Should You Grade That Card?

A “raw” card is any card that has not been professionally graded and encased in a tamper-evident plastic holder (called a “slab”). Raw cards are ungraded, unslabbed, and typically sell for less than their graded equivalents — though the gap varies widely depending on the player, set, and condition. CrackorKeep analyzes your raw cards and estimates what grade they'd likely receive from PSA or other grading companies, giving you accurate card price context before you commit to a submission.

CrackorKeep is a free sports card pre-grading app powered by Claude AI's vision model. CrackorKeep evaluates the same four categories named in PSA's published grading standards — centering, corners, edges, and surface — using its own estimation model rather than PSA's grading process. The card scanner can identify cards instantly from your photos, and estimates a grade on the standard 1–10 scale with a plain-English recommendation on whether the card is worth submitting. The more photos you upload — front, back, corner close-ups — the more accurate the analysis. Results are estimates, not official grades.

For the most accurate analysis, upload the front and back of the card, plus close-up shots of all four corners. Shoot in natural light without flash — flash causes glare on chrome and foil cards that hides surface defects. Lay the card flat on a dark, neutral background and keep the camera steady. Avoid holding the card by the edges. CrackorKeep supports up to 4 card images per analysis — the more angles you provide, the more precise your grade estimate will be.

Before sending cards for grading, use CrackorKeep to estimate your grade and confirm it's worth the fee, then follow the selected grading company's current official instructions. For PSA, place each card in a clear penny sleeve and then a semi-rigid holder; do not use top loaders, tape, pull tabs, or sticky notes. Keep PSA cards in the exact order shown on the submission form, protect the stack between cardboard dividers, and ship it in a new box with padding, tracking, and appropriate insurance. Other grading companies may have different requirements, so verify their current instructions and mailing address before sending.

Yes — CrackorKeep works for hockey cards, baseball cards, basketball cards, football cards, soccer cards, and other trading cards including Pokemon cards and TCG cards. It handles base cards, rookie cards, refractors, chrome parallels, autographs, jersey relics, and vintage cards (pre-1980). For vintage cards, the AI adjusts its expectations since minor wear is normal and expected as part of the card collecting journey. Select your card type in the form for the most accurate analysis.

Yes, free to use — no account and no credit card required. Reasonable daily usage limits help us keep it free for everyone. CrackorKeep is an essential tool for any card collector, built and maintained by Mark Marino, who runs Hub City Collectibles, his eBay sports-card store. He built this grading app because he uses it himself before submitting cards to PSA.

We don’t have enough graded results back yet to publish a real accuracy rate — and we’re not going to make one up. As real submissions return from PSA and CGC, we’re logging CrackorKeep’s estimate next to the official grade and will share honest numbers once there’s enough data to mean something. You can follow individual results as they come in on the From My Collection blog.