Should I grade my Pokémon card with PSA, CGC, or BGS?

PSA carries the strongest resale premium for modern and vintage Pokémon. CGC is faster and cheaper with strong presentation for modern hits. BGS is used less often for Pokémon but respected for perfect vintage centering.

How do I know if a Pokémon card is rare?

Check the bottom-right rarity symbol: circle (common), diamond (uncommon), star (rare), star H (holo rare), and specialty marks like Gold Star, Rainbow Rare, Alt Art, and Special Illustration Rare for modern chase cards.

How can I tell if a Pokémon card is fake?

Look for a black inner layer under bright light (light test), check for the correct texture on holo foils, compare font weight and spacing against a verified card, and weigh the card — most authentic English Pokémon cards weigh about 1.7–1.9g.

Pokémon Grading Guide: PSA vs CGC vs BGS

Choosing a grading company: PSA vs CGC vs BGS

The three grading companies collectors actually pay for are PSA, CGC, and BGS. All three encapsulate the card in a tamper-evident slab and issue a 1–10 grade, but they price and rank differently.

PSA — The gold standard for Pokémon resale. PSA 10 pulls the biggest premium on modern and vintage. Turnaround is slower and pricing scales with declared value.
CGC — Faster and cheaper for bulk modern submissions. Strong presentation and half-point Gem Mint (9.5) grades. Growing acceptance on Whatnot and eBay.
BGS — Respected for vintage centering because of its sub-grade breakdown (centering, corners, edges, surface). Pristine 10 and Black Label 10 are the top tiers.

Reading rarity symbols

Look at the bottom-right corner of the card face. The shape tells you the base rarity:

● Circle — Common
◆ Diamond — Uncommon
★ Star — Rare
★ H — Holo Rare
★★ / ★★★ — Ultra Rare / Secret Rare
Modern chase marks: Alt Art, Full Art, Special Illustration Rare, Hyper Rare (rainbow / gold), Gold Star (vintage e-Reader era).

How graders evaluate a card

A PSA 10 or CGC Pristine 10 requires all four attributes to grade near-perfect: centering (roughly 55/45 or better on both axes), sharp corners with no whitening, clean unrolled edges, and a scratch-free surface. A single visible flick or a printer line drops the grade instantly.

Spotting fakes and reprints

Light test — Authentic English Pokémon cards have a black inner layer. Hold to a bright light: real cards block through, fakes glow.
Weight — Genuine English cards weigh ~1.7–1.9g. Fakes are usually noticeably lighter.
Font & spacing — Compare title font weight, HP number position, and attack text kerning against a known-real card.
Holo pattern — Modern holos have set-specific textures; a smooth or oily holo is a red flag.
Backing color — Fakes often have a slightly blue or purple tint versus the correct medium blue.

When it's worth grading a hit from a break

Grading fees, shipping, and turnaround eat into thin margins. As a rough rule: only grade if you believe the card is a clean PSA 9 or better and the PSA 10 comp is at least 4× the raw comp. For chase pulls (Alt Art, SIR, Gold Star, Trophy), grading almost always pays off.

Next steps

Ready to pull your next hit? Browse live Pokémon breaks or shop the Pokémon category on RipVault.