Grading

PSA 10 (Gem Mint)

The highest grade assigned by PSA, indicating a card is in virtually perfect condition with sharp corners, full gloss, and perfect centering within standard tolerances.

A PSA 10 Gem Mint grade means the card has four perfectly sharp corners, no staining, full original gloss, perfect or near-perfect centering (60/40 or better on both sides), and no visible defects under magnification. It represents the top tier of card condition and commands the highest resale premiums.

Roughly 10-15% of modern cards submitted to PSA receive a 10 grade, though this varies by set and era. For vintage cards (pre-1980), PSA 10 is extremely rare — some sets have zero PSA 10 copies in the entire population.

A PSA 10 card typically sells for 2-10x the price of a PSA 9 for modern cards, and 5-50x for vintage. This "PSA 10 premium" is the primary reason collectors submit cards for grading.

Related Terms

BGS 10 (Pristine / Black Label)

The highest BGS grade. A BGS 10 Pristine requires 10s on all four sub-grades (centering, corners, edges, surface). A "Black Label" 10 is the rarest grade in the hobby.

Gem Mint

A card in near-perfect condition. PSA uses "Gem Mint" for their 10 grade. BGS uses "Gem Mint" for 9.5 and "Pristine" for 10.

PSA 9 (Mint)

The second-highest PSA grade. A PSA 9 Mint card has only a minor flaw visible under close examination — typically a slight centering issue or a single minor corner imperfection. PSA 9 is often 50-90% cheaper than PSA 10.

Grading Scale (1-10)

The numerical scale used by grading companies to assess card condition. PSA and SGC use whole numbers (1-10). BGS and CGC use half-points (1-10 in 0.5 increments). Higher grades = better condition = higher value.

PSA 10 (Gem Mint)

See Also

Related Terms