CGC came from comic books and brought an industrial mindset to cards: short turnaround, readable pricing and a slab collectors like.
CGC Cards grades from 1 to 10. In the US, its cheapest single-card tier is Economy at $20 per card (value up to $1,000, 90 working days); Standard costs $55 (10 working days) and Express $100 (5 working days), while the $17 Bulk tier needs at least 25 cards and takes 150 working days. In Europe, CGC has graded trading card games full-time in Munich since 12 January 2026, on a euro grid including VAT: Economy €22.61 per card, 45 working days as published. CGC is at its most relevant on TCG — Pokémon in particular, and above all Japanese printings, the segment where the resale gap against a PSA slab is narrowest.
01 — Key facts
02 — Key points
In most segments a PSA slab resells higher at an equal grade. On Japanese Pokémon that gap is the narrowest on the market, so the extra cost and delay of a PSA submission are harder to justify.
Japanese printings are statistically better centred than their Western counterparts. A higher share of cards reaches the top of the scale, which changes the whole return calculation.
On recent sets whose prices move fast, tying up a card for months is a risk in itself. CGC's faster services let you get a slab out before the market turns.
03 — Details
CGC's official fee grids, in the US and in Munich, list no subgrade line, so we cannot tell you what they cost or whether they are included. If a per-criterion breakdown is the point, confirm with CGC before submitting — or look at BGS, whose label is built around four subgrades.
Collectors put real value on presentation, and the CGC slab is well regarded for its finish. On a card headed for a display case rather than a sale, that weighs on the decision.
On sports cards, especially American ones, buyers still default to PSA. The reasoning that makes CGC right for TCG does not transfer automatically to an NBA rookie card.
04 — Questions
Neither softer nor harsher: the criteria are close but the tolerances and the treatment of certain defects differ, particularly on surface and on Japanese cards. The same card can come back a 9 from one and a 9.5 from the other, in both directions. No official equivalence exists between the scales.
Its official fee grids — US and Munich, checked on 29 September 2026 — list no subgrade line, so we do not state a price or claim they are included. If you need the breakdown, confirm with CGC before submitting; on an average card meant for sale, showing it can expose a weakness anyway.
Yes, both are segments where CGC is well established. On One Piece, bear in mind that the early sets suffer from irregular centering and print lines that cap many cards around 9 regardless of the company.
On TCG, yes — European buyers know it. On sports cards the preference for PSA remains strong, in Europe as elsewhere.
Yes for trading card games: since 12 January 2026, CGC has graded them full-time in Munich, and accepts submissions directly at the Munich office or through an authorised dealer, on a euro grid including VAT — from €22.61 per card at Economy (€20.23 in Bulk, from 25 cards). The cards stay inside the EU, so no customs. Sports cards and mixed submissions are still graded in the US, with shipping and insurance between Munich and the US included in the fee. Return shipping within the EU starts at €33.32 incl. VAT for 1 to 5 cards (to Germany; €38.08 to France), under rates effective 5 February 2026. Checked on 29 September 2026; CGC's official page prevails.
As of 29 September 2026, CGC's Economy tier costs $20 per card in the US and €22.61 incl. VAT in Munich — well below PSA's cheapest level, the Standard at $59.99 in the US, or €49.99 in the EU at the launch price, as of 24 September 2026. On low and mid-value cards that difference often decides whether grading pays at all. Turnaround differs too: 90 working days at CGC's US Economy tier, 45 in Munich.
05 — Read next
The report gives the estimate for your target company and what is capping it.