In order to buy, sell, or trade effectively, a collector needs to be able to accurately assess card condition, especially for raw (ungraded) cards. This quick seminar gives resources and practice activities and even features a "final exam" of sorts. Start by reading Cardhound's Ultimate Vintage Sports Raw Card Condition Guide. 

Other helpful resources before getting started are PSA's Grading Standards and SGC's Grading Scale. Ideally, you get good enough at assessing raw cards that if you submit any for grading, you won't be surprised by the results.

Tools / materials to gather include:

• A good LED light or desk lamp. Mine has a built-in magnifier.
• A jeweler's loupe or other magnifier (optional)
• A card centering app or tool 

Once you're ready, let's get to work! Scroll down the the Introductions thread first and then work through Activities 1-4 in any order, but save the "Final" for last!

The Cardhound Community is glad to offer free advice regarding the following:

• "Should I grade this card?"
• "What grade would this card receive?"

All members are free to chime in with opinions, and Cardhound Admin (chvadmin) will both monitor advice for accuracy and offer "official" Cardhound opinions.

HOW TO USE:

1. Post just a few cards per submission.

2. Post high-resolution scans or good pictures of front and back. Attach here or link us to a folder.

3. Verbally describe any defects not clearly visible in photos. 

Disclaimers:  We obviously cannot guarantee any grade or outcome, or that a card has not been altered and therefore is not eligible for a grade at all! All final decisions and outcomes are the responsibility of the card owner / submitter. Grading cards from pictures is less reliable than having a card in hand, and grading is a subjective process. But in general, we understand SGC and PSA grading scales and can help folks make sound decisions about whether grading a certain card is worth the expense. 

Buy / Sell / Trade welcome here, but use the usual precautions. There is also a Gold-member Forum which includes Buy / Sell / Trade and Gold members can also list Classifieds for a public audience. 

New members, feel free to introduce yourselves to other Club members!