The scale
PSA grades from 1 to 10. In practice the market cares about 8, 9, and 10, and the jump from 9 to 10 is where most of the value sits.
A 10 means the card looks essentially perfect to the naked eye. A 9 is excellent with one small flaw. An 8 is very good with a couple of visible imperfections.
What they look at
- Centering
The ratio between the borders on both sides, front and back. For a 10 the front needs roughly 55/45 or better.
- Corners
Checked for sharpness and any whitening.
- Edges
Checked for chipping and wear along the whole perimeter.
- Surface
Scratches, print defects, dents, and how the foil sits.
Why results vary
Grading is done by people. Two graders can weigh the same tiny flaw differently, and the same card resubmitted can come back a point higher or lower.
That is not a flaw in the system so much as a reason to work with probabilities.
Ask how likely a 10 is, rather than whether a card is a 10.
How GrailPilot fits in
We estimate the same four criteria and give you the odds of each grade, so you can decide what to submit. The grade on the slab always comes from PSA, never from us.