How AI Pokémon Card Grading Works

When you upload a card to PokéGem Grader, Claude (Anthropic's AI) visually inspects the image the same way a human grader would — examining centering, corners, edges, and surface condition. Here's exactly what happens.

Step 1: Card Identification

The AI first identifies the card: name, set, year, number, rarity, and language. This is used to fetch current market pricing from TCGPlayer and compute submission ROI.

Step 2: Defect Analysis

Claude scans four categories:

• Centering — Border ratio on front and back (e.g., 55/45). PSA allows up to 60/40 on front for a 10; BGS requires 55/45.
• Corners — Whitening, fraying, creasing, or bending at all four corners.
• Edges — Chipping, nicking, denting, or silvering on all four edges.
• Surface — Scratches, print lines, stains, holo scratches, and creases.

Step 3: Rules Engine

The defect data flows into a rules engine that computes grade estimates for each company. PSA uses a whole-number scale; BGS and CGC use 0.5-point increments with public subgrades; SGC uses 0.5-point increments and is known for strict surface grading.

Accuracy & Limitations

AI grading is most accurate for clearly lit, high-resolution images. It struggles with:

• Subtle holo scratches that only appear at certain angles
• Very fine corner fraying invisible at standard photo resolution
• Print defects on the card back that are hard to photograph

Think of our grades as a pre-screening tool — they help you decide which cards are worth submitting before paying grading fees.

Authentication

The AI also checks for signs of counterfeit or reprint cards — incorrect fonts, border colors, back patterns, or holographic inconsistencies. This is AI-only and should always be confirmed by a professional grader for high-value cards.