The 6 Best Card Grading Services for UK Collectors

Nothing beats the feeling of pulling a super rare card. But if you decide to grade it, there might just be one thing – getting a 10.

In this guide I’m going to talk through the best card grading services for UK collectors, to help you understand the differences between them, and give you the best chance of getting back a high grade.

We’ll first take a look at the established American grading companies. Then we’ll cover which UK-based companies are worth your consideration too.

The Best US Based Card Grading Services

PSA

PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is by far the biggest grading company in the world. Established in 1991, they became the cornerstone of the authentication industry, and have scaled to grading over 30 million cards per year.

Because of their long-standing track record in the auctions, and the sheer volume of cards that are graded by PSA, they have the potential to add the most value to your cards.

Sending cards from the UK, to PSA in the US is doable yourself. But there are several ‘middleman services’ who charge a small premium, but handle the entire process for you.

Here are a few services I recommend:

https://collectablepowergrading.com

https://blacklabelgrading.com/psa-grading-pricing/

https://www.thesubcenterorders.co.uk/

Beckett

Beckett Grading Services (BGS) is another company with a long standing history. Although the grading arm was launched in 1999, Beckett Media had been producing price guides for sports cards for decades before.

Beckett has a reputation for being the most stringent grader in the industry. As such, a card they deem ‘perfect’ achieves their ‘Black Label’ status which can fetch astronomical sums at auction. As you can imagine, these are incredibly hard to come by though, which is why many people opt for PSA instead.

If you’d like to send your cards from the UK, I recommend this middleman service: https://blacklabelgrading.com/beckett-grading-services/

CGC

CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) is another option popular amongst collectors. Established in 2000, it actually made its name grading comic books – later opening up to trading cards and other collectibles too.

In 2023, they controversially changed the labels used on graded trading cards from their iconic blue, to a simpler black design. Thankfully, the Gold label used on their ‘Pristine 10’ cards did enough to keep collectors submitting with them, and the company continues to go from strength to strength.

In the same year they also opened up an office in London, giving UK collectors the ability to grade cards with them, without having to send overseas. A great move in my opinion.

CGC is still seen as one of the ‘big graders’ so although they perhaps can’t add as much value as PSA, they come close and their grading costs are considerably cheaper.

SGC

If you’re keen on grading vintage cards, SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation) is worth considering. Many people in the UK don’t realise but they’ve actually been around since 1998, and built a solid reputation for grading accuracy.

Collectors love their classy looking cases, with the cards sitting on a premium black foam to protect them.

Of course, they’re a bit more niche than the likes of PSA, and therefore don’t add the same value, but if you’re grading vintage cards, in theory the card itself will be the key value driver.

If you’re looking for a middleman service for SGC, try: https://blacklabelgrading.com/sgc-grading-pricing/

The Best UK Based Card Grading Services

Now if you don’t like the idea of sending valuable cards to the US, or want to support the growth of the hobby here in the UK, there are a couple of really good grading services to try:

ACE Grading

Ace grading was founded in 2021 on the back of the pandemic Pokémon boom. Headed up by Randolph, a popular YouTuber and friend of the famous ‘Sidemen’ he quickly turned his following and love of Pokémon into a thriving business.

What sets Ace apart though is their custom labels. This novel concept, untried by any other grading company, aims to match their labels to the card design. This helps extend the artwork and give beautiful synergy between the card and the slab.

Because Ace is relatively young compared to its US counterparts, it doesn’t quite yet add the same value as the likes of PSA. However, if your card achieves the a perfect ‘ACE 10’ grade, with these incredible labels, it can come close.  

If you’re a UK Pokémon card collector, I certainly recommend Ace’s grading service.

Majesty Grading Company

Majesty launched in the same year as Ace, jumping on the strong demand for card collecting grading services in the UK.

Unlike Ace, it’s main focus was on sports cards, giving an affordable service for an underserved niche of football card collectors. The majesty branding resonated well with football fans, and the business had lift off.

Several other grading companies started during this time, but fell by the wayside as demand fell post-pandemic. The fact the Majesty is still thriving today is testament to its owner and a well-run UK grading process.

Although their slabs won’t add the kind of value that PSA can, if you’re looking for a grading company that’s easy to use, and will accurately grade your sports cards, Majesty are worth your consideration.