VGS

Grading Standards

Every VGS evaluation applies the same four published criteria. The overall grade reflects the card as a whole and is generally limited by its weakest attribute.

Centering

Measured as the border ratio left/right and top/bottom on the front, with the back reviewed separately. A 10 requires approximately 55/45 or better on the front.

Corners

Examined under magnification for sharpness, fraying, rounding, dings and touches. A 10 shows four sharp corners with no visible wear.

Edges

Checked for chipping, roughness, nicks and factory cut quality along all four edges. A 10 has clean, smooth edges.

Surface

Reviewed under angled light for scratches, print lines, dimples, stains, gloss loss and creases. A 10 shows a clean surface with full original gloss.

The 1–10 Scale

10GEM MINTVirtually flawless. Sharp corners, clean edges, full gloss, near-perfect centering.

9MINTOne very minor flaw visible on close inspection.

8NM-MTNear mint-mint; slight wear on corners or edges, or minor centering variance.

7NEAR MINTLight surface wear or slight corner fraying visible to the eye.

6EX-MTVisible wear on several corners or edges; minor surface flaws.

5EXCELLENTNoticeable rounding, minor chipping, or light scratches.

4VG-EXModerate wear; corners rounded, surface lighter in gloss.

3VERY GOODHeavier wear, possible light crease.

2GOODSignificant wear, creasing, or surface damage.

1POORHeavy damage; card fully identifiable but in very poor condition.

What a VGS grade is — and is not

A VGS grade is an independent condition opinion made by VGS. It is not a guarantee of authenticity unless explicitly stated on the certificate, not a statement of market value, and not a prediction of the grade any other company would assign.