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Chapter 18

What Impacts a Card’s Grade the Most? (Ranked)

1. Surface

Surface carries the most weight because:

scratches

dents

foil damage

print lines

coating defects

These dramatically change visual quality.

2. Corners

Corners reveal:

handling

aging

storage issues

bending

Sharp corners = premium grade potential.

3. Edges

Edges degrade through:

shuffling

packaging cuts

friction

handling

AI systems detect micro-whitening invisible to the naked eye.

4. Centering

Centering reduces grade when:

borders are uneven

print is shifted

front/back alignment is off

AI centering is mathematical, not visual guesswork.

5. Factory Defects

These include:

roller lines

print snow

miscuts

factory dents

foil dead zones

AGS records them precisely.

📌 Key Takeaway

Surface → Corners → Edges → Centering (in general weighting order, depending on the card type)