FAQ

We get it: the grading and authentication of your trading cards can be a mind-numbing and resource-intensive process.

The primary benefit of a ‘middleman’ service is that – through collating a number of smaller sized submissions from many collectors – they are able to evenly distribute the additional costs and hidden fees associated beyond just the advertised ‘grading fee’, including: membership subscription; international shipping (returned); transaction fees (if applicable), and; insurance.

As a result of this distribution of additional charges, combined with additional savings that are afforded to JustEncased through our partnership with CGC as an authorised dealer, the net cost per card approaches the actual grading fee. While JustEncased does not yet have an official dealership with PSA, we maintain this as a long-term stretch goal for our team. 

We aim to provide a no-fuss approach to our middleman service. 

What trading cards can I submit for grading at CGC/PSA?

CGC accept a wide-range of fan-favourite TCGs. Follow this link to see the complete listing of inclusions and exclusions. PSA also grade a variety of CCG/TCGs and sealed items such as booster packs and sealed cards. If in doubt, it is recommended to first search whether your item has any current or past listings as a graded item on marketplace platforms such as eBay.

It is so simple! Purchase your grading slots here.

Further information including packaging and shipping instructions are provided once grading slots are purchased. 

If you have additional questions then please feel free to Contact Us

Upon purchase of your grading slots, you will be asked to complete the Grading Submission form at: Submission Form – JustEncased. Where multiple submission tiers and/or grading companies are selected and will be sent within the same package to JustEncased, please ensure you clearly identify how you would like each card to be submitted. It is highly recommended that front and back images are also provided of each card.

There are a number of factors that will influence your decision for which submission tier you elect to submit your trading cards with, including:

• Cost. There is a cost difference between offered tier.
• Time. As the value of the submission tier increases, the turn-around time (TAT) typically decreases. If there is urgent need for your trading cards to be returned, you may preferentially consider one of the higher value tiers. Please note that once delivered to the nominated grading company JustEncased offers no guarantee that your submission will be prioritised ahead of submissions that are delivered to the same grading company at a later date - grading companies do not assure 'first in first out'.
• Raw card value. Each submission tier is capped to a maximum raw (for CGC) or graded (PSA) value, whereby trading cards exceeding that value must be elevated into a higher tier as appropriate. The maximum raw/graded card values for the submission tiers are as outlined on each tier purchase page and change depending on the grading company

We currently do not offer this service. 

While we may be comfortable to speculate the expected overall grade with a reasonable level of confidence, we do not want collector’s card selection choices to be solely informed by our subjective opinion.

In addition to reviewing the PSA Grading Standards and CGC Grading Scale*, we strongly encourage you immerse yourself in the plentiful supply of resources online, with informative ‘grading cards’ content available on free streaming services such as YouTube. 

* the descriptions afforded are non-exhaustive. The grading of a trading card includes various factors and considerations beyond those detailed.

There are many recommended methods in relation to the most effective and efficient method for preparing and packing your collectables. While this is an entirely at your discretion, we recommend the following steps and precautions are undertaken, as a minimum:

1. You may 'clean' your card by using a clean microfibre cloth or equivalent, gently wiping any foreign debris or marks from the surface.
2. Place into a (preferably) new penny sleeve, before then placing item within a protective flexible pouch such as a card saver. 
3. Package the item(s) between two slightly larger pieces of cardboard or rigid material and bound by rubber bands or tape, ensuring not to compress the contents too tightly such that damage may be incurred. 
4. When packaging, please endeavour to place the items in the order that you would like them to be submitted to CGC/PSA (i.e. if you are inclined towards a series of cards receiving sequential authentication numbers then please package accordingly).
5. Protect the 'cardboard sandwich' with packing material such as bubble wrap or other shipping/packing material
6. Pack the items in a new, sturdy cardboard box along with a print-out of your JustEncased submission order receipt (not essential)

We strongly encourage the purchasing of insurance with your shipment to JustEncased. 

If you would like to subsidise your shipping costs, you are welcome to use the below QR code when lodging your package at your local Post Office. 

We are currently submitting at the following intervals:

• PSA: every 2-3 weeks
• CGC: every 5-6 weeks

Your cards will be submitted to the nominated grading company at the next available submission once both JustEncased have received your items AND grading fees have been paid in full.

Due to the current turn-around time for BGS submissions, we will only be submitting when ‘value’ tiers are offered.

Both CGC and PSA advertise estimated turn-around times (TAT*) for each submission tier. JustEncased provide no guarantees that an advertised TAT will be met, and Members are to be aware that TAT does not include time delays incurred due to shipping from PSA to JustEncased,.

