Subgrades are not included
They are charged on top and are the only way to get the breakdown printed on the slab. Worth it to document a card you keep; rarely worth it for a quick flip.
CGC grading
CGC came from comic books and brought an industrial mindset to cards: short turnaround, readable pricing and a slab collectors like.
In short
CGC Cards grades from 1 to 10 and offers subgrades as a paid option printed on the label. Entry pricing sits around $15 to $20 per card depending on the level, with stated turnaround ranging from roughly two months on the economy tier to one or two weeks on faster services. 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.
CGC at a glance
- Legal name
- Certified Guaranty Company
- Scale
- 1 to 10, with half points
- Subgrades
- Paid option, printed on the label
- Top grade
- 10 Pristine / 10 Gem Mint
- Entry pricing
- roughly $15 to $20 per card
- Economy turnaround
- in the region of 65 business days
- Fast service
- one to two weeks depending on the level
- Strongest market
- TCG, Pokémon and Japanese printings
- Prices and turnaround checked
- 29 July 2026
Why CGC leads on Japanese cards
The segment where the price gap narrows
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.
Better centering out of the pack
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.
Turnaround that matches a live market
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.
What to know before submitting to CGC
The slab is an argument, not a detail
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.
Liquidity still trails PSA outside TCG
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.
Frequently asked questions — CGC
Is CGC softer than PSA?
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.
Should you pay for the subgrade option?
It makes sense to document a card you keep or to defend a high asking price. On an average card it can instead expose a weakness and make the sale harder.
Does CGC suit Yu-Gi-Oh! and One Piece?
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.
Does a CGC slab sell well in Europe?
On TCG, yes — European buyers know it. On sports cards the preference for PSA remains strong, in Europe as elsewhere.
How does CGC compare with PSA on price?
CGC's entry pricing sits well below PSA's current Regular level, which was $79.99 per card as of 29 July 2026. On low and mid-value cards that difference often decides whether grading pays at all.
Read next
Estimate the grade before choosing a company
The report gives the estimate for your target company and what is capping it.