Pokemon Card Condition Guide: Centering, Corners, Edges, Surface
How graders actually look at a card — and how to spot the defects that block a PSA 10 before you pay a submission fee.
PSA, CGC, and BGS all score the same four things: centering, corners, edges, and surface. A card can look “mint” in a binder sleeve and still be a 8 because of one whitened corner or a holo scratch you only see under a light.
Centering
Front centering is the border width on left vs right and top vs bottom. Vintage WOTC cards are often off-center from the factory; modern cards are usually tighter. Rough PSA-style intuition (not a published formula):
- PSA 10: very even borders; small shifts can still pass if the rest is gem
- PSA 9: noticeable but not ugly tilt
- PSA 8 and below: clearly heavy on one side, or back centering is badly off on vintage
CGC is often stricter on centering and prints sub-grades, which is useful when you want to know why a card missed a 10.
Corners
Look at all eight corners (front and back). Whitening, fuzz, and dings are the usual 10-killers. Soft-touch with a clean microfiber; never “sharpen” a corner. Binder-ring impressions and penny-sleeve snags show up here.
Edges
Silvering and whitening along the cut, especially on dark-border vintage. Rough factory cuts exist; graders still ding them. Hold the card at an angle under a lamp and rotate — edge wear hides in overhead room light.
Surface
This is where most “it looked perfect” submissions die:
- Holo scratches and print lines
- Printer specks and roller marks
- Indentations from being on top of another card
- Clouding or haze on older holos
- Sticker residue or cleaning damage (never use household cleaners)
Match what Detect Grading looks at
TCGdetect's grading model is built around the same four defects plus holo wear and eye appeal. Upload front and back photos; the report calls out likely PSA 10 blockers so you can compare to this guide.
Raw seller language vs lab grades
“NM” on TCGPlayer is not PSA 9. NM means the card is pleasant to play or collect, not that it will gem. LP often has whitening that will land an 7–8. If you are buying to grade, assume one grade worse than the listing until you see the card in hand or in high-res photos.
Quick inspection routine
- Front and back scans or photos, square to the camera
- Rake a light across the holo
- Check corners with a 10x loupe or phone macro
- Compare borders; don't guess
- Only then run the grading ROI math