*TAT commences upon grading company acknowledging receipt of submission. Estimated TAT are estimates only and not guaranteed. A service level’s TAT is the estimated number of business days that an order will be completed and shipped back, once receipted by each grading company's facility. These times are based on, and may be impacted by, each grading company's current submission volume and capacity and other unforeseen circumstances. TAT may change rapidly without notice as conditions change.  

JustEncased endeavour to finalise all individual shipments to Members as soon as soon as is reasonably practicable to do so.

JustEncased proudly offer a fully transparent real-time feed of submission updates through a submission group chat via Messenger. Updates included all major stages of international shipping, as well as each stage as your submission progresses through the grading process (as applicable to your nominated grading company). 

PLEASE NOTE: due to the volume of submissions in progress across multiple grading companies at any time, it is not reasonably practicable for JustEncased to keep each Member updated on a case-by-case basis. Accordingly, we respectfully request Members do not contact JustEncased privately seeking submission updates. Repeat offenders will be ignored until such time that submission has returned to JustEncased. 

There is no limit on the number of grading slots that you can purchase. 

PSA define an up-charge as follows:

If PSA determines, in its sole discretion and at any point in the process, that the submitted Declared Value has been understated relative to the market value of the item, PSA reserves the right to decline your stated Declared Value. If PSA declines the Declared Value of an item, PSA may require you to pay for the accurate Service Level as a condition of PSA completing the authentication and grading process as to the subject item

So what? PSA/CGC will contact JustEncased providing notification of an up-charge. We will then contact the Member's affected to acquit this charge. This must be completed prior to the submission being released by PSA/CGC.

In the very unlikely event that this occurs, we will reach out to you immediately. See below FAQ related to insurance.

Member to JustEncased. We strongly recommend that you consider insurance on your package to JustEncased. We accept no liability or responsibility for packages that are damaged or lost en route to JustEncased.

While in JustEncased possession. Your trading cards are insured up to their declared value as determined by the fair market price utilising sources such as 130point.com/sales, eBay recent solds, TCG Player, and Troll and Toad.

JustEncased to US. All shipments to US are insured by QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited up to $50,000AUD declared value, determined by means as described above.

CGC to JustEncased. With effect from 05 July 2022, CGC Trading Cards have announced that International submitters will benefit from having their return shipments insured for up to $50,000 per package when sent via FedEx.

PSA to JustEncased. All orders to PSA are submitted with 'Insured Shipping' selected as the return shipping option. Insurance will be provided by PSA up to the cumulative Declared Value of submission.

JustEncased to Member. You will be offered the option to purchase additional insurance on your package to you from JustEncased. We accept no liability or responsibility for damages or lost packages if you elect against opting in for insurance. 

Sub-grades are grades that provide further detail into the card’s overall grade. There are four sub-grades: Centering, Surface, Corners and Edges.

The sub-grades will be determined based on the following criteria.

• Centering – The registration of the card’s primary front and back designs within the frame of the cardstock as intended by the original design.
• Corners – the visual and structural integrity of the corners of the card.
• Edges – the visual and structural integrity of the edges of the card.
• Surface – the visual and structural integrity of the surface of the card.

In consideration of the above, a numeric grade will be awarded for each between 1.0 – 10.0 in 0.5 integers, with the exception of Centering which is assessed between 8.0 (off-center, O/C) and 10.0.

There are a number of fundamental rules that contribute to the determination of overall grade. Contrary to popular belief, the overall grade is not an ‘average’ of the four sub-grades (e.g. 9/9/9/5 will not result in an overall grade of 8).

Instead, one or more of the following rules may apply*

1. Where the two lowest sub-grades are equal, that will be the overall grade regardless of the other two sub-grades –> e.g. 10/6.5/6.5/8 = 6.5 and 8/8/9.5/9 = 8
2. Where there is a single sub-grade that is appreciably lower then the other three, the overall grade can be no higher than 1.0 above the lowest sub-grade –> e.g. 10/10/9.5/6  = 7 and 9/8.5/9/4 = 5
3. The above holds true, with the exception of where the overall grade may be come 8 as a result, in which case the overall grade can only be 0.5 more than the lowest subgrade –> e.g. 9.5/10/10/7.5 = 8 and 10/10/10/8.5 = 9

*note these rules are defined from personal and observed experiences. 

There are only two payments that Members are required to fulfil: 

1. Purchase of grading slots
2. Shipping of graded cards from JustEncased to Member

The only exception to the above are ‘up-charges’, refer above FAQ.

CGC formally released their trading cards population report in April 22. The remarkably user-friendly tool details the latest figure of how many of each card has been graded, with a further breakdown available regarding the total population for each grade and what the respective sub-grades were (if applicable). 

The PSA population report may be referred for PSA slabs.

Yes, we do. Please refer to our consignment services guide for more information on eligibility criteria.