Trading Card Glossary › Grading & Authentication
Subgrades
Also known as: sub-grades
Subgrades are the four individual scores that Beckett Grading Services (BGS) assigns to each card: Centering, Corners, Edges, and Surface. Each is scored on a 1–10 scale (with half-points), and the overall BGS grade is a composite of these four scores. Subgrades appear on the BGS label, giving collectors detailed insight into a card's specific strengths and weaknesses. A card with a BGS 9.5 overall but a 10 surface subgrade is often considered more desirable than one with all 9.5 subgrades.
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