The notebook
Long, numbered and dated pieces on card grading. No generalities: thresholds, prices, and the patterns I keep seeing.
In short
This notebook covers card grading from the decision angle: should this card be submitted, to which company, and when. Every article starts from verifiable facts — published centering tolerances, dated price grids, observed turnaround — and states the date those figures were checked. GradeMate does not sell grading and takes no commission on any company mentioned.
0112 min read
Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration: which cards to grade
A 100% foil set, 30 guaranteed Pikachu, and a simultaneous worldwide release. The one trap: it has no price history. Here is how I decide what gets graded.
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The 8 mistakes that cost a grade
Seven are avoidable, one is irreversible. What I learned calibrating an AI against graders' criteria.
Read the article →0313 min read
Which cards are actually worth grading in 2026
A card's value is not the number that decides. Here is the one that does, and five card profiles where I ran the maths.
Read the article →0411 min read
PSA in Europe: what actually changes
Direct submissions to Frankfurt since 15 September 2026: I rebuilt the real journey of a card, step by step, with the euro price grid.
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