The DSG
Grading Scale

Four sharp corners with room for one whisper-light corner touch, or up to two very minor surface or edge flaws — a faint printer’s mark or a tiny border imperfection. Without magnification it reads very close to a gem.

Corners look sharp unaided but may show slight wear under magnification — up to two of them. A couple of very slight edge chips, small scratches, or printer’s marks are acceptable, none of them obvious to the naked eye.

Slight corner wear, minor scratching, and some small print spots. Print lines or refractor lines are acceptable, and the cut can be slightly skewed.

Slight corner fuzzing is evident, a skewed cut may be more apparent, focus or registration can be off, edges may be mildly rough, and the surface may have lost its original luster.

Minor corner rounding or fuzzing, rough or chipped edges, and up to one very slight one-sided surface crease. Original luster may be gone and some scratching present, but the card still looks good.

Slightly rounded corners with noticeable surface wear. Light hairline one-sided creases may show on the front and back, and a small tear (1/8″ or less) or minor surface damage may exist.

Rounded — but not excessive — corners and stronger creasing. Weaker focus and registration, discoloration, and staining become more noticeable at this grade.

Typically shows one or more print marks, smudges or stains, multiple two-sided creases, pinholes or small tears, surface scuffing, rounded corners, and ink or pencil marks.

The lowest grade possible — you can clearly see this card has lived a life. But inside DSG encapsulation, one thing is 100% certain: it’s an authentic card, not a counterfeit. Often graded simply because its owner loves it.