Honesty is the best policy. No subjectivity involved. We ask: what condition is this card in? Period.
Yes corners, edges, centering and surface are important, but so are x-factors. What’s the story behind the piece (age, method of issuance)? What are some common issues? What does it feel like? How does it look? How does this one of a kind piece score?
To begin, we clean the card with a microfiber cloth, removing dust and fingerprints.
Each and every piece we look at is then meticulously examined physically under different lighting conditions and magnification. We also conduct online research about the history of the card and study graded examples from competitors before making a final decision.
Once a score has been determined, we begin the encapsulation process.
The card is placed in a new sleeve with a slit corner so there is no wear added. It is then placed in a new Card Saver 1 and then sealed shut. A tamper proof hologram is carefully affixed above the seal, followed by a matte black sticker. A gold score label is printed and affixed on top. A QR code leads you to PangeaCo.com where photos of the raw card before encapsulation can be viewed, the year and set name of the card, the team and an explanation of why the grade was given. The sticker is finally signed and numbered by the grader. The final product is then placed in a sealed clear plastic team bag for additional protection.