The Beckett Grading Scale Secrets: What Card Graders Won't Tell You

The Beckett grading scale stands as the gold standard for card collectors who want to maximize their investments. BGS (Beckett Grading Services) can turn a $10 card into a collector's item worth thousands of dollars, particularly with cards that achieve the coveted Pristine 10 rating. 

Professional grading through Beckett substantially increases card values compared to ungraded versions.

Beckett's grading system uses a detailed 1-10 point scale that includes half-points and specific subgrades. BGS stands out from its competitors through its unique evaluation of centering, corners, edges, and surface quality. 

These four vital subgrades determine a card's final rating. The company has become the life-blood of the global card-collecting community since its establishment in 1999.

This piece reveals the hidden aspects of the Beckett grading scale that many graders keep to themselves. You'll learn how the lowest subgrade affects your final score and discover proven techniques to improve your chances of receiving that rare high grade. The guide covers essential aspects of the BGS grading process that every collector should know.

What is the Beckett Grading Scale and why it matters

The Beckett grading scale uses a 1-10 numerical scale with half-point increments to give cards a complete rating. The system reviews four main aspects of each card – centering, corners, edges, and surface. These elements determine the card's overall condition and market value.

How grading affects card value

Card values change drastically based on their professional grades in the collecting market. To name just one example, a Victor Wembanyama 2023 Prizm Base Rookie Card with BGS 10 Pristine sold for $365. The same card with BGS 9.5 sold for just $76. This price gap shows how a half-point can substantially change a card's worth.

Beckett's system gives sellers an edge over other grading services. PSA only provides total scores, but Beckett's half-point system creates more price tiers. Cards that score 9 or 10 can be worth many times more than similar ungraded or lower-grade cards.

The grading process builds trust among buyers, especially in online sales. Cards come in tamper-proof holders that verify authenticity and protect them from moisture and dust. This protection helps maintain their condition and value.

Why collectors trust Beckett

Beckett's 30-year-old reputation as the "gold standard" comes from consistent, fair evaluations. Their complete training program builds on years of in-house hobby expertise. This careful approach has made Beckett the most trusted name in card grading.

Trained professionals review each card using standard criteria, which sets Beckett apart from others. But even with strict standards, grades can vary slightly. Two graders might see a card's condition differently.

Beckett's population reports also show how many cards exist at each grade level. This helps collectors understand rarity. The lack of high-grade cards often leads to bigger price jumps.

The role of subgrades in transparency

Beckett's unique subgrade system breaks down a card's condition into four key parts. This clear approach helps collectors understand exactly why their cards received specific grades.

The four subgrades include:

• Centering: Shows how well images are arranged within borders (50/50 on front, 55/45 or better on back for top grades)

• Corners: Looks at shape and wear of each corner

• Edges: Checks smoothness and looks for chips or fraying

• Surface: Finds scratches, dents, print lines or other flaws

These details help collectors make better buying, selling, and trading choices. A card with all 9.5 subgrades gets a 9.5 overall. But a card with subgrades of 9, 9.5, 8.5, and 9.5 usually gets a 9.

Modern card collectors value BGS because they can see exactly how grades are determined. Even cards with the same overall grade might appeal differently to collectors based on their subgrades.

Inside the Beckett grading process

You might have asked yourself what happens after sending your prized card to Beckett. The sort of thing I love is how your card moves through Beckett's grading process - it's precise and captivating. Let me show you this detailed system that decides if your card will be just another collectible or turn into a valuable investment.

Submission and declared value

Your card's experience starts when you submit it online through Beckett's website or through an authorized dealer. The original phase needs you to provide everything about each card - the player name, set, year, and card number. This information helps graders check if each card matches its designation.

The declared value - your estimate of the card's worth - plays several key roles:

• It determines your insurance coverage during shipping

• It influences which service tier you qualify for

• It protects both you and BGS if damage or loss occurs

BGS will send you an invoice after processing your payment and log your submission into their system. The staff counts your cards against your submission form and places them in a secure bin for the next step.

Initial inspection and authentication

The verification department's experts start by checking each card's authenticity. They look for signs of tampering, alterations, or hints that a card could be counterfeit. This authentication step matters more than ever with today's advanced reprints and forgeries.

The staff removes all personal identification from the order at this stage. Each card gets a unique sticker with:

• A unique submission number

• A unique serial number

• A barcode

• The due date

• Space for graders to assign grades

This anonymous process means graders work without knowing who owns the cards, which removes any chance of bias.

