Card Grading Scales: PSA, BGS and CGC Explained

BGS (Beckett) Grading: Subgrades, Half Points and the Black Label

Quick answer

How Beckett grades cards in its own words: the four subgrades (centering, corners, edges, surface), half-point grades, and what a Pristine 10 Black Label requires.

Updated 2026-09-10 · Sources: Beckett

Grades are quoted from the grading companies' own published standards. A grade describes condition; it is not a value and not a guarantee that two companies would agree.

Download on the App Store

What are the key facts?

Scale: Half-point grading scale – from 1 (Poor) to 10 (Pristine), in 0.5 increments
Subgrades: Centering, corners, edges, surface
Labels: Every grade earns a color-coded label — Black for perfect 10s, Gold for Gem Mint, Silver for all others.

The four subgrades

Centering: Centering refers to the alignment of the card within its borders. A card with perfect centering has even borders on all sides.
Corners: The corners of a trading card are one of the most critical factors in determining the card's grade. The card should be free of dings, creases, bends, or discoloration.
Edges: The edges of a trading card are another factor that is considered in grading. The edges should be crisp and free of any fraying, chipping, and dings.
Surface: The surface of the trading card refers to the front and back of the card. The surface should be free of any stains, smudges, or scratches.

Half-point grades

Please note that Beckett Grading Services provides final grades in half-point increments (i.e., 10, 9.5, 9, 8.5 etc.). Cards that are assigned a grade with a half-point increment typically share characteristics from both the level above and the level below the actual grade given.

What a Pristine 10 Black Label requires

Centering: 50/50 all around on front. 55/45 or better on back.
Corners and edges: Perfect to the naked eye and virtually flawless under intense scrutiny.
Surface: No print spots. Flawless color, devoid of registration or focus imperfections. Devoid of scratches and metallic print lines.

Label colors: BLACK Perfect Pristine 10's GOLD Pristine 10 & Gem Mint 9.5 SILVER All other grades.

What Beckett has not published

Beckett's grading page does not publish the arithmetic for turning four subgrades into the final grade, and no official Beckett or PSA page states an equivalence between a BGS 9.5 or Black Label 10 and a PSA 10. Treat any such conversion as opinion.

FAQ

What is a BGS Black Label?

A Pristine 10 with all four subgrades at 10: 50/50 all around on front. 55/45 or better on back. No print spots. Flawless color, devoid of registration or focus imperfections. Devoid of scratches and metallic print lines.

Is a BGS 9.5 the same as a PSA 10?

Neither company publishes an equivalence. Each grades to its own written standard, and the subgrade system means two BGS 9.5 cards can differ in where they lost points.

Why did my card get a half-point grade?

Cards that are assigned a grade with a half-point increment typically share characteristics from both the level above and the level below the actual grade given.

See what your cards are really worth.

Start with a single scan.

Download on the App Store

Sources

Beckettwww.beckett.com/grading

Compiled by the StarLens editorial team

Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above and quoted rather than paraphrased where numbers are involved; anything the sources do not state is marked as not confirmed. Checked 2026-09-10. We do not sell, grade or appraise items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.