Grading Prep Service

Submitting a card for grading without preparation is like sending a job application with typos. The card may be valuable — but its presentation is working against it. At The Mint Workshop, our grading prep gives your card the best honest presentation possible before it reaches a grader, whether you're sending it to PSA yourself or having us send it to CGC.

We don't promise grades. We prepare cards, with the care that high-value submissions demand.

What Is Grading Prep?

Grading prep is the process of addressing a card's physical condition before submission. Graders evaluate cards across four primary categories: centering, corners, edges, and surface. Our prep focuses on the surface and structural issues where professional restoration can make a meaningful difference — we can't change centering, and we won't touch anything that would count as alteration.

What Our Grading Prep Includes

• Surface cleaning — Safe removal of fingerprints, dust, residue, "Pokémold" specks and surface contaminants that affect presentation under grading-room lighting.
• Surface correction — Light holo scratches polished where improvement is achievable.
• Crease and bend reduction — Treatment where reduction is possible. Every crease leaves a scar, and graders will almost always see it.
• Flattening — Warped and curled cards flattened.
• Edge lifts and soft corners — Lifted edges, and corners softened by a slight bend (not torn), can often be improved. Whitening, chipping and missing paper can’t be fixed.
• Intake record — Your card is scanned in at intake as a record of how it arrived, and your submission tracker shows its progress.
• CGC grading — After restoration we can submit your cards to CGC through a third-party CGC dealer account: $30 per card, CGC’s grading fee included, about two weeks at CGC. We’re not affiliated with CGC.

Important: Grading prep improves presentation — it does not guarantee a specific grade. The grading company's determination is final and independent of any preparation work. We use non-destructive methods only — no trimming, no ink, no recoloring, no varnish.

Before & After

See real customer cards from our bench on Our Work.

Our Process

1. Intake — Your box is opened on video, your cards are counted against your order, and each card is scanned in and labeled before any work begins.
2. Condition Review — We check each card and decide where preparation can improve presentation.
3. Preparation Work — Cleaning, correction, flattening and structural treatment are performed as appropriate for the card's condition.
4. Quality Check — Every card goes through a quality check before it's returned.
5. Return or CGC — Your card ships back to you with return shipping insured by The Mint Workshop, or goes on to CGC if you added grading. Your submission tracker shows where your order is.

Turnaround Time

Grading prep typically completes within 24–30 business days from when your cards arrive and are checked in. Need it sooner? Expedited service is $49.99 per card with a 5–7 business day turnaround (not available for creased cards).

Frequently Asked Questions

Will grading prep guarantee a 10?

No. Grading outcomes are determined solely by the grading company. Our job is to give your card its best honest presentation. We never make grade promises.

Is grading prep considered card alteration?

That depends on each grading company's standards, and we can't decide it for them. Heavier work like crease reduction carries more risk of an "Altered" result, and we'll tell you before work starts when that applies. We use non-destructive methods only — no trimming, no ink, no recoloring, no varnish. Read more in restored vs. altered cards.

What cards benefit most from grading prep?

Cards close to a grade threshold benefit most — particularly those with surface contamination, light scratches, edge lifts, curling, or corners softened by a slight bend. High-value cards where one grade point represents significant value are ideal candidates.

Do you submit to PSA on my behalf?

No. We only submit to CGC, through a third-party CGC dealer account. If you want a PSA grade, we prep the card and you submit it to PSA yourself.

Can you prep cards for BGS too?

Yes. Our prep work applies to any grading company. If you want us to submit the card, we send it to CGC; otherwise it comes back to you ready to submit wherever you choose.

Ready to Prep Your Card?

Careful preparation. Honest results. Give your card its best shot at the grade it deserves.

→ Start Your Submission