Submission & Grading Terms

These terms are written for the RGC submission workflow and should be reviewed by qualified legal counsel before the site is used for live customer transactions.

1. Grading is a professional opinion

Customer acknowledges that trading-card grading involves judgment and is inherently subjective. RGC evaluates cards using its grading standards and may consider factors including centering, corners, edges, surface, print quality, structural integrity, visible alterations, and overall condition. The grade assigned to a card is RGC's good-faith professional opinion of that card's condition at the time of evaluation.

2. AI-assisted tools and human review

RGC may use artificial-intelligence tools, image-analysis tools, measurement tools, or other technology to support the grading process and promote consistency. These tools are decision-support tools. A human grader reviews the card and the final grade before certification.

3. No guarantee of agreement with another grader

Customer understands that reasonable graders may reach different conclusions when evaluating the same card. RGC does not guarantee that another grading company, dealer, buyer, marketplace, or collector would assign the same grade. A disagreement with an assigned grade, by itself, does not establish that RGC made an error.

4. No guarantee of market value

An RGC grade is an opinion of condition and is not an appraisal, promise of resale value, investment recommendation, or guarantee that a card will increase or maintain its market value.

5. Submission eligibility

RGC currently accepts only standard-size sports trading cards that are compatible with RGC-supported holders. RGC does not currently accept Pokémon cards or other non-sports trading card game (TCG) cards, including Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, or similar products. Oversized, undersized, unusually thick, specialty-format, or otherwise incompatible cards may be declined and returned ungraded.

Each submitted card must have an estimated ungraded/raw market value of $1,500 or less at the time it is sent to RGC. This value limit is based on the card's estimated raw value before grading and not on any projected or possible value after an RGC grade is assigned.

If RGC determines in good faith that a submitted card has an estimated raw market value above $1,500, RGC will not grade the card and will return it to the customer. No refund will be issued for that card. Amounts paid for the ineligible card will be retained and applied toward return shipping, handling, intake, administrative processing, and related costs. The customer remains responsible for any additional shipping or insurance cost reasonably required to return the card safely.

Items outside RGC's accepted category or size requirements may also be returned ungraded. The customer is responsible for applicable return shipping and handling costs.

6. Card ownership and authenticity

Customer represents that they own the submitted card or are authorized to submit it. Customer agrees not to knowingly submit counterfeit, stolen, materially altered, or otherwise fraudulent items. RGC may decline to grade or encapsulate an item if authenticity, alteration, size, safety, or holder compatibility is in question.

7. Fees

Grading fees and return-shipping charges are due as shown at checkout. Unless required by law or otherwise stated in writing, grading work performed on a submitted card remains chargeable even if the card receives a lower grade than the customer expected. Fees retained under the $1,500 raw-value eligibility policy are treated as shipping, handling, intake, administrative processing, and related service charges.

8. Shipping

Customer is responsible for securely packaging and shipping cards to RGC using a trackable method. Risk during inbound shipment remains with the customer and carrier until RGC receives the package. RGC will use the return-shipping service selected during checkout after the order is completed.

9. Turnaround estimates

Any turnaround time shown by RGC is an estimate and may be affected by order volume, research needs, holidays, carrier delays, equipment issues, or other circumstances. Estimated turnaround time is not a guaranteed completion date.

10. Encapsulation and certification

Cards accepted for grading may be encapsulated and assigned an RGC certification number. RGC may decline encapsulation where an item is incompatible with the holder, suspected to be altered or counterfeit, or otherwise unsuitable for certification.

11. Customer acknowledgment and electronic signature

To create an RGC account, Customer must affirmatively accept these Terms of Service and type their full legal name as an electronic signature. By doing so, Customer confirms that they have read, understood, and agree to these terms, including RGC's submission eligibility requirements, the $1,500 maximum estimated raw-value limit, the return/no-refund policy for cards determined to exceed that limit, and the acknowledgment that trading-card grading involves professional judgment and that the final assigned grade is RGC's good-faith professional opinion based on the condition observed at the time of evaluation.

RGC may maintain an electronic record of the customer's acceptance, including the name entered as the electronic signature, the date and time of acceptance, the applicable Terms version, and other transaction records reasonably necessary to document consent.