What are Graded Pokemon Cards ?

Collecting is unique to everyone, and there are as many ways to collect as there are collectors. Managing your collection can be done in different ways. Some people like playing, others put them in a blinders, sell them or even prefer to graded their most beautiful trophies.

If you prefer a more visual format but in French, we recommend this video: 

What's card certification ?

Certifying a card makes it used to define its condition and to rate it according to established criteria. The goal is to avoid disappointments during exchanges or sales and thus put an end to individual errors of appreciation. Indeed, during certification, the card obtains a score out of 10 and the latter is then indicated on the case.

Why certify your cards ?

Once the rating is obtained, the card is then protected in a case. Having a new card is great, but for it to stay that way as long as possible, it is essential to protect it.

There are several ways to protect your collections: sleeves, top loaders, binders, One touch… These are simple and accessible ways to take care of your precious cards. However, some collectors prefer that ultra rare cards deserve special treatment and therefore be in a certified case, sealed and protecting them from all bumps, scratches and bends.

A lot of informations is indicated on the case : the name of the card, the series, its number, its note, its condition and its unique identification number allowing the card to be traced and to prove its authenticity.

The different certification companies :

There are several certification companies, the most famous of which is PSA Professional Sport Authenticator (http://www.psacard.com), based in the United States. Initially created for sports cards (hockey, basketball, etc.), it has gradually opened up to Magic and Pokémon cards. It allows the certification of English and Japanese cards.

However, there are other companies that offer this service such as: BGS, European Grading, PCA grade (French) ... For the choice of the company, it's up to you and choose which provider you pleases more.

Conclusion

We are often asked how we know when to upgrade a card, so we'll wrap up on that. The main reasons are :

• Your card has great sentimental value and you want to give it an important place in your collection
• You want to protect a valuable card that you think is new or in great condition
• You want to sell this card and therefore increase its value through certification

We hope to have answered all your questions. Please feel free to leave a comment and we'll do our best to respond.