Grader scorecard
ARK Grading
Almost nothing is publicly verifiable about it, and that is the finding.
Our score22/100TierDNo. 27 on the scorecards
Resale standingRaw valueOn a high-value card, expect a buyer to cut it out and regrade it.
Cheapest way inA$23Economy
Typical turnaround65 days (Economy)Reader reports →
BacklogNone published
Cert lookupPublicVerify a cert →
Owned byIndependent
The short version
1 min to read it all, belowWhy it scores 22
The full breakdownWhere the slab sells
- eBay Authenticity GuaranteeSearchable, not covered
- Major US auction housesNot standard inventory
- Public cert lookupYes
What to watch
The absence of information is the assessment. A grading company asks buyers to trust a number on a label; a company that publishes almost nothing checkable about who grades, to what standard, or how a cert is verified has not given anyone grounds for that trust.
All known concernsPricing
Three grading tiers, all with subgrades, currently on promotion: Economy $23.00 (normally $29.95) at 65 days, Premium $34.95 (normally $49.95) at 25 days, and Express $49.95 (normally $74.95) at 10 days.
| Tier | Price | Quoted turnaround | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | A$23per card | 65 days | Promotional price, normally 29.95; no end date given; subgrades included |
| Premium | A$34.95per card | 25 days | Promotional price, normally 49.95; no end date given; subgrades included |
| Express | A$49.95per card | 10 days | Promotional price, normally 74.95; no end date given; subgrades included |
Prices as checked on 9 Oct 2026. They change often; the grader's own list is the final word.
Authentication-only and custom-card encapsulation are $15, and re-slabbing an existing ARK card is $12.50. Prices carry no currency label; the company is in Melbourne and sells through an Australian site, so they are almost certainly Australian dollars. No end date is given for the promotion.
The full file
What sets them apart
Australian, and positions itself on forensics rather than speed or price — the company describes working with forensic specialists alongside IT and design consultants, and states that serial numbers and the database will remain active permanently.
Accepts most standard-size sports and TCG cards.
Where the slab sells
Listed by eBay in the gaming category. Not covered by the Authenticity Guarantee. No evidence of auction house or general resale recognition.
Turnaround
ARK's own estimates: Premium 25 days, Express 10. The page says 'days' without specifying business or calendar days.
Price history
ARK Grading has not raised a listed price since Oct 2026.
Show the price history: 3 tiers, 0 changes
These come from our own records. Small ticks are sightings where the price held. A line ends where the evidence ends.
EconomyA$23 unchanged since 30 Oct 2026
PremiumA$34.95 unchanged since 30 Oct 2026
ExpressA$49.95 unchanged since 30 Oct 2026
Every change
| Date | Tier | Change | Source |
|---|
An archived page shows the price on the day it was saved, so a change happened somewhere between that page and the one before it.
The slab and the label
Subgrades: None
Ark makes a genuine claim here and it is the most concrete thing the company publishes: a case over 50% heavier than the most widely used holder in the market, with a flush front and back, no protrusions or engravings, and a machined bevel on both faces.
Example slab shown for reference, not a card the editor owns.
What they grade
- Sports Cards
- TCG
Who it's for
- Protection & Preservation
- Authentication
Known concerns
The absence of information is the assessment. A grading company asks buyers to trust a number on a label; a company that publishes almost nothing checkable about who grades, to what standard, or how a cert is verified has not given anyone grounds for that trust.
This entry is sparse on purpose.
History
Appears in eBay's grader list under gaming. No substantive verifiable public record was found. Its own site names Nate Tran as CEO and Matthew Lukic as CFO; no company registration could be matched to confirm that.
Not to be confused with ARK Grading Ltd in the UK (Companies House 13507042), a separate business that acts as a submission middleman for PSA and Goldin; reviews of 'ARK Grading' often refer to that company.
Score breakdown
Five parts, each scored 0 to 100 and weighted. Market acceptance carries 60 of the 100, because the point of a slab is what the market pays for it.
Market acceptance 18 / 100 (weight 60). The other four parts together 28 / 100 (weight 40).
Market acceptance
18 / 100weight 60adds 10.8
Unverified, scored as zero: Sold-price parity with the leading label, same card and grade; Recognised in a major non-US market.
Trust and verifiability
35 / 100weight 15adds 5.3
Unverified, scored as zero: Years operating; Public population report.
Holder and label
0 / 100weight 10adds 0.0
Unverified, scored as zero: Sealed, tamper-evident holder; Standard footprint that fits hobby cases; Label recognised by buyers; Scannable cert code on the label.
Turnaround and access
60 / 100weight 5adds 3.0
Unverified, scored as zero: Backlog figure published.
Pricing
30 / 100weight 10adds 3.0
Unverified, scored as zero: Entry price, USD, cheapest tier any submitter can use; Limits on that tier; No price rise over 25% in the last 12 months.
Weighted total 22.1, shown as 22 out of 100.
Scored on 5 Oct 2026. 12 inputs could not be verified and score zero. How we score
On the Wire
Nothing on the Wire about ARK Grading yet. It fills in as stories are reported.
Reader reports
Report yoursNo reader reports for ARK Grading yet.
Sent cards to ARK Grading? Tell us when they arrived and when they shipped back. Reports are checked and anonymous.