A Pokémon slab—the sealed plastic holder around a graded card—can have scratches or discoloration without the card sharing that damage. Record case wear separately from card condition because the assigned grade evaluates the card, not ordinary cosmetic wear on the holder. A visible mark becomes a card-condition issue only when evidence places it on the card. When its location remains unclear, describe the mark without guessing.
Table of Contents
- What the grade actually covers
- How to inspect a suspicious mark
- Which marks count as holder wear?
- When case damage becomes a serious warning
- Write notes buyers can verify
What the grade actually covers
PSA assesses a card's surface, edges, centering, folds, creases, staining, and other damage when assigning a grade. Its grading overview describes the result as an assessment of the card's quality and condition. Grader Notes follow the same distinction.
They document card defects under corners, edges, surface, and centering, with examples such as edge fraying, discoloration, and a bent corner. A PSA 10 inside a scratched holder is therefore not automatically contradictory. The scratch matters to the card's grade only if it is actually on the card.
How to inspect a suspicious mark
Begin by trying to locate the mark's physical layer. Use clear photographs and view the slab under changing light and from several angles.
Reflections can obscure the card, so no single photograph should settle an uncertain case. Use this sequence: Avoid converting uncertainty into a card defect. "Visible line over the lower-right artwork; cannot determine through the holder whether it is on the plastic or card" is more accurate than "card scratch" without confirmation.
- Look for a line, haze, or discoloration on the outer plastic.
- Change the viewing angle and observe whether the mark appears separated from the card.
- Check whether it crosses the holder's molded features or continues beyond the card's border.
- Examine the corresponding area from the back when the holder design allows it.
- If the evidence remains inconclusive, label the location as uncertain.
Which marks count as holder wear?
PSA lists superficial slab scuffs and scratches, exterior-plastic discoloration, dulled holder edges or corners, and label fading as limited holder wear. Its Reholder service normally replaces the plastic while retaining the existing grade, authentication result, and certification number, demonstrating the separation between ordinary case wear and the assigned card grade. cgc draws a similar boundary but adds useful cautions.
Its policy distinguishes qualifying scratches, scuffs, or blemishes in or on the holder from prismatic "rainbows," which are light effects rather than defects. It also says marks inside the holder caused by contact with the collectible are not holder defects under that policy. CGC's holder-defect guidance therefore does not support treating every visible mark as harmless exterior wear. A condition note can keep these categories separate:.
- Holder: superficial front-plastic scuff and faded label.
- Card: no card defect confirmed through the holder.
- Uncertain: thin line visible over the holographic area; physical layer undetermined.
When case damage becomes a serious warning
A damaged holder deserves more caution when the problem goes beyond cosmetic wear. PSA's terms say a tampered or fractured case, or evidence that the card's condition changed after grading, can prevent ordinary reholdering.
In that situation, PSA may treat the card as raw and reevaluate it, which can produce a lower grade. Reholdering should not be presented as guaranteed when the slab shows fracture, tampering, or a possible post-grading condition change. Warning signs to document plainly include:.
- A fracture rather than a superficial scratch.
- Visible evidence that the case has been opened or altered.
- Damage that appears to reach the card.
- A mark that cannot confidently be assigned to either the holder or the card.
Write notes buyers can verify
Useful condition notes identify the object, location, and degree of certainty. "Scratched" alone is inadequate because it does not tell the reader whether the scratch affects the holder, the card, or both.
For a cosmetic case issue, write: "Superficial scuff on the front outer plastic above the card name; no card-surface damage confirmed." For a confirmed card issue, name the affected card area, such as the front surface, edge, or corner. Do not silently merge the label grade, card observations, and slab wear into one condition judgment. If the location remains uncertain, write: "Visible line in the lower-right area; cannot determine through the holder whether it is on the plastic or card.".
