01
Imaging
Each card is photographed front and back under calibrated lighting. High-resolution images are captured before any handling begins, and they become part of the card's record.
How grading works
Card grading you can understand.
Every RAREbase report follows the same process: the card is imaged, measured, reviewed by a grader, and published as a permanent record. Here is exactly what happens and what you receive at the end of it.
The process, step by step
02
Measurement
Centering, corners, edges, and surface are measured against our published scale. Border ratios for the front and back of the card are recorded as exact figures rather than vague language.
03
Human review
A grader reviews every card before anything is published. Nothing receives a grade without a person who is accountable for the result, and scores are never finalized without that review.
04
Permanent record
The finished report is published as a permanent record tied to the card's RARE ID, with a dated timeline of every stage the card has passed through, from intake to publication.
What every report includes
The same detail for every card, every time.
- One overall grade out of 10
- Four subgrades out of 10: centering, corners, edges, and surface
- Measured left/right and top/bottom border ratios, front and back
- Written defect findings in plain language
- Grader confidence in the result
- A dated timeline that stays with the card
Our standards
Straight answers, no inflation.
We do not alter cards
Cleaning is non-invasive surface care only. We never trim, recolour, or alter a card, and we tell you honestly when a card is not worth grading at all.
Our own scale, out of 10
RARE grades are produced on our own scale. They are not equivalent to grades issued by PSA, CGC, BGS, TAG, or AGS, and they should not be converted or compared.
Experimental, and honest about it
RAREbase grading is experimental. Where a measurement is still pending, the report says Pending rather than guessing, and confidence is published with the final grade.
Ready to have a card graded?
Create a submission in a few minutes, tell us which cards you want graded, and follow every stage from intake through imaging to the published record.