Glossary · 12 essential terms
TCG Card Grading Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the twelve most-searched trading card grading terms. Written by AuraGrade with the same rubric our pre-grading pipeline uses — so the definition lines up with how the score is actually computed.
- PSA 10PSA 10 means Gem Mint — a near-flawless trading card with 55/45 centering, sharp corners, clean edges, and pristine surface. Strict definition + examples.
- CenteringCentering measures border symmetry as a left/right and top/bottom ratio. 55/45 passes PSA 10; 60/40 triggers a miscut qualifier. How it's measured.
- Bucket-Floor RuleThe bucket-floor rule (weakest-axis rule) caps a composite grade at one tier above the lowest-scoring axis. How it works and why graders use it.
- Holo BleedHolo bleed is a printing defect where the holographic foil extends beyond its intended frame, common on Yu-Gi-Oh Ultra and Secret Rares. Why it caps grades.
- Edge WhiteningEdge whitening is the white cardstock showing through worn edges on dark-bordered cards. Devastating to MTG and YGO grades. How to detect and prevent it.
- 1st Edition1st Edition marks the first print run of a TCG set, identified by a small stamp. It's a value modifier, not a condition grade — and significantly rarer than Unlimited.
- BGS Black LabelBGS Black Label is a Beckett Pristine 10 with all four subgrades at 10. Roughly 1 in 10,000 modern cards qualify. How it differs from PSA 10 and CGC Pristine 10.
- CGC Pristine 10CGC Pristine 10 requires subgrade 10s across all four axes — stricter than PSA 10's composite-only standard. How CGC's grading scale compares.
- RefractorA refractor is a Topps Chrome or Bowman card with a prismatic chromium surface that splits light into a rainbow shimmer. Why refractors scratch easily.
- SlabA slab is the tamper-evident plastic case a grading house seals around a card after assigning a grade. It carries the grade, cert number, and protects the card.
- SubgradeSubgrades break a card's grade into four separate scores — centering, corners, edges, surface — each from 1 to 10 in half-point steps. BGS uses them; PSA does not.
- Submission TierPSA submission tiers are priced by card value: Bulk ($15-25/card) to Walkthrough ($300+/card) with matching turnaround times. How to pick the right tier.
Related reading