Grader scorecard
GMA Grading & Authentication
The cheapest way to put a card in a holder — and priced that way for a reason. Fine for bulk, wrong for anything you'd want to sell.
Our score20/100TierDNo. 30 on the scorecards
Resale standingRaw valueOn a high-value card, expect a buyer to cut it out and regrade it.
Cheapest way in$9Economy, 100+ cards
Typical turnaround25 daysReader reports →
BacklogNone published
Cert lookupNone foundA buyer cannot verify this slab
Owned byIndependentFounded 2003
The short version
1 min to read it all, belowWhy it scores 20
The full breakdownWhere the slab sells
- eBay Authenticity GuaranteeSearchable, not covered
- Major US auction housesNot standard inventory
- Public cert lookupNone found
What to watch
Reviewers repeatedly flag the absence of an accessible population or certification lookup, which removes the verification step buyers rely on, and there are unsubstantiated claims circulating about slab integrity.
All known concernsPricing
Official price listThe cheapest grading available anywhere, and the price is the entire proposition. Economy falls to $9 a card above 100, which nothing else approaches.
| Tier | Price | Minimum | Quoted turnaround | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy, 100+ cards | $9per card | 100 cards | 25 business days | |
| Economy | $12per card | 25 cards | 25 business days | |
| Standard, 100+ cards | $12per card | 100 cards | 15 business days | |
| Standard | $15per card | 20 cards | 15 business days | |
| Gold Express, 100+ cards | $18per card | 100 cards | 10 business days | |
| Gold Express | $25per card | 10 cards | 10 business days |
Prices as checked on 9 Oct 2026. They change often; the grader's own list is the final word.
The catch is that you cannot try it small — every tier carries a minimum, from 10 cards on Gold Express to 25 on Economy, so the cheapest rate needs a 100-card pile. Worth weighing against the resale reality: buyers do not pay a premium for a GMA slab.
The full file
What sets them apart
The cheapest grading available anywhere, at $9 a card in volume, with a claimed seven-day turnaround. That price is the entire proposition — there is no technology story, no subgrade report and no registry.
Where the slab sells
GMA is the clearest example of listing not equalling standing: buyers can find the slabs easily and still discount them.
eBay
Listed in eBay's professional grader filter, so GMA slabs are searchable, but GMA is not covered by the Authenticity Guarantee and receives no eBay buyer protection.
Auction houses
Not standard inventory at Goldin, Heritage or PWCC.
Card shops and general resale
Widely recognized by name because of its volume and low price, but recognized as a budget option rather than a value-preserving one.
Hobby guidance routinely advises against GMA for cards with real resale value.
Turnaround
10 days on Gold Express
Price history
GMA Grading & Authentication has not raised a listed price since Oct 2026.
Show the price history: 6 tiers, 0 changes
These come from our own records. Small ticks are sightings where the price held. A line ends where the evidence ends.
Economy, 100+ cards$9 unchanged since 26 Oct 2026
Economy$12 unchanged since 26 Oct 2026
Standard, 100+ cards$12 unchanged since 26 Oct 2026
Standard$15 unchanged since 26 Oct 2026
Gold Express, 100+ cards$18 unchanged since 26 Oct 2026
Gold Express$25 unchanged since 26 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
An ordinary clear holder with a black inner surround.
Example slab shown for reference, not a card the editor owns.
A black-and-gold label with the card description and a cert number, and no subgrades. There is no public lookup to check that number against, which leaves the label asserting something a buyer cannot confirm.
What they grade
- Sports Cards
- TCG
- Non-Sports & Entertainment
Who it's for
- Personal Collection
- Protection & Preservation
- Authentication
Bulk protection and personal collections. The cheapest legitimate way to get a card into a holder.
Known concerns
Reviewers repeatedly flag the absence of an accessible population or certification lookup, which removes the verification step buyers rely on, and there are unsubstantiated claims circulating about slab integrity.
Hobby guidance consistently advises against GMA for cards with meaningful value. Reasonable for bulk, poor for anything you intend to sell.
History
GMA Grading has operated since 2003, competing almost entirely on price. Its rates sit among the lowest in the industry and it has historically turned submissions around quickly.
That combination made it a common choice for bulk submissions and low-value cards, where grading with a major would cost more than the card is worth.
It has not built the infrastructure the majors have — reviewers note the absence of an easily accessible online population or certification database.
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 8 / 100 (weight 60). The other four parts together 37 / 100 (weight 40).
Market acceptance
8 / 100weight 60adds 4.8
Unverified, scored as zero: Recognised in a major non-US market.
Trust and verifiability
45 / 100weight 15adds 6.8
Holder and label
0 / 100weight 10adds 0.0
Unverified, scored as zero: Sealed, tamper-evident holder; Standard footprint that fits hobby cases.
Turnaround and access
80 / 100weight 5adds 4.0
Pricing
40 / 100weight 10adds 4.0
Unverified, scored as zero: Entry price, USD, cheapest tier any submitter can use; No price rise over 25% in the last 12 months.
Weighted total 19.6, shown as 20 out of 100.
Scored on 5 Oct 2026. 5 inputs could not be verified and score zero. How we score
On the Wire
All 1 GMA Grading & Authentication storyReader reports
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