Golden Grading Review (2025): Pricing, Turnaround, Resale

Golden Grading (GoldenGrading.com): Complete Guide

In trading cards, “Golden Grading” most commonly refers to the Louisiana-based card grading service at goldengrading.com that offers a “Graded Slab” service and a “Serial Number Lookup” tool (Services & Pricing, Serial Number Lookup). The phrase “golden grading” can also mean “grading something as ‘golden’” in a general sense, but that does not match the trading-card grading context used here (goldengrading.com).

Quick facts

Fact	Details
Official name + official website	Brand: Golden Grading (goldengrading.com).
Founded (year) + founders (if known)	BBB schema data lists foundingDate: 05/17/2021 and identifies Mr. Darren Gines as “Owner” (BBB Business Profile).
Headquarters + operating countries	BBB lists the business in Baton Rouge, LA (USA) (BBB Business Profile). Golden Grading’s mail-in address is also in Baton Rouge, LA (Contact).
Ownership / parent company (if any)	Unknown beyond “Owner: Darren Gines” in BBB data; no parent entity is disclosed on the official pages referenced here (BBB Business Profile, About).
What they grade (sports, TCG, non-sports, memorabilia)	Golden Grading states it accepts 1930 and newer cards and “collectible card types such as Pokémon, Marvel, Star Wars,” with limitations (e.g., no oversized/custom sized cards; licensed pack-pulled autographs only) and a list of categories currently not accepted (e.g., Magic: The Gathering) (Services & Pricing). BBB categorizes the business under “Sports Cards” / “Grading” (BBB Business Profile).
Grading scale + top grade label	Partly verified: Golden Grading explicitly says its Raw Card Review “grades cards on a 1–10 scale” (Services & Pricing). The Graded Slab scale is not explicitly stated in the same pricing block and should be verified on the label/receipt if you need certainty (Services & Pricing).
Subgrades (Y/N) + how many categories	Unknown from official pages referenced here (no explicit subgrade breakdown was found in pricing/submit/terms pages used for this write-up) (Services & Pricing, How to Submit).
Pop report (Y/N) + link	A “Pop Report” page exists, but it currently says “COMING SOON” and “we are currently building a population report” (Pop Report).
Registry (Y/N) + link	Unknown (no registry feature found in official navigation used here) (goldengrading.com).
Certification verification / lookup (Y/N) + link	Yes: Golden Grading provides a “Serial Number Lookup” that asks for a 5 or 6 digit serial number from the back label and notes not all cards may be in the system yet (Serial Number Lookup).
Notable differentiator (1 sentence)	A budget positioning with low entry prices (they advertise “prices starting at just $3 a card”) plus a simple serial lookup tool (Services & Pricing, Serial Number Lookup).

Where Golden Grading fits in the grading market

Golden Grading’s own messaging positions the service around low cost and broad accessibility (“reasonable cost”, “fraction of the cost”) rather than being an established resale “pricing anchor” grader (About, Services & Pricing). In community discussions, Golden Grading frequently appears as a slab people “haven’t heard of” or as a budget purchase where the buyer assumes weaker resale value versus major graders (examples: r/PokeInvesting, r/wrestlingcards).

Services offered

From Golden Grading’s official pricing page:

Graded Slab: A standard encapsulation service with “Economy” and “Express” shown in the pricing table (Services & Pricing).
Raw Card Review: Explicitly described as grading cards on a 1–10 scale and being sealed in a rigid top loader with a tamper-evident sticker; also notes Golden Grading can adjust the grade at final review before encapsulation (Services & Pricing).
Raw Comic Review: Offered as a separate service category (Services & Pricing).
Acceptance rules: 1930+ cards, “licensed pack-pulled autographs only”, no oversized/custom cards; and a current “not accepting” list including Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Yu-Gi-Oh! (Services & Pricing).
Upcharges: Cards above 35pt incur an additional $3 (slabs only) (Services & Pricing).

