card returns an investment when its graded. With grading services ranging in value from $12 to $33 per card, some grading companies also charge a % of the value of the card. Choosing the right cards to grade is important as not all cards are valuable simply because they are graded.

Most grading companies assess the card for authenticity and quality by analysing:

Overall condition of the card
Corners and edges
Centering of the graphic(s) and images
Colour, brightness, saturation
Genuineness

card-grading

TAG Collectibles we sell graded and ungraded cards, although the majority on sale are graded. Grading companies include PSA, Becketts (or BGS), Card Grading Australia (CGA), Perth Card Grading and CGC Grading.

The TAG team are proud to be partnering with one of the fastest growing, high quality grading companies based out of Australia – TCG Grading Australia. Since opening its doors in June 2021, they have graded over 38,500 cards! TCG Grading Australia currently accept a wide array of cards including Pokemon, Metazoo, Sports, MTG, DBS, DBH, Panini and Topps.

TCG_Grading

We are proud to be a partner with TCG, and customers can now order and drop off their grading orders at our TAG Centre located in Penrith. For the latest on our pricing with TCG grading, give us a call or send us an email and we’d be happy to give you a quote. Let us look after your grading today!

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What does TAG Condition mean?

Given we have a range of new, near new, vintage and rare collectibles on offer, the condition can vary. We know how important condition is to a collector, so we provide an indicative score at the time of purchase as well as send you photos of your collectible packed and ready to be posted so you know what you are getting each time.

A Condition score of :

1 – out of its original box, has significant signs of use, may be missing some of the parts, may be untested
2 - out of its original box with significant signs of use, or in its original box with significant wear and tear, more than likely complete
3 – Fairly reasonable condition for its age with some signs of use, wear and tear, marks or scratches
4 – In near new condition with minimal marks, dents or issues
5 – In brand new condition

Both TAG condition and TAG scores are indicative only and anyone wanting to purchase a collectible should always make their own decisions based on their collectible strategy, budget and what they find fun! We’re more than happy to confirm condition prior to buying, and answering any questions on TAG scores – click here to get in touch (the here goes to the contact us page please thanks).

What does TAG Score mean?

In keeping our eyes on how collectibles move around in their market, we like to give some indication on what we think the potential is on that collectible over the medium to long term. It’s purely a general indication of what we think, so always make sure you do your own research on how long to hold or when to sell parts of your collection!

A TAG score of:

1 – Not sure where it is headed – cool collectible, and not sure of its potential just yet. A good idea to think about adding this item into your collection as it could pay off!
2 – Could be a long term collectible – has some potential to hold on to and see what happens in the long term. One to add to your collection
3 – Could go either way – awesome collectible that could either cool down within the next few years or heat up. Either way, having it in your collection would be sweet!
4 – Collectible Potential – has potential to be red hot within the next 1-2 years we think!
5 – Red hot – really popular at the moment, people are keen, willing and interested in snapping it up

Both TAG condition and TAG scores are indicative only and anyone wanting to purchase a collectible should always make their own decisions based on their collectible strategy, budget and what they find fun! We’re more than happy to confirm condition prior to buying, and answering any questions on TAG scores – click here to get in touch (the here goes to the contact us page please thanks).