Baseball & football card grading
Every card has a story. Know its grade.
Trusted Grading is getting ready to bring straightforward card grading to collectors and families. Mail in your cards or arrange a local drop-off in Houston when submissions open.
The process
Simple from start to finish.
We’re preparing the submission process now. Here’s what you can expect when we open.
Tell us about your cards
Submit your baseball or football cards online once submissions open. The planned price is $25 per card.
Mail in or drop off
Choose a mail-in submission or local drop-off in Houston. We’ll provide clear instructions and drop-off details at launch.
Receive your graded cards
Our target is to have local cards ready or mail-in cards shipped out within nine calendar days of receipt.
The Trusted Grading standard
Our grading scale.
Every card is evaluated in four areas: corners, edges, surface, and centering. We use whole-number grades from 1 to 10, with the lowest of the four scores determining the final grade.
| Grade | What it means |
|---|---|
| 10Gem Mint | Sharp corners, clean edges, and no surface flaws found during careful inspection under magnification. Nearly perfect centering. |
| 9Mint | Outstanding condition. One tiny flaw detectable on close inspection, such as a pinpoint of edge whitening or a small printing imperfection. |
| 8Near Mint–Mint | Very slight corner or edge wear, or a faint surface scratch. Looks excellent at first glance. No creases or dents. |
| 7Near Mint | Minor visible wear, such as slight corner softness, small edge chips, or light scratches. No creases or dents. |
| 6Excellent–Mint | Several minor flaws, modest corner wear, noticeable scratches, or a small indentation. No creases. |
| 5Excellent | Clear handling wear: softened corners, noticeable edge wear, scuffing, or reduced gloss. No creases. |
| 4Very Good–Excellent | More substantial wear. A single light crease or wrinkle is allowed. |
| 3Very Good | Rounded corners, considerable edge or surface wear, an obvious crease, or noticeable staining. |
| 2Good | Heavy wear, multiple substantial creases, deep scuffing, or extensive staining. |
| 1Poor | Severe damage, such as tears, missing material, heavy folds, or extensive deterioration. |
| Grade | Front, at worst | Back, at worst |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| 9 | 60/40 | 80/20 |
| 8 | 65/35 | 85/15 |
| 7 | 70/30 | 90/10 |
| 6 | 75/25 | 90/10 |
| 5 | 80/20 | 90/10 |
| 4 | 85/15 | 90/10 |
| 3 | 90/10 | 90/10 |
| 2 | 95/5 | 95/5 |
| 1 | Worse than 95/5 | Worse than 95/5 |
Centering is measured both left-to-right and top-to-bottom. 50/50 means equal opposing borders. For borderless cards, we assess alignment against the intended design.
How we apply the scale
- Whole numbers only. Score each of the four areas; the lowest score determines the final grade.
- Damage limits the grade. A light crease caps it at 4; a deep crease or multiple creases at 3; tears or missing material at 1. Other defects can lower it further.
- Condition determines the grade. Player popularity, rarity, price, and age don’t increase the score.
- No Grade. Suspected alterations or counterfeits receive “No Grade” pending further review.
Photo assessments are preliminary. Anything needing an in-hand check must be reviewed before case labels are finalized.
The details
Built for the cards you love.
Whether you’re sharing the hobby with your kids or taking a closer look at a favorite card, we want the process to be easy to understand.
The nine-calendar-day target starts when we receive your cards and ends when local cards are ready or mail-in cards ship back out. Shipping transit time is additional. Full submission instructions and terms will be posted when we open.
Coming soon
Submissions will open here.
We’re putting the final pieces in place. Check back for online submissions, packing instructions, and Houston drop-off details.