Collector Knowledge Base

The Visual Standard™

The hobby's premier registry of technical grading metrics. We define the "Ideal 10" through pixel-perfect centering ratios and structural forensics.

The Registry: Ideal 10 Technical Metrics

DATA CERTIFIED

Basketball Standard

Ideal Centering 50/50

Pixel Ratio Standard L: 24px, R: 24px (Top: 18px, Bottom: 18px)

Corner Radius 0.5mm

Hobby Alpha Premium $200,000+

Surface Note: Look for specific Fleer print dots in the blue border.

DATA CERTIFIED

TCG Standard

Ideal Centering 50/50

Pixel Ratio Standard L: 32px, R: 32px

Corner Radius 1.2mm

Hobby Alpha Premium $350,000+

Surface Note: Holofoil must be free of vertical print lines or 'silvering' on edges.

DATA CERTIFIED

Football Standard

Ideal Centering 50/50

Pixel Ratio Standard Uniform border width across all cardstock layers

Corner Radius 0.3mm

Hobby Alpha Premium $1,200,000+

Surface Note: Check for foil chipping on the signature region.

Susceptible Sets: Japanese Pokemon / early Wizards

Tiny specks of foil showing along the edges. Common in Japanese Holos.

Impact: -0.5 to -1.0 Grade

Susceptible Sets: Panini Prizm / Optic

Horizontal or vertical indentations caused by factory printing machinery.

Impact: Max Grade: 9 (Auto-Fail 10)

Susceptible Sets: Paper Stock (Topps Heritage, Vintage)

Loss of a sharp, pointed corner. Often mistaken for "whitening" but actually a structural crush.

Impact: Severe (-2.0 Grade)

Metric Definitions

Our AI evaluates cards against a "True Gem" standard. Here is how the numbers correlate to physical condition.

Grade	Condition	Centering (Front)	Defects Allowed
10.0	Gem Mint	55/45 or better	Zero microscropic flaws.
9.5	Mint+	60/40 or better	1 minor flaw (e.g., tiny corner speck).
9.0	Mint	65/35 or better	Minor print line or light corner touch.
8.0	NM-MT	70/30 or better	Soft corners, visible surface scratches.
< 7.0	Raw/Binder	Off-centered	Creases, heavy whitening, dents.

Compare your cards against the Visual Standard Registry. Our AI provides 99.8% measurement accuracy for sub-millimeter edge flaws.

Begin High-Mag Analysis Professional Plans