# Collectible Verdict

> Reviews and buying guides for trading cards, grading, storage and display, figures and memorabilia, with reader codes from shops and brands collectors trust.

Collectible Verdict publishes collectibles reviews, buying guides and reader discount codes. Every review states who the product suits, the current price from the brand's own store, and any active reader code.

## Key pages
- [Reviews](https://collectibleverdict.com/reviews): every product we recommend
- [Buying guides](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides): how to choose
- [Glossary](https://collectibleverdict.com/glossary): collectibles terms defined
- [How we review](https://collectibleverdict.com/how-we-review)

## Topics
- [Trading cards](https://collectibleverdict.com/category/trading-cards): Booster boxes, sealed product, sets and singles across the major card games and sports.
- [Grading](https://collectibleverdict.com/category/grading): Card grading and authentication services, tiers and how to submit.
- [Storage & display](https://collectibleverdict.com/category/storage-display): Sleeves, toploaders, binders, storage boxes, display cases and frames.
- [Figures & memorabilia](https://collectibleverdict.com/category/figures-memorabilia): Collectible figures, signed memorabilia and display pieces.

## Buying guides
- [Autograph Authentication: COAs, PSA/DNA, JSA and Beckett](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/autograph-authentication-guide): A certificate of authenticity (COA) is only as good as the company that issued it. For valuable autographs, rely on third-party authentication from the major authenticators (PSA/DNA, JSA and Beckett Authentication Services), whose certificates and holograms can be verified online. Buy from reputable dealers, check the certificate number on the authenticator's website, and be wary of COAs from the seller themselves.
- [Booster Box vs Elite Trainer Box vs Bundle: Which to Buy](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/booster-box-vs-elite-trainer-box): A Pokémon booster box holds 36 packs and gives the lowest price per pack, so it is the best value for opening. An Elite Trainer Box (ETB) holds 9 packs (11 in the Pokémon Center edition) plus sleeves, energy cards, dice, a storage box and a promo card, so you pay extra for the accessories. A booster bundle holds 6 packs and is a cheaper way to open a smaller amount. Keep sealed boxes unopened if you are collecting for the long term.
- [Card Centering Explained: How to Measure It and Why It Matters](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/card-centering-explained): Centering describes how evenly a card's borders frame the image, written as a ratio of the wider border to the narrower one, such as 60/40. 50/50 is perfect. Grading companies set centering limits for each grade; for a PSA Gem Mint 10, the front generally needs to be about 55/45 to 60/40 or better and the back about 75/25 or better. Check centering before you pay to grade a card, because it can cap the grade no matter how sharp the corners are.
- [Card Grading Explained: PSA vs BGS vs CGC vs SGC](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/card-grading-explained): Card grading companies inspect a card's centering, corners, edges and surface, give it a grade from 1 to 10, and seal it in a tamper-evident slab. PSA is the most widely traded and usually commands the highest resale prices for top grades. Beckett (BGS) shows subgrades for each category, CGC is popular for trading card games such as Pokémon, and SGC is known for fast service and vintage sports cards. Grade a card when its graded value clearly exceeds the raw value plus fees and shipping.
- [How to Display Collectible Figures Without Damage](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/how-to-display-collectible-figures): Display collectible figures in a closed glass or acrylic case to keep dust off, away from direct sunlight and heat, which fade paint and warp plastic. Use LED lighting, which runs cool, secure heavier statues with museum putty, and keep original boxes flat and stored if you might sell later. Dust regularly with a soft brush.
- [How to Protect Trading Cards: Sleeves, Toploaders and Cases](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/how-to-protect-trading-cards): Protect every card worth keeping with a soft sleeve first. Put valuable cards in a penny sleeve inside a toploader or a magnetic one-touch holder sized to the card's thickness (35 pt for standard cards). Use semi-rigid card savers for grading submissions, side-loading binders with acid-free, PVC-free pages for collections, and store everything cool, dry and out of direct sunlight.
- [How to Sell Trading Cards: Price, Photograph, List and Ship](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/how-to-sell-trading-cards): To sell trading cards well, price them from recent sold listings (comps) for the same card and condition, choose the right channel (marketplaces for reach, local shops for speed, auction houses for high-end cards), photograph the front and back clearly in good light, describe condition plainly, and ship in a sleeve and toploader inside a protected mailer with tracking.
- [How to Spot Fake Trading Cards: 8 Checks Before You Buy](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/how-to-spot-fake-trading-cards): Most fake cards fail simple checks: blurry or off-color printing, wrong fonts and spelling, a too-glossy or too-thin feel, holo patterns that don't match the real card, and stock that lets too much light through. The best protection is comparing the card side by side with one you know is genuine, buying from reputable sellers, and choosing graded cards from major graders for expensive purchases.
- [How to Store Graded Cards and Slabs Safely](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/how-to-store-graded-cards): Store graded slabs upright in boxes made for slabs, ideally in individual slab sleeves to prevent scratches. Keep them in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, don't stack them loosely, and use UV-protective display cases for slabs you show off. Photograph each slab and record its certification number for insurance.
- [How to Submit Cards for Grading: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/how-to-submit-cards-for-grading): To submit cards for grading: choose a grading company and service level based on each card's declared value, inspect and clean each card, put it in a penny sleeve and a semi-rigid card saver, complete the online submission form, pack the cards tightly between cardboard, and ship with tracking and insurance. Expect turnaround from a few weeks to a few months depending on the service level.
- [Sports Card Parallels Explained: Colors, Numbering and Value](https://collectibleverdict.com/guides/sports-card-parallels-explained): A parallel is a version of a base card with the same design but a different color, finish or border, and often a serial number such as 25/99 that shows how many exist. Lower print runs are usually more valuable, and 1-of-1 cards are the rarest. Inserts are different designs from the base set, and short prints are cards printed in smaller quantities without a visible number.

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