At Legacy Card And Comic Book Grading, we grade a wide range of trading cards and comic books from modern and vintage collections.
Before a collectible is encapsulated, it must be suitable for grading and safe to place within a Legacy slab.
This page provides general guidance on the types of collectibles we can grade and circumstances where an item may not be eligible for our standard grading service.
Trading Cards We Grade
Legacy accepts trading cards from a wide variety of manufacturers, franchises, languages and eras.
This can include:
Trading Card Games • Sports Cards • Collectible Cards • Promotional Cards • Vintage Cards • Modern Cards • International Cards
Cards do not necessarily need to be new or in high-grade condition. Collectibles displaying wear or damage may still be eligible for grading provided they can be safely handled, assessed and encapsulated.
If you are unsure whether we can grade a particular card, please contact us before submitting it.
Comic Books We Grade
Legacy accepts a wide range of modern and vintage comic books.
Eligibility depends on factors including the comic’s dimensions, construction, condition and suitability for encapsulation within our available slab formats.
Comic books do not need to be in high-grade condition to be submitted. Lower-grade and well-read comics may still be eligible provided their condition allows them to be safely assessed and encapsulated.
Authentication
Where authentication forms part of the service, Legacy examines the collectible for characteristics consistent with the item it is presented as.
This may include consideration of the collectible’s printing, materials, construction, design and other identifiable characteristics.
Authentication and condition grading are separate considerations.
A collectible being genuine does not mean it will receive a particular numerical grade. The numerical grade represents the condition of the collectible presented to us.
Custom & Fan-Art Cards
Legacy may accept certain custom, fan-art or unofficial cards for condition grading and encapsulation.
These items are treated differently from officially manufactured trading cards.
Where a card is identified or submitted as a custom, fan-art or unofficial item, the Legacy grade represents an assessment of its physical condition only.
Encapsulation of such an item does not represent authentication, endorsement or confirmation that the item is an officially licensed or manufacturer-issued trading card.
Where appropriate, the certification record or slab label may identify the item as custom, fan art or unofficial.
This distinction helps collectors clearly understand what has been graded.
Signed Collectibles
Certain signed trading cards and comic books may be eligible for grading and encapsulation.
Unless specifically stated otherwise as part of the service provided, a Legacy grade relates to the condition of the collectible and should not automatically be interpreted as authentication of an autograph.
If autograph authentication is not specifically offered for the submission, the presence of a signature does not mean Legacy has verified who signed the item.
We recommend contacting us before submitting an unusual or high-value signed collectible.
Misprints & Manufacturing Errors
Manufacturing errors and unusual production characteristics can occur across both trading cards and comic books.
Depending on the item, Legacy may accept collectibles displaying characteristics such as:
Printing Errors • Cutting Errors • Off-Centre Printing • Ink Errors • Production Marks • Other Manufacturing Variations
Acceptance of an item for grading does not necessarily mean that a particular characteristic will be formally recognised or designated as an official error or variation.
Where appropriate, manufacturing characteristics may also affect the condition grade.
Altered Collectibles
Items that appear to have been deliberately altered may require additional consideration and may not be eligible for standard numerical grading.
Alterations can include characteristics such as:
Trimming • Recolouring • Surface Modification • Added Material • Removed Material • Artificial Enhancement • Other Deliberate Physical Alterations
Where Legacy believes an alteration prevents an accurate or appropriate condition assessment, we may decline to grade the collectible.
Restored Comic Books
Restoration can significantly affect how a comic book should be assessed and represented.
Potential restoration may include alterations such as:
Colour Touch • Piece Replacement • Tear Sealing • Cleaning • Reinforcement • Re-glossing • Trimming • Other Material Changes
Where restoration is identified or suspected, the comic may require different treatment from an unrestored example.
Legacy reserves the right to decline an item where its condition, alteration or restoration makes it unsuitable for our grading or encapsulation service.
Counterfeit or Reproduction Items
Items submitted as genuine officially manufactured collectibles that Legacy determines, or reasonably believes, to be counterfeit or unauthorised reproductions will not receive a standard authenticated numerical grade as a genuine item.
This is different from a clearly identified custom or fan-art card submitted specifically for condition grading.
A custom card can be graded as a custom item without any suggestion that it is an official product. An item presented as genuine but found not to be genuine cannot be treated in the same way.
Damaged Collectibles
Damage does not automatically make a collectible ineligible for grading.
Lower-grade cards and comics form an important part of collecting, particularly with older and historically significant items.
However, exceptionally severe damage may make safe grading or encapsulation impossible.
Examples can include collectibles that are:
Extensively torn • Structurally unstable • Contaminated • Excessively warped • Severely deteriorated • Unsafe to handle or encapsulate
In these circumstances, Legacy may decline the item rather than risk causing further damage during the grading or encapsulation process.
Unusual Sizes & Formats
Our slabs are designed to accommodate particular collectible dimensions.
Oversized, unusually shaped, exceptionally thick or otherwise non-standard collectibles may not fit our available holders.
If you are considering submitting an unusual item, we recommend contacting Legacy before sending it to us.
We can confirm whether a suitable encapsulation option is currently available.
Items We May Decline
Legacy reserves the right to decline any collectible that we believe cannot be accurately assessed, appropriately represented or safely encapsulated.
This may include items where:
Authenticity cannot be reasonably established
The collectible has significant unidentified alterations
Its dimensions are incompatible with our available slabs
Its condition makes safe handling or encapsulation unsuitable
The collectible presents a contamination or safety concern
There is insufficient information to accurately identify or represent the item
Where possible, we will explain why an item cannot be processed through our standard grading service.
Not Sure If Your Collectible Is Eligible?
If you have something unusual, you don’t need to guess.
Contact the Legacy team before submitting and provide clear photographs of the front and rear of the collectible, together with any relevant information about the item.
We’ll let you know whether it is suitable for submission before you send it to us.
Your Cards. Your Comics. Your Legacy.