Operational Intel & FAQs

Elite Vault Grading is a dedicated UK Pokémon card grading service offering professional 1-10 certification starting from £9.99. Every card is carefully inspected by our experienced grading team across four core diagnostic sub-grades before being securely encapsulated in a premium sonic-sealed protective slab.

We specialise exclusively in Pokémon Trading Card Game cards, supporting both English and Japanese releases spanning vintage Base Set era to modern releases.

EVG provides accessible £9.99 grading, dependable 5-10 Business Days turnaround times, full microscopic defect telemetry, and sonic tamper-evident encapsulation to preserve your cards and provide verifiable secondary-market trust.

Standard grading begins at £9.99 per card unit with our standard label. Optional custom label editions (such as colour match £0.99, lighting £0.99 and extended art work £2.99) are available per card. Insured tracked return shipping is calculated at checkout as a one-time fee per order.

Visit our Submit page, declare each specimen with card name, set, and card number, select your label style, and complete checkout. You will receive an automated packing slip to include inside your parcel when dispatching to our UK facility.

There is no minimum—single-card submissions are welcome. Online order batches support up to 50 cards per submission parcel. For larger bulk submissions (50+ cards), please open a ticket via our Contact portal.

Currently, Elite Vault Grading operates exclusively for collectors residing in the United Kingdom. All return logistics are routed via Royal Mail Special Delivery / Tracked 24.

Place each specimen inside a fresh penny sleeve, then insert into a semi-rigid card saver (e.g. Cardboard Gold / Ultra PRO Semi-Rigid). Sandwich your cards between cardboard pieces secured with elastic bands, and ship in a padded bubble mailer or sturdy cardboard box. Avoid top-loaders taped over the opening or screw-down cases.

We are only using Royal Mail signed for, insured for £500-£2,500 etc.

EVG enforces a strict whole-number 1-10 integer grading standard (no confusing 9.5 or half points). Every specimen is evaluated across 4 sub-pillars: Centring, Corners, Edges, and Surface.

When looking up any certified card on our slab verification registry, the public can inspect up to 3 defect preview scans free of charge. For complete transparency, secondary buyers or owners can pay 99p per card to unlock the entire high-resolution flaw portfolio showing all defect angles, coordinate mapping, and sub-score rationale.

Yes. Our intake includes microscopic rosette pattern verification, card stock core checks, foil reflectivity diagnostics, and light tests to ensure only genuine cards receive numeric encapsulation.

Our standard turnaround is 5-10 Business Days, counted from the day your cards are checked into our laboratory desk until they complete final QC encapsulation.

Yes. Log into your account dashboard anytime to view real-time 9-stage pipeline progression telemetry—from package arrival and authentication to sonic encapsulation and return Royal Mail dispatch.

Our slabs are engineered from high-clarity optical-grade polycarbonate with integrated UV inhibitors to protect holo foils against fading while sealing out dust and moisture.

Yes. Every slab undergoes high-frequency ultrasonic welding. Any attempt to force or split the casing causes permanent, visible stress marks, guaranteeing the slab certification cannot be manipulated.