Every card examined.
Every collector treated equally.
Authentication, independent human assessments and senior review form the planned SIG process. Explore how the decision is made and how its reasons will be recorded.
Your card deserves more than one opinion.
A missed detail or an off day should not decide your card’s grade. Multiple independent human reviews help reduce the influence of any one grader’s judgment. When assessments differ, a senior grader examines the card and the evidence against the same SIG standards. The goal is simple: the grade your card deserves.
This workflow is being developed for launch. Review assignments, grading thresholds and production capacity will be validated during pilot operations.
Authentication and alteration review
Examine the card's identity, printing, stock and dimensions against appropriate reference material. Check for signs of counterfeiting, trimming, recolouring and restoration. Unresolved authenticity concerns go to specialist review before a numerical grade can be assigned.
Independent condition assessments
Multiple trained human graders assess centering, corners, edges and surface. Initial assessments are recorded independently, before reviewers compare conclusions. Imaging and measurements support their examination.
Senior review and resolution
A senior grader reviews differences between assessments, re-examines the relevant evidence and records the reason for the final decision. Grades are not simply averaged.
Final quality control and record
Check the card, final grade, label details and certification identity before release. The planned certification report connects the decision with recorded images and grading notes.
What if authenticity cannot be established?
The planned policy is to withhold a numerical grade while the concern is unresolved and explain the review outcome to the collector. Final handling, return and fee terms will be published before paid submissions open.
What does the digital fingerprint establish?
The planned fingerprint for eligible SIG Gem Mint 10 and 10 Gold cards helps compare a physical card with its recorded identity later. It supports identity verification; it does not replace the initial examination for authenticity or alterations.
Understand the decision behind the grade.
The grade, workflow and example notes below demonstrate the proposed report format. They are not findings about the pictured artwork or a live SIG certification.
Enlarge card artworkShohei Ohtani
2025 Topps Now · Image Variation SP · #184SP
Gem Mint 10 Gold · Illustrative only
- Sample ID
- SIG-2026-F01-184SP-001
- Authentication
- Not performed for this demonstration
- Human review
- Workflow preview; no completed grader sign-offs
- Fingerprint
- Not checked; no live comparison performed
Example grading notes
Expand each category to see the type of explanation a report could contain. These are invented teaching examples, not measurements or observations of this card.
Centering
Example note: Front and back alignment assessed within the applicable grade tolerance.
A production report would need the measured ratios and reference images. Neither is available here.
Corners
Example note: No corner wear observed under the prescribed inspection conditions.
A production report would tie this finding to close-up images and the examination record.
Edges
Example note: No edge chipping or separation observed under the prescribed inspection conditions.
Condition review is separate from examination for trimming or other alterations.
Surface
Example note: No disqualifying scratches, indentations or print defects observed under the prescribed inspection conditions.
Lighting conditions and supporting imagery would be documented during actual examination.
Why 10 Gold rather than 10?
The final SIG thresholds for 10 and 10 Gold must be approved and published before launch. This sample does not define those thresholds or establish equivalence with another company's grade.
Membership changes access.
It never changes the grade.
Every collector receives the same SIG grading standard. Founder membership, athlete status, personal relationships and submission volume do not entitle a card to a higher grade.
- Founder and priority benefits apply to the published access and turnaround terms.
- Every grade must be earned by the card's condition under the same criteria.
- Grading disagreements are resolved through review of the card and its evidence.
Planned impartiality control: customer identity, membership tier and commercial relationships will be kept out of initial grading assessments where operationally practical.
A grade you can understand.
A concern you can raise.
You deserve an explanation of your grade and a clear path to question it. SIG’s planned review process puts the card, the evidence and the same grading standards at the centre of that conversation.
Tell us what concerns you
Use the certification number and identify the area you want reviewed: centering, corners, edges, surface, card identity or label details. Explain the concern and include supporting images where available.
A fresh review of the evidence
A qualified reviewer other than the original final decision-maker examines the concern against SIG standards and the examination record. If physical re-examination is needed, SIG provides return instructions before you send the card.
A clear written outcome
Receive an explanation of the finding and any next steps. If the review identifies an error, the outcome explains the correction required and how the certification record or label will be addressed.
