📚 Condition Reference Guide

What Does PSA 10 Actually Look Like?

A visual breakdown of every PSA grade — centering, corners, edges, and surface — so you know exactly what separates a 9 from a 10 before you submit.

The 4 Grading Criteria — What PSA Graders Actually Check

CenteringThe left/right and top/bottom margins. PSA allows up to 55/45 on front for a PSA 10 on most cards. Measured with a ruler or centering tool.
CornersSharp vs worn. Fuzziness, fraying, or bends drop your grade fast. Corners are weighted heavily — one bad corner can cost you 2 full grades.
EdgesThe four outer edges of the card. Nicks, chips, roughness, or whitening. Often missed until you look under a loupe.
SurfaceScratches, print lines, stains, creases, dimples. Both front and back. Foil cards show scratches much more than base cards.
10
Gem Mint
PSA 10 — The Holy Grail
Centering
55/45 or better on all sides. Virtually perfect. Any deviation and you're looking at a 9.
Corners
Razor sharp under 10x magnification. Zero fraying, zero wear, zero softness.
Edges
Perfectly clean. No nicks, chips, or roughness visible under any light angle.
Surface
Flawless. No scratches, print defects, stains, or indentations. Front and back.
✅
Submit every timePSA 10s command 2–5x the value of PSA 9s on most modern cards. This is the grade you're chasing.
9
Mint
PSA 9 — Excellent Investment
Centering
65/35 or better. Slight off-centering noticeable on close inspection but not distracting.
Corners
Very sharp. One or two corners may show the very slightest wear under magnification.
Edges
Clean edges. Possibly one minor nick barely visible without a loupe.
Surface
Minimal print defects. Slight surface wear only visible under direct light at an angle.
✅
Usually worth submittingPSA 9s still command strong premiums — often 2–3x raw value on star players. Run the flip calculator first.
8
NM-MT
PSA 8 — Near Mint to Mint
Centering
Slightly off-center but still acceptable. Up to 70/30 front and 75/25 back.
Corners
Very light wear. Slight softening on one or two corners noticeable without magnification.
Edges
Minimal chipping. Clean overall but slight roughness may be visible under direct light.
Surface
Light scratches or print lines that don't significantly detract from the card's appearance.
⏸
Depends on the cardPSA 8 is the most common graded result. Worth submitting on high-demand players but run the numbers first — grading fees eat margin fast.
7
Near Mint
PSA 7 — Light Use
Centering
Noticeable off-centering. 75/25 front is the approximate limit for this grade.
Corners
Light wear on two or more corners. Slight fraying visible to the naked eye.
Edges
Light chipping. Roughness noticeable without a loupe on at least one edge.
Surface
Minor scratches and/or print defects. Slightly heavier than NM-MT but card still looks great.
💰
Usually sell rawGrading fees rarely pay off at PSA 7 unless it's a vintage card or extremely high-value player. The premium over raw is often less than the submission fee.
6
EX-MT
PSA 6 — Excellent-Mint
Centering
Off-centering apparent to any observer. May be 80/20 or worse on one axis.
Corners
Noticeable wear on two or more corners. Slight rounding begins.
Edges
Chipping visible without tools. Rough or nicked feel when running a finger along edges.
Surface
Light scuff or scratches. May have minor creasing that doesn't break the surface.
💰
Sell rawPSA 6 rarely adds meaningful value over raw. Exceptions: high-demand vintage cards where even mid-grade slabs command premiums.
1–5
EX Down to Poor
PSA 1–5 — Heavy Use to Poor

Grades 1–5 represent cards with increasingly heavy wear — visible creases, rounded corners, heavy surface damage, and poor centering. These grades rarely justify submission fees except for:

PSA 5 — Excellent
Moderate centering issues, multiple corner wear, noticeable surface scratches. Card still attractive overall.
PSA 4 — VG-EX
Obvious corner rounding, heavier surface wear. Creases may be present but shouldn't break the surface.
PSA 3 — Very Good
Well-worn. Heavy corner rounding, possible surface crease, noticeable staining or scuffing.
PSA 1–2 — Poor/Fair
Major defects. Creases, tears, heavy staining, major corner damage. Authenticity slabs for high-value vintage only.
💡
When 1–5 is worth gradingPre-war tobacco cards, T206 Honus Wagner, early Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth. Vintage where condition scarcity makes even poor grades valuable. Modern cards: almost never.
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