Grading scale and standards (deep dive)

What is actually published (cards)

Golden Grading explicitly states Raw Card Review “grades cards on a 1–10 scale” and includes language about the grade being “indicative” of condition “AT THE TIME IT WAS REVIEWED” and that it may be adjusted upon final review before encapsulation (Services & Pricing).

What is not clearly published (cards)

The sources used here do not include a clear, card-specific rubric (centering ratios, surface/corners/edges definitions, subgrade mechanics) comparable to transparency-first graders. Treat this as unknown and consider requesting clarification before submitting high-value cards (Services & Pricing, About).

Slab, label, and security features

What’s documented

Golden Grading states Raw Card Review uses a rigid top loader and a tamper-evident sticker (Services & Pricing).
Golden Grading publishes a serial lookup flow based on a back-label serial number (5 or 6 digits), which is an important anti-fraud workflow when buying second-hand (Serial Number Lookup).

What’s not documented (or not found)

No explicit documentation for slab construction, sonic weld, QR/NFC/hologram features, or detailed label versioning was found in the official pages used here. Treat anti-counterfeit engineering as unknown and buy with strong photo evidence + lookup verification where possible (Serial Number Lookup, Terms).

Verification and data tools

Serial Number Lookup workflow (step-by-step)

Go to Serial Number Lookup.
Enter the 5 or 6 digit serial number located “in the center of the back label” (Serial Number Lookup).
If the card does not appear, Golden Grading says to check back later while they are “in the process of entering all cards into our system” (Serial Number Lookup).

Population report status

Golden Grading’s pop report page currently says it is “COMING SOON” and they are “currently building a population report” (Pop Report).

Pricing and turnaround (how it works, not just numbers)

Pricing model (core)

Golden Grading advertises “prices starting at just $3 a card” (this matches the Raw Card Review price claim on the same page) (Services & Pricing).
The pricing table shows Economy ($5) and Express ($9) for the Graded Slab category (Services & Pricing).

Return shipping prices (as published)

Golden Grading publishes return shipping prices by card count:

1–30 cards: $19.95
31–74 cards: $24.95
76–100 cards: $29.95
100–180 cards: $34.95
180–300 cards: $49.95

(Services & Pricing)

Turnaround times: what they claim vs what you should assume

Golden Grading publishes a dedicated “Turn Times” page and frames current wait times as “estimated” and subject to change. In the capture used here, the page includes:

Economy: “150 business days after invoice paid” (updated 8/19/25)
Express: “10 business days after invoice paid” (updated 4/23/25)
Another Express tab that says “Currently Unavailable” (updated 7/9/24)

This is a strong signal you should verify the current state before submitting time-sensitive cards (Turn Times).

Payment timing and queue start

Golden Grading states you receive an invoice by email from PayPal once your order has been checked in, and the cards go “into grading” after the invoice is paid (How to Submit).
Golden Grading also states on its contact page: it does not send a confirmation upon receiving cards; you receive an invoice when your cards are checked in, and this “may take some time” (Contact).

Submission experience

Step-by-step submission overview (official flow)

Fill out the digital submission sheet (or print a paper form) and include a printed copy in the package (or the confirmation email for mobile orders) (How to Submit).
Pack cards in soft sleeves and/or top loaders/card savers (How to Submit).
Ship the submission and wait for check-in; Golden Grading sends an invoice via PayPal once checked in (How to Submit, Contact).
After grading, they state you receive shipping/tracking information via email from PayPal or Rollo (How to Submit).

Packaging and delivery constraints (important)

Golden Grading notes an insurance maximum of $5,000 for optional purchased shipping insurance (How to Submit).
Golden Grading states it requires packages to be signed for at delivery and notes it is not responsible for delays if you are not home for delivery (How to Submit).

