Grading Scale

Ten grades, four criteria

Our standards are published in full. You can read exactly what we look for before you send us anything.

The RAC scale

Every card receives a whole-number grade from 1 to 10. There are no half grades and no qualifiers.

RAC Grading scale from 10 (Pristine) down to 1 (Damaged)
Grade	Label	What it means
10	PristineEffectively flawless under close inspection across all four criteria.	Effectively flawless under close inspection across all four criteria.
9	Gem MintOutstanding, with only the faintest imperfection visible under magnification.	Outstanding, with only the faintest imperfection visible under magnification.
8	MintExcellent presentation with one or two minor, well-contained flaws.	Excellent presentation with one or two minor, well-contained flaws.
7	Near MintLight handling visible on close inspection, still displaying strongly.	Light handling visible on close inspection, still displaying strongly.
6	ExcellentNoticeable but modest wear across one or more criteria.	Noticeable but modest wear across one or more criteria.
5	Very GoodClear evidence of handling, with the card still structurally sound.	Clear evidence of handling, with the card still structurally sound.
4	GoodObvious wear across multiple criteria, presenting as a played card.	Obvious wear across multiple criteria, presenting as a played card.
3	PoorHeavy wear affecting corners, edges and surface together.	Heavy wear affecting corners, edges and surface together.
2	Sub PoorSevere wear, with damage plainly visible at a glance.	Severe wear, with damage plainly visible at a glance.
1	DamagedSignificant structural damage such as creasing, tearing or water exposure.	Significant structural damage such as creasing, tearing or water exposure.

Criteria

What we assess

Each criterion is judged on its own terms before an overall grade is settled. A card is only as strong as its weakest category.

Centering

How evenly the printed image sits within the card borders, measured on both the front and the back. Our centering thresholds mirror standard industry practice.

10: Front approximately 55/45 or better; back approximately 75/25 or better.
9: Front approximately 60/40 to 65/35; back approximately 90/10 or better.
8: Front approximately 70/30; back within reasonable tolerance.
7 and below: Increasing off-centre tolerance as the grade decreases.

Corners

The sharpness and integrity of all four corners, assessed both to the naked eye and under magnification.

10: All four corners perfectly sharp under close inspection — no whitening, softness or wear of any kind.
9: Corners appear sharp to the naked eye; only the faintest touch of wear visible under magnification.
8: Minor softness or the slightest hint of wear on one or more corners, still tight overall.
7 and below: Visible rounding, fraying or whitening, increasing as the grade decreases.

Edges

The condition of all four edges, covering chipping, nicks, roughness and colour break.

10: Clean, unbroken edges on all four sides — no chipping, nicks or roughness anywhere.
9: Edges essentially clean, with only the most minor imperfection detectable under close inspection.
8: Slight roughness or a small nick along an edge, not affecting overall presentation.
7 and below: Increasing edge wear, chipping or whitening.

Surface

The card face and back, covering scratches, print lines, indentations, factory defects and gloss retention.

10: Flawless surface — no scratches, print lines, indentations or factory defects; full original gloss.
9: Near-flawless, with only an extremely minor and hard-to-spot imperfection such as a faint line or tiny surface mark.
8: A small scratch, minor print imperfection or slight gloss inconsistency visible on inspection.
7 and below: Increasingly visible scratches, indentations, print defects or gloss loss.

Examples

What each band looks like

Grades group naturally into three bands. Real example photography for each grade is on the way.

Grades 8–10
Cards in this band present as effectively unplayed. The difference between an 8 and a 10 is often only visible under magnification.
Grades 4–7
Light to moderate handling becomes visible to the naked eye — softened corners, minor edge wear, or a surface mark.
Grades 1–3
Heavy wear or structural damage. These cards are authenticated and encapsulated with exactly the same care as any other submission.