HOW TO CLEAN AND PREPARE YOUR CARDS FOR GRADING

Cards that look perfect from one angle can reveal flaws from another. Card graders have the advantage of high-resolution digital imaging and sometimes even automated software to find every defect on a card. So, pay close attention as you’re cleaning and preparing your cards, and don’t be afraid to pull anything that doesn’t look as good as you initially thought.

Here is what you need – and what you need to do:

· Clean, dry hands – When you’re trying to clean your raw cards, you can’t leave new fingerprints or other marks. (And you’d be surprised how little dirt or oil is required to leave a fingerprint.) Plus, if your hands are slippery, you’ll struggle to handle penny sleeves and Card Savers. Wash and dry your hands, then wait a couple of minutes –without touching anything – for your hands to fully dry before you touch cards.

· Good lighting – I like to have two lights on when I review cards – one overhead light, and one desk light (like a small lamp). You’ll sometimes need to hold up a card and look at it in different angles of light to ensure you’re aware of any small defects, like surface lines or scratches, before a grader finds them.

· Flat, smooth surface – I don’t generally recommend cleaning cards directly on any surface in your home (a counter top, a desk, etc.). The surface is neither as smooth nor as clean as you think. Could you do it anyway? Sure, but the process of cleaning raw cards involves pressing down on the card (gently!), so any imperfections on your work surface will leave their mark on the card. Buy a flat, smooth work surface that can be wiped clean, and discard it for a new one if you see warping, scratch marks, or other defects start to appear.

· Soft microfiber cloth – Use this to remove dust and fingerprints from your card. Fold the cloth so you’re using a clean section, and don’t leave extra cloth flopping around where it can snag a corner of the card. Wipe in ONE direction at a time, up and down the edges, then outward on the corners. Press gently as you wipe – some cards will give up ink or paper if you press too hard, and if that happens, you’ll have a bad time. Also, don’t wipe back and forth or in circles unless you’re in the center region of the card – that’s the only place it can (usually) be done safely, without causing inadvertent edge or corner damage. ALSO – when the cloth looks dirty, throw it out! They’re cheap, buy extras and don’t risk your cards!

· Penny sleeves – think of the soft plastic “penny sleeve” as the card’s underwear, while the Card Saver is the card's pants (or dress, or onesie, or whatever). The penny sleeve will prevent the surface of your card from being scratched, and will also prevent it from moving inside a Card Saver while your box is in transit to the grading company. When loading the card into the penny sleeve, be careful not to damage the bottom corners of the card. PRO TIP: The penny sleeve can be used to lift cards off of slick surfaces, so that you don’t have to swipe at the card and damage it while trying to pick it up.

· Card Savers or other semi-rigid holders – just as you can’t walk into a restaurant in your underwear, you can’t send cards to a grading company in penny sleeves alone. Place each penny-sleeved card in its own Card Saver – no doubling up or any of that nonsense. Semi-rigid holders like the Card Saver are larger than the card itself, flexible, and – most importantly for the grader – easy for someone to remove and replace the card without damaging it. Be sure to use the correct size for your cards, so you don’t negate the benefit; Card Saver I is the most common size for standard cards.

Remember to buy your supplies in bulk, well in advance of when you need them. A pack of penny sleeves can be 3x-4x more expensive if you purchase a couple bags at a time at a hobby shop instead of buying 10 or 20 bags at a time online. Also, always buy more than you think you’ll need; plastic card supplies are occasionally defective, and you don’t want to come up short near the end of your card review project.