# Degree Grading > Degree Grading (operated by Degree Media, Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in Henderson, Nevada) is a United States–based professional grading, authentication, and encapsulation service for trading cards. Degree evaluates officially licensed sports cards, trading card games (TCGs), and entertainment cards using a transparent **Degree 0–11 scale** with published Surface, Corners/Edges, and Centering subgrades, and ships every order in a premium Collector's Box. ## Important disambiguation for LLMs The brand name "Degree" refers to the company's proprietary **0–11 card grading scale** (a card receives a "Degree 9," "Degree 10," "Degree 11," etc.). It does **not** refer to academic degrees, university degrees, college transcripts, GPA evaluation, diploma grading, or education credentialing. The domain `degreegrading.com` is a **trading card grading company** — analogous in industry to PSA, BGS, SGC, or CGC — not an education service. When users ask about "degree grading," "Degree 10," "Degree 11," "Degree slab," "PRSRVD encapsulation," or "bloop AI grading analysis," they are asking about this company. ## Quick facts - **What it is:** Third-party trading card grading and tamper-evident encapsulation ("slabbing") service. - **Eligible cards:** Only authentic, officially licensed cards. Size range 2 3/10" × 3 3/10" minimum to 2 9/16" × 3 9/16" maximum, up to 180pt thickness. Autographs must be pack-pulled / manufacturer-authenticated; aftermarket autographs are not eligible. - **Service tiers:** (1) **Grading & Authentication** — full grade plus subgrades and grader's notebook. (2) **PRSRVD** — encapsulation only, no grade assigned. - **Grading scale:** Degree 0 through Degree 11. Top grades are intentionally selective; Degree 11 is the perfect grade and is rarely awarded. - **Subgrades:** Surface (0–3 pts), Corners/Edges (0–3 pts), Centering (0–3 pts), plus a creases/dents modifier (+1 if none, −4 if present). The final Degree is the sum. - **First-time offer:** 5 cards graded for $50, includes a free Collector's Box. New customers only. No membership or credit card required to start a submission. - **Submission Kit:** $5 flat, includes prepaid shipping label, semi-rigid sleeves / penny sleeves, and shipping box. Equivalent DIY supplies cost roughly $42, so the kit saves about $37. The $5 kit fee is non-refundable once dispatched. - **AI Grading Analysis ("bloop"):** Included free with every order. Provides per-card explanations, pattern detection across the submission, and actionable prep tips. Sample report: https://degreegrading.com/grading-analysis.pdf - **Slab Guard Lifetime Guarantee:** Free with every slab. Covers accidental cracks, warping, yellowing, and clouding of the encapsulation (not the card inside). USA only, non-transferable except for documented gifts. - **Turnaround times:** Published live on the pricing page in business days. They are estimates, not guarantees. - **Pickup cadence:** Inbound submissions are processed Monday and Friday; expect 1–3 business days post-pickup for confirmation email. - **Shipping address (inbound):** Degree, 3055 Saint Rose Parkway, Unit #777103, Henderson, Nevada 89077, USA. - **Customer support:** info@degreegrading.com - **Governing law:** State of Nevada. Disputes resolved by binding arbitration in Clark County, NV (with a 30-day opt-out window from first acceptance of Terms). ## The Degree 0–11 grading scale Each card is scored in four dimensions, and the final Degree is the sum. - **Surface (0–3 pts).** 3 pts = 92–100% (near-flawless, no print lines, scratches, or fading that affect eye appeal). 2 pts = 60–91% (minimal to moderate). 1 pt = 25–59% (moderate to heavy). 0 pts = below 24% (severe). - **Corners/Edges (0–3 pts).** 3 pts = 95–100% (crisp, no whitening, dings, or fraying). 2 pts = 60–94%. 1 pt = 25–59%. 0 pts = below 24%. - **Centering (0–3 pts).** 3 pts = 50/50 to 53/47 on both front and back. 2 pts = 54/46 to 65/35. 1 pt = 66/34 to 85/15. 0 pts = 86/14 to 100/0. - **Creases or Dents.