Grading Standards
Grading Standards
Consistent. Transparent. Published.
Every card submitted to HAGS is assessed against the same published criteria. No favourites, no guesswork — the same standards, every submission, every time.
Our approach
HAGS grading is a professional assessment of a card's condition at the time of evaluation. Our graders examine each submission under controlled conditions and apply the criteria below consistently across every category we grade.
Every submission is evaluated for
- ✦ Overall condition
- ✦ Surface quality
- ✦ Corners and edges
- ✦ Centreing
- ✦ Presentation
- ✦ Authenticity indicators
- ✦ Category-specific traits
Centreing
How evenly the printed image is positioned within the card borders. Graders measure front-to-back alignment and border balance. Off-centre printing is assessed by degree — minor shifts are common; significant misalignment affects the grade.
Corners
The condition of all four corners. Graders look for sharpness, whitening, softening, dings, and wear. A single damaged corner can limit the overall grade even when the rest of the card is strong.
Edges
The condition of all four edges. Graders assess chipping, fraying, nicks, roughness, and whitening along the card perimeter. Factory-cut irregularities are noted where they affect presentation.
Surface
The front and back faces of the card. Graders examine for scratches, print lines, indentations, stains, holo wear, scuffing, and other marks visible under grading conditions. Surface flaws are among the most common grade limiters.
How the final grade is determined
Each assessment area is scored against our scale. The final grade reflects the card's overall condition, with particular weight given to the most significant limiting factors. A notable flaw in any single area may cap the overall grade, even when other areas are stronger.
Every grade is assigned by an experienced grader, reviewed through quality control, and documented against these published standards. If you have questions about a completed grade, we can explain how the final result was made up. See Grade Review & Support.
Consistency matters
HAGS uses documented grading standards and quality-control procedures to help ensure consistency across all submissions. The same grader training, the same criteria, and the same review process apply whether you submit one card or a full bundle.
Grading is a professional judgement — two companies may reasonably differ on borderline cards. What you can expect from HAGS is that your card was assessed honestly, against published criteria, by graders who follow a repeatable process. See How Grading Works for the full seven-step journey.
Understanding grades
HAGS uses a 10-point grading scale. Higher grades indicate stronger overall condition across centreing, corners, edges, and surface.
| Grade | Label | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Gem Mint | Exceptional condition. Virtually flawless centreing, corners, edges, and surface. Among the finest examples seen for the issue. |
| 9 | Mint | Outstanding condition. A superb card with only the most minor imperfections visible under close inspection. |
| 8 | Near Mint–Mint | Excellent condition. High-quality card with minor wear or imperfections that do not significantly detract from overall presentation. |
| 7 | Near Mint | Very good condition. A clean, attractive card with light wear or minor flaws visible on closer review. |
| 6 | Excellent–Mint | Good condition with noticeable but moderate imperfections. May include light corner wear, minor edge whitening, or small surface marks. |
| 5 | Excellent | Moderate wear visible across one or more areas. Corners, edges, or surface show clear but not severe flaws. |
| 4 | Very Good–Excellent | Obvious wear present. Multiple areas may show moderate to heavy imperfections while the card remains intact and presentable. |
| 3 | Very Good | Heavy wear across several areas. Significant corner rounding, edge wear, surface scuffing, or creasing may be present. |
| 2 | Good | Major wear throughout. Card is heavily flawed but still recognisable and structurally intact enough to encapsulate. |
| 1 | Poor | Severe damage or heavy wear. Card may show creases, tears, staining, or heavy rounding. Graded only where encapsulation is still viable. |
Grade labels and descriptions are a guide. The assigned grade always reflects the card's actual condition at assessment.
Authenticity
Where authentication applies to your card category, authenticity is assessed separately from condition grading. An item that cannot be authenticated to our satisfaction may be declined or handled under our Submission Agreement, regardless of its apparent condition.
See the standards in action
Ready to submit, or want to see how we apply these criteria step by step?