Your concern deserves a fair hearing.
Requesting a review does not purchase or guarantee a higher grade. The purpose is to resolve a specific concern through evidence and consistent standards. Membership and service level do not change the review criteria.
The request window, response timing, any fees, shipping arrangements and possible grade outcomes will be published before paid submissions open. This preview explains the intended process; it does not submit a review request.
Clear answers. Before your card leaves home.
Understand the service, the grading decision and what your SIG record is designed to show.
What does the turnaround guarantee cover?
The planned Standard service is $50 per card with a 14-business-day grading turnaround, or a refund of the applicable grading fee if SIG misses the commitment. Your eligible card is still graded, encapsulated and returned. The grading clock starts at official check-in, not when you save a card in your Locker or mail your package.
Carrier transit is separate from the grading clock. The guarantee covers the applicable grading fee; it is not a promise about resale value. Final clock rules, exclusions and refund instructions will be available before paid submissions open.
Why a queue, and what if I miss a place?
SIG plans to limit accepted cards to the volume the team can process within the published turnaround. The queue is intended to protect that commitment as demand grows.
Prepare up to ten eligible cards in your Locker, then submit when the Sunday queue opens at 8:00 PM Eastern. Saving cards does not reserve capacity. If you miss a place, keep your cards staged and review or update them for the next opening. A Sunday submission attempt keeps the staged cards active even when no place is secured. After eight weeks without a submission attempt, staged cards are removed and must be entered again. Editing cards or opening the app does not reset the activity period. Staged cards are not confirmed weekly reservations. Wait for confirmed acceptance and shipping instructions before sending cards.
The current preview stores your test Locker on this device. Live queue reservations and notifications are not active in the demonstration.
How do multiple graders help protect against a missed detail or an off day?
Separate initial assessments give each card more than one considered opinion. If one reviewer misses a detail or reaches a different conclusion, another assessment provides a check. A senior grader reviews disagreements against the evidence and SIG standards before the grade is final.
This planned process is designed to reduce individual subjectivity and oversight. It does not claim to eliminate every possible error.
Who decides the grade, and what does independent review mean?
The planned process uses separate initial assessments by trained human graders before conclusions are compared. A senior grader examines disagreements and records the final decision against SIG standards.
Independent assessments mean reviewers form their initial judgments separately. They do not imply certification by an outside auditing organisation. Grading-team biographies and confirmed experience will be published once appointments are final.
Can Founders or high-profile customers receive better grades?
No. The grade is earned by the card's condition, never by the owner's identity, membership, submission volume or service level. Founder privileges provide the published access and turnaround benefits. They do not change grading criteria.
Does scanning a QR code prove a card is genuine?
A QR code opens a record. Authentication requires examination of the physical card; verification also requires comparing that card and its holder with the correct recorded details. A copied code alone cannot establish authenticity.
The planned record will connect certification information with front-and-back imagery. Eligible 10 and 10 Gold cards are also planned to receive an exact-card digital fingerprint. The sample lookup and report demonstrate the experience; no live authentication or fingerprint match occurs here.
What if I disagree with my grade?
SIG’s planned review process lets you raise a specific concern, have the evidence examined by a qualified reviewer other than the original final decision-maker, and receive a written explanation. The same grading standards apply to every collector.
Will a SIG grade have the same resale value as another company's grade?
Buyers determine resale value. SIG does not promise that its grades will sell for the same price as PSA, Beckett or another grader. Our focus is consistent examination, clear explanations, presentation and dependable service.
Any comparisons shown in the preview are illustrative, not evidence of completed SIG sales. A grade from another company does not automatically determine the SIG grade.
Does a limited-edition label change the grade or make the card a one-of-one?
No. Holiday-label eligibility follows the grade the card earns. Only qualifying Gem Mint 10 and 10 Gold cards can receive a holiday label, subject to that event's published allocation rules and availability.
A 500-label event means 500 labels total across the eligible cards in that event, not 500 for each player. A sequence number identifies a label's place in that run. It does not change the original card's manufacturer print run, guarantee a unique card-and-label combination, or promise a resale premium. The population report will distinguish those counts when live records are available.