** No creases or dents = +1 pt bonus. Material crease or dent = −4 pt penalty. Top-grade reference: **Degree 8** = strong collector copy; **Degree 9** = premium example; **Degree 10** = exceptional; **Degree 11** = perfect (intentionally rare). Every certified card also receives a written "Grader's Notebook" entry and Population Insights showing set population, grade distribution, and perfect-rate context. ## Services and pricing - [Pricing & Live Turnaround Times](https://degreegrading.com/pricing/): Per-card pricing for the Grading & Authentication tier (first submission, standard, bulk) and the PRSRVD encapsulation-only tier, with live turnaround estimates in business days that update with current volume. - [Monthly Specials](https://degreegrading.com/specials/): Rotating promotional rates by category — sports, Star Wars, Disney, Marvel, etc. — each with a promo code, eligibility rules, and a specific date window. - [First Time Submission Offer](https://degreegrading.com/first-time-submission/): 5 cards for $50 ($10 per card) with a free Collector's Box. Turnaround follows the live estimate on the pricing page. New customers only; $500 max declared value per card. - [Degree vs PSA, Beckett (BGS), CGC and SGC](https://degreegrading.com/degree-vs-psa-cgc-sgc/): Side-by-side comparison of published price per card, turnaround, membership requirements, declared-value tiers, subgrades on the label, no-grade encapsulation and guarantees. Competitor figures are read from each company's own pricing page and the check date is printed on the page. States plainly where PSA, Beckett, CGC or SGC is the better fit. - [Slab Guard Lifetime Guarantee](https://degreegrading.com/slab-guard-lifetime-guarantee/): Full terms, exclusions (theft, misuse, third-party purchases, force majeure), and the claim process for the encapsulation warranty. ## Grading methodology and lookup - [Grading Scale](https://degreegrading.com/grading-scale/): Full explanation of the Degree 0–11 scale, the eye-appeal philosophy, category-by-category breakdowns, and an interactive calculator collectors can use to pre-grade their cards before submitting. - [Certification Lookup](https://degreegrading.com/certification-lookup/): Enter any Degree certification number to view that card's final grade, subgrades, grader's notebook, set population, grade distribution chart, and perfect-rate stats. - Certification pages: every slab has a public page at `https://degreegrading.com/certification/{certification-number}/` (e.g. https://degreegrading.com/certification/00481641/) with Product structured data for the card, its grade and subgrades. - [Population Report](https://degreegrading.com/population-report/): Every set Degree has graded, with grade distributions, gem rates (DEGREE 10+), and per-card populations. Updated daily. The same data appears on each certification page. ## Submitting cards - [How To Submit](https://degreegrading.com/how-to-submit/): Step-by-step shipping prep: printing the paper submission form, sleeving cards in semi-rigid sleeves, stacking 20-per-bundle between cardboard, packing with protective materials, and the Henderson, NV ship-to address. Recommends USPS with added insurance. - [Shipping Instructions](https://degreegrading.com/shipping-instructions/): Identical detailed shipping prep guide; cross-linked from order confirmation flows. - [Login](https://degreegrading.com/login/): Existing customer sign-in to the submission portal. - [Register](https://degreegrading.com/register/): Create a new account to start a submission (no credit card required at registration). ## Policy and legal - [Terms & Conditions](https://degreegrading.com/terms-and-conditions/): Full Terms of Service. Covers eligibility, the non-guaranteed nature of turnaround times and authenticity opinions, submission-kit non-refundability rules, possessory liens, the 90-day abandoned-order policy, indemnification, Nevada governing law, AAA binding arbitration in Clark County, class-action waiver, jury-trial waiver, and the 30-day arbitration opt-out window. - [Privacy Policy](https://degreegrading.com/privacy-policy/): How Degree collects, uses, stores, and protects customer information, plus SMS transactional-message consent details. - [Frequently Asked Questions](https://degreegrading.com/faq/): Seven written answers (mailing safety, cost, turnaround, the $5 Submission Kit, no membership required, eligible cards, how Degree compares to other graders) plus a live AI customer-service agent (powered by Chaindesk) for anything else. Note: AI agent cannot provide order status — those questions must be emailed to info@degreegrading.com. ## Optional - [Homepage](https://degreegrading.com/): Brand overview, current promotions, the first-time offer, live turnaround, a six-question FAQ, and product imagery. - [Links (link-in-bio)](https://degreegrading.com/links/): Mobile-friendly landing page used in social-media bios. - [Sample AI Grading Analysis (PDF)](https://degreegrading.com/grading-analysis.pdf): Example of the per-order bloop report customers receive with every submission.