APGGRADING STANDARD
Grading Standard
Scoring system, four sub-scores, condition dimensions, centering reference and rejection boundaries.
Classic grading scale
APG
APG02 / CONDITION STANDARD
How APG reads a card
Precision optical inspection evaluates centering, corners, edges, and surface condition to form the final grade.
Centering
Measures front/back border balance. Higher grades require tighter centering, with P10 within 51/49.
Corners
Checks visible wear, dents, rounding, whitening, and magnified corner defects.
Edges
Checks edge roughness, chipping, cutting marks, whitening, and factory-cut consistency.
Surface And Print
Checks original color, gloss, scratches, stains, registration, focus, print spots, creases, and alterations.
Centering reference by grade
Meeting a centering threshold still requires evaluation with other defects.
P10 Pristine51/49 or better
10 Gem MintFront 55/45, back 75/25 or better
9 Mint+Front 60/40, back 90/10 or better
8 NM/Mint65/35 or better
7 Near Mint70/30 or better
6 Ex/NM75/25 or better
The centering reference does not automatically grant the corresponding grade.
Condition grade reference
APG GRADING SCALEGradeLevelCondition reference
9Mint+
Intact corners with only extremely minor wear; tiny edge flaws, small stains, a single dot, or one slight surface issue may be allowed. Front centering should reach 60/40 or better.
8NM/Mint
Clean edges with light wear only; minor print defects, slight focus shift, light handling traces, or very slight cutting marks may be present. Centering should reach 65/35 or better.
7Near Mint
Three to four corners may show light wear, or edges may have minor roughness; slight registration shift, light cutting marks, or very light back staining may appear. Centering should reach 70/30 or better.
6Ex/NM
Up to one damaged corner, or no more than two moderate issues such as worn corners, edge roughness, print flaws, cutting marks, or visible stains. Centering should reach 75/25 or better.
5Excellent
Visible corner and edge wear, slight rounding, damaged corners, fading, print defects, color distortion, focus issues, or coating-level scratches.
4VG/Ex
Rounded corners, surface wear, scratches, one or more light creases, partial color retention, border whitening, stains, or obvious cutting flaws.
3Very Good
Rounded and worn corners, one moderate crease or multiple light creases, scratches, fading, moderate edge wear, and heavier stains on both sides.
2Good
Severe card-length creases, writing marks, notable damage, serious cutting defects, or obvious miscut problems.
1Poor
Severe overall damage, deep broken creases, missing surface areas, missing corners, or multiple major defects.
03 / SUPPORTED CATEGORIES
Supported categories
Confirm the service scope before submission to reduce exceptions.
CategoryStandard gradingExpress
TCG CardsSupportedSupported
Sports CardsSupportedSupported
Idol CardsSupportedSupported
Custom LabelsReviewReview
Common rejection reasons
| Reason | Refund grading fee |
|---|---|
| 1Counterfeit risk cannot be resolved | No refund |
| 2Unsupported card type | Full refund |
| 3Severe trimming or alteration | No refund |
| 4Severe contamination or unsafe encapsulation | Full refund |
| 5Card information cannot be verified | No refund |