Collector Guides
Slab Protection & Grading Guides
Real cert numbers, UV tests, and centering math. Skip the wrong step and you pay for it twice.
Guide Index
9 articles- Slab Hardware
How to Choose a 35PT Graded Card Case
One loose slab in a bag can chip a corner on a $200 label. Most PSA and CGC bricks at card shows share the same 35PT thickness band. Match that profile and the protector does the job.
- Preservation
UV Protection for Graded Cards
Your slab is sealed. Your holo is not safe. Window sun through a humid HK summer can dull a chase card in two seasons.
- Grading Spec
PSA 10 Centering Requirements Explained
PSA 9 is the most expensive grade. Not because the card is bad. Because centering failed by a few percent and you still paid the full grading fee. Measure first. It is the cheapest filter you have.
- Workflow
From Raw Card to Protected Slab: Grading Then Outer Case
"Grade or protect first" is the wrong question: raw cards do not fit a 35PT outer case. Grading and protection are sequential steps at different moments. Both paths end with a protected slab; raw submit usually needs $25+ raw value and a 2–4× PSA 10 upside.
- Authentication
PSA Slab Authentication Guide
A clean cert lookup means nothing. Forgers steal real PSA cert numbers every week. Here are the five physical checks that catch them after the registry says "valid."
- Display
Display Graded Cards: Safe Setup for Your Slabs
Buyers judge the holder before the card inside. One scuff or hazy label can cost you half the negotiation before the cardboard shows wear. Display is protection with the collection visible.
- Slab Workflow
PSA Regrade vs Reholder: When to Choose
A scratched slab is not always a grading problem. Reholder fixes the shell. Regrade reopens the score. Pick wrong and you pay twice or lose a PSA 10 you already had.
- Grading Spec
PSA Grading Standards, Qualifiers & Record Sales Explained
A PSA 10 can sell for six figures. A PSA 9 on the same card might not clear four. The gap is not luck. It is the 1–10 scale, Qualifier codes, and centering rules buyers already use at checkout.
- Hong Kong
Hong Kong TCG Grading Submission: PSA Proxy at 138 Arena
Hong Kong TCG collectors can drop off at 138 Arena, Causeway Bay, for face-to-face intake while Appaw Store proxies Pokémon, One Piece, MTG, and sports cards to PSA. Service fees start at HKD 850. Every batch gets a BAT reference code for online status lookup on Appaw. If you have time, check centering against PSA 10 thresholds (55/45 front, 75/25 back) to improve your odds of a gem grade.