Pokémon condition screening
Pokémon collectors screening raw singlesPokémon Card Grader for Holo, Border and Whitening Checks
Pokémon cards can look flawless in a binder while small back-edge whitening, corner softness or holo scratches change the submission decision. This page focuses the CardRevive workflow on those franchise-specific capture risks without promising set recognition, authenticity or a professional result.
New accounts receive three grading credits. The first image stays in private browser storage while you review the crop; no anonymous AI request is made and no credit is spent before sign-in.
A route-specific workflow
How to use this page
Capture the complete front
Keep the full yellow, silver, black or borderless perimeter visible. For holo cards, use diffuse light that reveals the surface without placing a white reflection across the artwork.
Treat the back as essential
A front-only image misses common Pokémon submission risks. Add a sharp back capture so blue-border whitening, corner wear and print dots are not inferred from the wrong side.
Match advice to the card era
Read the findings in context: a vintage holo, a modern textured alternate art and a non-holo common do not expose surface or centering evidence in the same way.
What you receive
Separate eye appeal from grade-limiting evidence
The report gives you a place to compare border balance, the familiar blue-back edge and corner condition, and surface evidence from holo or textured areas. Modern full-art designs may provide less geometric centering evidence, while vintage cards often need especially clear back images to distinguish whitening from dust or compression.
Pokémon-specific evidence worth capturing
- Back-border whitening at all four corners and along the blue perimeter
- Holofoil scratches, print lines, scuffs or glare that crosses the artwork window
- Front border balance on conventional designs and confidence limits on full-art layouts
- Silvering, edge chips, dents or binder pressure visible around older card stock
Worked decision example
Example: vintage holo with strong front eye appeal
A Base-era holo looks clean in a listing photo, and the collector is deciding whether to buy it raw for grading. The available images include a direct front scan and a high-resolution back.
How to interpret it
The report can make the visible corner and centering trade-off explicit while keeping surface confidence below absolute certainty. It cannot tell whether an unseen angled-light scratch or indentation will appear during in-hand grading.
Practical next step
Ask for an angled-light surface photo before purchasing or submitting, then use the likely range rather than assuming the clean front guarantees a top grade.
Vintage and modern Pokémon need different caution
Older Pokémon stock often shows edge wear, silvering and holo scratching that a seller's compressed photo softens. A high-resolution back and a separate surface angle can be more decision-useful than another front-facing beauty shot.
Modern textured and borderless cards shift the problem. Texture and foil create complex highlights, and missing conventional borders can make automatic centering ratios non-binding. In those cases, the report should lean more on visible design alignment and disclose weaker measurement confidence.
Identification is a convenience, not authentication
The AI may identify a Pokémon name, set or card number from visible artwork and text, but that label is not a database-backed authenticity certificate. Language variants, reprints, promos and convincing counterfeits can share similar visual elements.
For expensive purchases, verify provenance and card-specific authenticity markers separately. Condition grading and authentication answer different questions, even when both begin with photographs.
Intent-specific answers
Questions collectors ask here
Can CardRevive tell whether a Pokémon card is fake?
No. The workflow estimates visible condition; it is not designed to authenticate printing, stock, ink, holo patterns or provenance. Use specialist authentication for a high-value or suspicious card.
Will a borderless Pokémon card get a centering score?
It may receive a visual assessment, but a dependable numeric ratio needs usable geometry. When borders or contour confidence are insufficient, the system can mark centering as defaulted instead of claiming a measurement.
Should I scan a Pokémon card inside a penny sleeve?
Remove plastic when it is safe to do so. Sleeve dust, scratches and glare can be mistaken for defects on the card, especially over dark backs and holofoil surfaces.
Start with the card evidence
Open the private upload starter for this exact route. The source path is preserved through crop, signup and later conversion events so this page can be evaluated on outcomes—not search visits alone.
CardRevive is independent and is not affiliated with PSA, Beckett/BGS, TAG or other grading companies. Estimates are not official grades, authentication or guarantees.