10 Common Card Flaws That Quietly Lower Your Grade

Most cards do not fail grading because of one obvious disaster. They fail because of small, easy-to-miss flaws that add up. Here are ten of the most common culprits.

1. Off-center borders

The number-one grade killer. Even a great-looking card caps at a 9 if the artwork sits too far to one side.

2. Corner whitening

Tiny white specks at the corner tips, often invisible until you tilt the card under light.

3. Edge chipping

Especially on holo and dark-bordered cards, where the foil or ink can flake along the border.

4. Print lines

Faint lines from the printing process that run across the surface. They are factory defects, but they still lower the grade.

5. Surface scratches

Hairlines on the holo layer that only show up at an angle. The most commonly missed flaw.

6. Silvering

A worn, silvery look along the edges of foil cards from handling.

7. Indentations

Small dents pressed into the card from being stacked or handled, visible as soft spots.

8. Clouding or scuffing

A hazy area on the surface, often from rubbing against a sleeve or another card.

9. Back damage

Off-center backs, scuffs, and edge wear that collectors forget to check.

10. Bends and creases

The most serious flaw — even a light bend can cap a card at a low grade.

Catch them before you pay

The problem with these flaws is that they hide. Cardemon scans the full front and back and flags exactly what it finds — whitening, scratches, print lines, off-center cuts — so nothing sneaks past you before a submission. Run a card through the app and you will know its weak points instantly.