Why Grade Cards?

If there's one question that we at Nostalgium hear more than anything else, it's "Why would you get a card graded?". And honestly, it's a great question. There are a million different reasons why someone could decide to grade a card and they're all valid. But today I'm going to focus on a few of the most common reasons why you might want to grade a card.

1. Retaining Condition

How many times have you heard the same old horror story of an incredibly valuable vintage card becoming damaged beyond repair? Whether it's from spilled coffee on a trade binder or a toddler's teeth, we all feel that visceral cringe when picturing the damage. So, if you're stashing your set of Power 9 in a shoebox it might be time to rethink your storage strategy. When a trading card suddenly (or slowly over time) becomes less of a game and more of an investment, it's important to treat it as such. By getting a card graded, you're not only confirming its authenticity and condition, you’re also ensuring that it stays in the same condition going forward. Of course, that's great if you want to keep the card as a personal treasure or family heirloom, but you'll see the biggest benefit when it comes to selling.

2. Confirm Authenticity

Nothing will solidify the value of your card more than confirmation of authenticity itself. Fakes and forgeries exist in every industry and cards are no exception. They’re everywhere! And anyone from individuals to large companies can fall victim to a scam. The best thing a collector can do if they’re concerned about legitimacy is to purchase a graded copy of a card and/or submit your own. When a card gets sent to grading, the authenticity is the first thing being checked. Additionally, most graders have a “certification look up” on their site. If you have any concern that a slab may have been tampered with you can easily input the certification number listed on the front or back of your slab into their database and see all relevant information and images from when it went through their system.

3. Increase Value

The most recent sale of a raw Unlimited Black Lotus that claimed to be "near mint" was $11,600 (Feb 10, 2025 on eBay). Now that's a pretty penny if I've ever seen one. However, let's look at graded cards. Just a few weeks prior a BGS 9 Lotus was sold for $20,100 (Jan 30, 2025 on eBay). Why such a drastic difference? Well, have you ever picked up an order of raw cards and noticed that the promised condition was not necessarily what you received? When buying a slab, you're guaranteed to receive the card in the stated condition. That trust can skyrocket the value of a card.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, these are only a few of the reasons why someone might decide to purchase a graded card. But now that you’ve decided to start your slab collection, the next question is “who should I get my cards graded with?”. And that, my friends, is an article for another day.