Grading Standards at TFG

TFG sets standards that all our graders use to regulate scoring against four main criteria and determine the overall grade. These standards are constructed to remove subjectivity from grades and ensure unbiased awarding for TCG cards. Our 'eyes on' policy allows any uncertainty to be verified and supported by a second grader, ensuring the fairest and most accurate score is given.

Centering

Centering defines how well a card's borders are positioned relative to each other. TFG calculates the ratio between the two worst opposing borders of a card (for example, top to bottom or left to right). A perfect ratio would be 50/50, scoring a '10' for this criterion. For cards with poor centering but otherwise high grades, TFG uses an 'OC' (off-center) designation rather than giving a lower numerical grade.

  • TFG 10 - Centering must be approximately 50/50 on the front, 60/40 on the back.
  • TFG 9.5 - Centering must be approximately 53/47 on the front and at least 60/40 on the back.
  • TFG 9 - Centering must be approximately 55/45 on the front; 70/30 on the back.
  • TFG 8 - Centering must be approximately 60/40 on the front; 80/20 on the back.
  • TFG 7 - Centering must be approximately 65/35 on the front; 90/10 on the back.
  • TFG 6 - Centering must be approximately 70/30 on the front; 90/10 on the back.
  • TFG 5 - Centering must be approximately 75/25 on the front; 95/5 on the back.
  • TFG 4 - Centering must be approximately 80/20 on the front; any centering on the back.
  • TFG 3 - Centering must be approximately 85/15 on the front; any centering on the back.
  • TFG 2 - Centering must be approximately 90/10 on the front; any centering on the back.
  • TFG 1 - Any level of centering acceptable on authentic cards.

Corners

When grading corners, TFG graders look for four sharp, clean, and prominent corners. Rounded corners and imperfections on one or more corners will result in lower grades.

  • TFG 10 - Four perfectly sharp, clean corners.
  • TFG 9.5 - Four sharp corners under magnification, or slight imperfection to no more than one corner under magnification.
  • TFG 9 - Four sharp corners to the naked eye, with very slight corner wear to no more than two corners under intense scrutiny.
  • TFG 8 - Very slight wear of three corners under close examination.
  • TFG 7 - Very minor wear on up to four corners.
  • TFG 6 - Fuzzy or graduating corners on up to four corners.
  • TFG 5 - Four fuzzy or graduating corners, with potential notching or minor damage.
  • TFG 4 - Slight rounded corners and slight notching/layering of corners.
  • TFG 3 - Rounded corners, with noticeable notching/layering.
  • TFG 2 - Noticeable rounded corners, with moderate layering/accelerated rounding.
  • TFG 1 - Extreme wear, possibly impeding on the frame of the picture.

Edges

The edges of a card are an important aspect of a card's overall grade. Mint edges should be smooth with no chipping and full of intended colour. Increased chipping, layering, and discolouring will result in a lower score. TFG understands that the printing process of some older cards results in very minor chipping, and this is considered during grading.

  • TFG 10 - Perfect edges.
  • TFG 9.5 - Perfect to the naked eye, with a speck of wear under intense scrutiny.
  • TFG 9 - Minimal unobtrusive chipping to no more than one border.
  • TFG 8 - Smooth borders. Visible specks of chipping on multiple borders. Slightly off-colour border.
  • TFG 7 - Minor chipping and/or slightly off-colour border.
  • TFG 6 - Moderate chipping and/or slightly off-colour border.
  • TFG 5 - Slight notching/moderate chipping. Moderate colour change.
  • TFG 4 - Heavily notched, an off-colour border. Slightly layered.
  • TFG 3 - Heavy notching and moderate layering. Heavy discolouration.
  • TFG 2 - Severely chipped/notched and/or layered. Considerable discolouration.
  • TFG 1 - Extreme chipping/notching and/or layering. Extreme discolouration.

Surface

At TFG we grade the surfaces of cards under both natural and LED light. Alongside visual inspection, we reinforce the process with high-magnification optics to inspect the surface condition of cards.

  • TFG 10 - Sharp focus and full original gloss. No marks or staining. No metallic print lines under magnification.
  • TFG 9.5 - Sharp focus and full original gloss. No staining. Slight printing imperfection, if it doesn't impair the overall appeal of the card. One subtle metallic print line.
  • TFG 9 - Very minor focus or colour imperfection. Very minor printing imperfections (two allowed). Two subtle metallic print lines maximum.
  • TFG 8 - A few minor focus or colour imperfections. Very minor surface scratches, magnification view only. Two metallic print lines maximum.
  • TFG 7 - A few noticeable print spots or minor speckling allowed. Minor colour or focus imperfections. Very minor border discolouration. A very minor wax stain on the back. Solid gloss with a few minor scratches detectable upon close inspection. A few metallic print lines.
  • TFG 6 - Noticeable print spots. Minor colour or focus imperfections. Minor border discolouration. Minor wax stains or extremely subtle ink marks. Relatively solid gloss with minor scratches, but devoid of scuffing. Noticeable metallic print lines.
  • TFG 5 - Noticeable print spots. Minor colour or focus imperfections. Minor border discolouration. Minor wax stains or very light ink marks. Some gloss is lost from the surface with minor scratches, but devoid of scuffing.
  • TFG 4 - Heavy print spots. Hairline creases. Moderate colour or focus imperfections. Moderate border discolouration. Noticeable wax stains. Very light ink marks or tape stains. A good deal of gloss is lost from the surface. Very minor scuffing or an extremely subtle tear in the form of a touch of broken surface paper.
  • TFG 3 - Heavy print spots. Very minor creases. Noticeable colour or focus imperfections. Noticeable border discolouration. Moderate wax stains. Light ink marks or tape stains. Very little surface gloss. Minor scuffing or a very minor tear.
  • TFG 2 - Severe print spots. Noticeable creases. Noticeable colour or focus imperfections. Noticeable border discolouration. Heavy wax stains. Moderate ink marks or tape stains. A surface devoid of gloss. Noticeable scuffing or a noticeable tear.
  • TFG 1 - Severe print spots. Heavy creases. Severe colour or focus imperfections. Heavy border discolouration. Severe stains. No original gloss. Heavy scuffing or a severe tear. To achieve this minimal grade, a card must be fully intact. If solid pieces of a card are missing because of a major tear, or there is a major deficiency such as the back missing from the card, this grade cannot be awarded.

Overall Grade

Overall grades are given as a mean average of the four criteria. The averages and their associated grades are as follows:

Overall Grade Alpha 10 Bravo 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Average Grade 10 9.5-9.9 9-9.49 8-8.99 7-7.99 6-6.99 5-5.99 4-4.99 3-3.99 2-2.99 1-1.99

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