Subgrading: centering, corners, edges, surface

Beckett's grading stands out because of its four distinct subgrades. The graders use specialized lighting and magnification tools to assess:

1. Centering - They check alignment within borders. A 50/50 front and 60/40 or better back ratio leads to top grades

2. Corners - They look at sharpness and condition of all four corners for dings, creases, bends, or discoloration

3. Edges - They check edge crispness and look for fraying, chipping, and dings that lower the grade

4. Surface - Both front and back get checked for stains, smudges, scratches, print defects, or ink smears

Each category receives a score from 1-10 with half-point increments based on strict criteria.

Final grade calculation and encapsulation

BGS uses its own algorithm to figure out the final grade after completing the subgrades. In stark comparison to what many think, it's not just an average. The lowest subgrade usually affects the final score the most. The final grade rarely goes beyond two levels above the lowest subgrade.

To name just one example, see a card with subgrades of 9.5 (centering), 9.5 (corners), 8.5 (edges), and 9 (surface). This card would likely get an overall grade of 9, showing how the lowest subgrade brings down the final score.

The graded card goes into a custom BGS inner sleeve and moves to the encapsulation department. The staff seals the cards and their labels in the iconic "slab" using state-of-the-art ultrasonic welding. 

This creates a tamper-evident seal that keeps the card safe and maintains its condition. The label shows the overall grade, individual subgrades, card details, and a unique certification number that anyone can verify online.

This process blends human expertise with precise technology and ended up creating what many see as the hobby's most transparent grading system.

The hidden rules behind Beckett’s grading scale

The numbers you see on a Beckett slab tell only part of the story. Hidden rules can make your card's value soar or plummet. Many collectors don't know these subtle grading details that shape Beckett grading scale results.

How the lowest subgrade affects the final score

Your Beckett slab's final grade doesn't come from averaging subgrades. The lowest subgrade plays the biggest role in determining your card's rating. You'll rarely see an overall grade that's more than 0.5 points above the lowest subgrade. A card with 9.5, 9.5, 9.5, and 8.5 will likely get a 9 final grade, not a 9.5.

Seasoned collectors know this pattern well. You won't find it spelled out in Beckett's official documents. The company uses its own algorithm to weigh different factors. Still, the lowest subgrade remains the key driver of your final grade.

Why a 9.5 isn't always better than a 9

The collecting market has some surprising quirks. A BGS 9 with high subgrades (like all 9.5s) can be worth more than a BGS 9.5 with lower subgrades. This happens because collectors know a strong 9 is basically a "9.5 with one tough grader."

There's another reason some collectors value these cards. A 9 with multiple 9.5 subgrades could be worth resubmitting. Smart investors call these "strong 9s" and see them as opportunities to score higher grades.

The truth about Black Label 10s

Black Label Pristine 10s sit at the absolute top of card condition. These cards need perfect 10 subgrades in all four categories. They sell for big money - often 5-10 times more than Gold Label Pristine 10s (which can have 9.5 subgrades).

True Black Labels are incredibly rare. Cards that look perfect to your eyes usually have tiny flaws that stop them from getting perfect scores. Modern cards face an even bigger challenge. Print quality varies so much that Black Labels make up less than 0.1% of all submissions.

How graders handle factory errors and misprints

Beckett takes an interesting approach to factory errors. Production defects like miscuts or print dots don't count as flaws automatically. All the same, these factory issues still affect your grade, even though they're not your fault.

Major manufacturing errors get special treatment. Beckett gives these cards "Authentic" grades without numbers. This shows the card is real but doesn't fit their usual grading standards. This approach works well for everyone - it keeps grading standards high and supports the market for error cards that some collectors love.

Common mistakes that lower your grade

Small mistakes before submission can wreck your Becketts grading outcome. Cards might look perfect to your eyes but still get lower scores than expected because of errors you could have avoided. You can maximize your chances on the Beckett grading scale by knowing these common pitfalls.

Overlooking surface flaws

Surface defects are the most punishing imperfections, yet they're tough to spot at first glance. Cards that seem pristine often hide tiny scratches, indentations, or print anomalies that show up only under magnification. 

These issues become clear under the direct or angled light that graders use. A surface grade of 2.5 usually means there's a crease or wrinkle you can't easily see from the front—these tiny flaws can turn a potential gem-mint card into an average one. Many collectors say BGS catches more flaws than its competitors

when grading surfaces.

Improper card storage before submission

The way you store your cards before submission directly affects their final grades. Cards can suffer permanent damage from just a brief exposure to poor conditions. 

You should put submissions in fresh soft sleeves and then in semi-rigid card holders—never use harsh chemicals or cleaning agents that could strip finishes or discolor paper. Keep your workspace free of food and drinks since even tiny spills cause damage you can't fix. 

Your storage area needs moderate humidity (40-50%) and temperature (60-70°F) to stop cards from warping, yellowing, or becoming brittle.

