GRADING SCALE
The AIM grading scale
Every card gets four subgrades and an overall grade from 1 to 10 in half points. AI does the measuring; a trained grader makes the final call.
01SUBGRADES
The four subgrades
Centering
how evenly the image sits within its borders, measured left to right and top to bottom, front and back.
Corners
sharpness and wear at all four corners, front and back.
Edges
chipping, whitening and roughness along all four edges.
Surface
scratches, print lines, dents, stains, creases and loss of gloss.
How the overall grade works
The overall grade reflects all four subgrades and is never more than one point above the lowest subgrade. [[Draft rule, confirm before launch]]
02SCALE
The scale [[Draft standards, confirm before launch]]
| Grade | Name | What it means | Centering, front / back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Gem Mint | Flawless to the eye. Sharp corners, clean edges and no surface flaws under magnification. | 55/45 / 75/25 or better |
| 9.5 | Mint+ | One very slight flaw visible only under magnification. | 60/40 / 80/20 |
| 9 | Mint | One minor flaw, such as a faint print line or a tiny edge touch. | 65/35 / 90/10 |
| 8 | NM-MT | Slight wear on a corner or edge, visible on close inspection. | 70/30 / 90/10 |
| 7 | Near Mint | Light wear on several corners or edges; minor surface flaws. | 75/25 / 90/10 |
| 6 | EX-MT | Noticeable wear and a slight loss of gloss. | 80/20 / 90/10 |
| 5 | Excellent | Rounded corners, visible edge wear, light scratches. | 85/15 / 90/10 |
| 4 | VG-EX | Moderate wear; a light crease is possible. | 85/15 / 90/10 |
| 3 | Very Good | Heavy wear and creasing. | 90/10 / 90/10 |
| 2 | Good | Major wear, creases or staining. | Not limited |
| 1 | Poor | Severe damage, but complete and authentic. | Not limited |
Half grades sit between the whole grades on either side and carry a plus: 8.5 NM-MT+, 7.5 NM+, 6.5 EX-MT+, 5.5 EX+, 4.5 VG-EX+, 3.5 VG+, 2.5 Good+, 1.5 Fair.
03NO GRADE
When we don't assign a grade
- Altered
- trimmed, recoloured, pressed or otherwise changed.
- Not authentic
- counterfeit, or a reprint presented as original.
- Questionable
- we can't confirm authenticity with confidence.
- Not in scope yet
- vintage (before 1980), thick, patch or oversized cards.
These cards come back in a sleeve and semi-rigid holder with a note explaining why. We charge only return-shipment costs for cards we cannot grade and refund their prepaid grading fees.