Source : CGC

The hobby of card collecting has gotten a little more complicated in recent years, as having a great card isn’t always as important as having a great card graded. Those new to the hobby – and many who are just re-entering it – often wonder, “Why get a card graded?” 

A “raw” card, or an ungraded card, is what most collectors start with since it’s what initially comes out of a manufacturer’s pack or box of cards. The collector can then decide to leave the card raw or send it to one of several companies to grade it, put it in a protective slab, and catalog it in the company’s population report. 

Some collectors believe the focus on grading has hurt the industry by making non-mint cards less attractive. But no matter which side of the argument you land on, getting cards graded is still an important way to improve the overall value of your collection.

If you’re considering getting your card graded online or at the upcoming National Sports Card Convention in Cleveland from July 24-28, here are four factors to consider.

Authenticate

As with all collectibles, like watches or art, there are counterfeit trading cards out there. Authentication removes the friction in sales, allowing the buyer to trust both the seller and that the product they are buying is the real deal. (Graded slabs have certification codes you can check on the grading company’s website to ensure the item’s authenticity.)

Sure, there are occasional stories of grading companies who have been duped, grading counterfeit cards and labeling them as authentic. But of the millions and millions of cards that have now been graded, the number of graded fake cards is fractional.

Encapsulate

Getting a card graded means you will no longer be able to touch the cardboard itself. Once the card is slabbed, you’ll only have the acrylic slab to touch, which means the card will be protected, and it will be hard to damage the corners, edges, or surface further. In other words, a graded card will likely not get a worse grade in the future than the one it receives when it is slabbed.

A slabbed card can still get damaged by exposure to sun or liquids, but an encapsulated card has a much better chance of living a longer life at the grade doled out by the grading company.

Valuate

By getting a third party to evaluate and appraise the condition of your card, it is generally easier to determine the market value of the item by searching card databases like CardHedge or eBay to find records of past sales. For cards without grades, a buyer has to guess its condition themselves, which is tough and imprecise. Selling online becomes much easier with a graded card because of that third-party appraisal of its condition.

Increase Value

A card that looks like it’s in mint condition (but isn’t graded) will almost always sell for less than a slabbed card that’s graded in mint condition by a third-party grading company. Even if it’s not in mint condition, a vintage card in “Very Good” condition is still likely to sell better – especially online – if it’s graded in “Very Good” condition.

An important note: Non-graded raw ‘modern’ cards (from the late 1980s) and ‘ultra-modern’ cards (from the 2010s) are generally considered the same value as a slabbed card with a grade of 8.

While some collectors prefer not to have their cards graded, there’s no denying that grading has become a major factor in the industry. In general, those who submit cards for grading and buy graded cards are likely to improve their collections faster than those who don’t, because graded cards are much easier to evaluate and protect.