Submitting cards with known print defects

Print defects are a big deal as it means that they'll affect your grades, but many collectors miss this fact. Print lines, "fish-eyes" (small white dots), and snow (scattered white specks) will count against your score, whatever their source—manufacturing errors or handling damage. 

Some print flaws appear on every copy of certain cards (like the 1984 Don Mattingly's squiggly line), while others will lower grades more, especially when they show up on key areas like a player's face instead of the background.

Choosing the wrong service tier

Your choice of service levels can affect the outcome. Higher-tier submissions might work better for borderline valuable cards since graders tend to pay more attention to detail. On top of that, knowing which card sets usually grade poorly helps set realistic expectations—some foil finishes or card stocks get lower scores because of manufacturing limits.

How to improve your chances of a high Beckett grade

Getting top scores on the Beckett grading scale needs smart preparation and strategy. You can boost your chances of getting those high grades by understanding what graders actually look for.

Pre-screening your cards at home

A full inspection is significant before sending cards to Beckett. Get a magnifying lamp or jeweler's loupe to get into all four grading aspects—centering, corners, edges, and surface. 

The right lighting lets you rotate cards to spot fixable flaws like dust or fingerprints. Beckett's optional pre-screening service costs $5 per card where expert screeners review for potential 9s and 10s and reject cards graded 8 or lower.

Using proper sleeves and holders

Card protection isn't optional if you want to maintain their condition. Your submissions need fresh soft sleeves with semi-rigid card holders. Most collectors call Card Saver 1 from Cardboard Gold the best quality option for grading submissions. Graded cards need acid-free, archival-quality polypropylene sleeves that fit Beckett's slabs perfectly.

Understanding which sets grade poorly

Manufacturing variations mean some card sets consistently score lower. The specialized finish on foil cards chips easily, leading to poor corner and edge grades. Vintage sets present their own challenges with centering issues—perfectly centered cards from these sets rarely exist.

When to pay for subgrades

Subgrades add transparency and can boost resale value. Cards scoring high subgrades in all categories often sell for premium prices, especially those with three 10s and just one 9.5. Modern valuable cards or those with investment potential benefit from subgrades that give collectors detailed condition insights and verification options.

Conclusion

The Beckett grading scale combines official rules with unspoken practices that determine a card's final grade and value. BGS has been the gold standard for card grading since 1999, giving collectors an unmatched view into their grading process with a four-part subgrade system.

Price differences between grades show why submitting cards properly matters so much. Your card's value can jump by hundreds or thousands of dollars with just a half-point difference. This becomes even more important as cards get closer to that coveted Black Label 10 status. 

On top of that, it's worth noting that your lowest subgrade usually determines your final score. That's why you need to check every aspect of your card carefully before submission.

Professional graders quickly spot details that most collectors miss. Your grade can take a big hit from surface flaws, poor storage, and factory defects, whatever the card might look like to an untrained eye. Smart collectors know which service tier works best and which card sets have a history of grading poorly.

Good inspection tools like jeweler's loupes and proper storage conditions should be your first investment before submission. Of course, paying extra for subgrades gives you valuable information and could mean higher resale value for your most important cards. Beckett's systematic approach has earned worldwide trust from collectors, even though grading might seem subjective sometimes.

You now understand aspects of the Beckett grading scale that many graders don't openly share. This knowledge can help reshape your collecting from a casual hobby into a strategic investment. Your next card submission will be different - you'll know exactly how those vital subgrades affect your card's final value.

FAQs

Q1. How does the Beckett grading scale impact card value? 

The Beckett grading scale significantly affects a card's market value. Even half-point differences can result in substantial price variations. For example, a card graded BGS 10 Pristine can be worth several times more than the same card graded BGS 9.5.

Q2. What are the four subgrades in Beckett's grading system? 

Beckett's grading system evaluates cards based on four subgrades: centering, corners, edges, and surface. Each of these aspects is carefully examined and scored, contributing to the card's final grade.

Q3. How does the lowest subgrade affect the final Beckett grade? 

The lowest subgrade typically has the strongest influence on the final grade. Generally, the overall grade rarely exceeds the lowest subgrade by more than 0.5 points. This means a card with subgrades of 9.5, 9.5, 9.5, and 8.5 will likely receive a

final grade of 9.

Q4. What are some common mistakes that can lower a card's grade? 

Common mistakes include overlooking surface flaws, improper card storage before submission, submitting cards with known print defects, and choosing the wrong service tier. Even minor imperfections can significantly impact the final grade.

Q5. How can collectors improve their chances of receiving a high Beckett grade? 

To improve grading outcomes, collectors should pre-screen their cards at home using magnification tools, use proper sleeves and holders for protection, understand which card sets historically grade poorly, and consider paying for subgrades on valuable cards. Proper preparation and understanding of the grading process are key to achieving higher grades.