Finding Trading Card Grading Services in Australia

Once you have decided a card is worth grading, the next job is finding a service to handle it. In Australia that usually means a submission service rather than a grader on your doorstep - and knowing the difference saves confusion and money. This guide explains what to look for and how to find services on CardMap.

Graders vs submission services

These are two different things, and it is worth being clear:

• A grading company (PSA, BGS, CGC, SGC) is the business that actually assesses the card and seals it in a slab. The major ones are based overseas.
• A submission (or drop-off) service is an Australian business that takes your cards and forwards them to a grader on your behalf - batching orders, handling overseas shipping and insurance, and returning your slabs.
• Some Australian businesses are graders in their own right, grading locally. Their slabs are quicker and cheaper to obtain but generally carry less weight on the international resale market.

What to compare between services

Services differ in more than price. Before choosing, compare:

• Which graders they submit to (PSA, BGS, CGC, etc.) and which tiers.
• All-in cost - grading fee plus freight both ways, insurance, GST and return postage.
• Turnaround - including overseas shipping each way, not just the grader's processing time.
• Insurance - ideally from the moment they receive your cards.
• Reputation and communication - how they update you and handle problems.

Finding services on CardMap

CardMap lists trading card businesses across Australia, including grading and drop-off services where they exist. The best way to find one is to browse the directory for your area and open listings to see what each offers.

For example, Premier Card Grading Australia is one such listing in New South Wales. Opening a listing shows its details so you can follow up directly.

Verifying a service

Before sending valuable cards, confirm you can identify the business, check how they are reviewed by other collectors, confirm their insurance and tracking, and make sure the grades they return can be verified on the grader's official website using the certification number.

When you are ready, browse your area on CardMap and open any grading or store listing to get started.