Address to mail orders to (as published)

Golden Grading publishes this mail-in address:

Golden Grading 4700 Millwood Drive P.O. Box 87078 Baton Rouge, LA 70879

(Contact)

Resale liquidity: what happens on the secondary market

Golden Grading slabs should be treated as low-liquidity versus the “big three” (PSA/BGS/SGC) in many buyer pools because buyers often anchor to the major graders when pricing and trusting condition. The clearest practical signal here is awareness: multiple community posts show buyers asking what Golden Grading is and implying the discount is due to being “not from a big company like PSA” (r/PokeInvesting, r/wrestlingcards).

What tends to help liquidity when you do sell:

Provide clear slab photos and the serial number, and encourage buyers to verify via the official lookup tool (Serial Number Lookup).
Be conservative about “cross-to-PSA” assumptions unless you are willing to eat the downside if the outcome differs (this is frequently a point of debate in user reviews rather than a guaranteed conversion) (BBB Reviews).

Public opinion: Reddit, X, and hobby communities

Recurring positive themes (with representative sources)

Budget appeal: People buy/grade Golden Grading slabs because they are inexpensive relative to major graders (Services & Pricing, r/PokeInvesting).
Some positive service experiences: BBB reviews include positive claims around promised turnaround and “not break the bank” (note: user-generated) (BBB Reviews).

Recurring negative themes (with representative sources)

Low recognition / weak resale: Multiple Reddit posts treat Golden Grading as unfamiliar and implicitly less valuable than PSA/BGS-style slabs (r/wrestlingcards, r/PokeInvesting).
Communication / delays concerns: BBB includes a critical review describing lack of response and long delays (note: user-generated; BBB also notes it does not verify third-party accuracy) (BBB Reviews, BBB Business Profile).

Controversies, trust signals, and red flags

Trust signals

Golden Grading publishes clear operational policies like “we do not send a confirmation upon receiving cards” and ties the queue start to invoice/check-in, which reduces ambiguity for submitters who read the docs (Contact, How to Submit).
BBB lists business details and the company’s BBB rating data (note: BBB also states it does not verify third-party accuracy) (BBB Business Profile).

Red flags / risk items to understand before submitting

The “Turn Times” page shows large variation and multiple “Express” states in the captured page; verify current TAT before sending any time-sensitive cards (Turn Times).
Terms include a liability limitation for damage during processing: “not exceeding $299 per card” (plus additional payment/cancellation policies you should read before sending high-value cards) (Terms).

Who should use Golden Grading (and who shouldn’t)

Use Golden Grading if…

You are grading lower-value cards where fees dominate and you can accept weaker resale liquidity (Services & Pricing).
You want a basic serial lookup workflow and are fine with a “check back later” database state (Serial Number Lookup).

Avoid (or be selective) if…

You need maximum liquidity and buyer trust in mainstream resale channels, where PSA/BGS/SGC often set expectations (community behavior indicator: many threads treat Golden Grading as unfamiliar) (r/PokeInvesting, r/wrestlingcards).
You are submitting high-value cards and need strong published guarantees around standards, security features, and compensation beyond what’s disclosed (read the Terms carefully) (Terms).

Comparison snapshot

Company	Market trust	Resale liquidity	Pricing posture	Turnaround posture	Transparency	Slab security	Best for
Golden Grading	Low	Low	Budget	Variable, check posted turn times	Low–medium	Unknown (not publicly detailed)	Budget grading where liquidity is not the priority
PSA	Very high	Very high	Often premium	Tier-dependent	Medium	High	Maximum buyer recognition / easiest comps
BGS	High	High (segment-dependent)	Premium	Variable	Medium	Medium–high	Subgrades + trophy outcomes (Black Label chase)
SGC	High (sports-leaning)	High (sports-leaning)	Competitive	Often positioned as faster	Medium	High	Vintage + sports liquidity

Golden Grading’s positioning in this table is grounded in its published pricing/turn-time docs and its current “coming soon” state for the pop report, plus the “unfamiliar grader” pattern in community threads (Services & Pricing, Turn Times, Pop Report, r/PokeInvesting).