Orange Card Grading Services – Review
Recently we reviewed two different card grading services, and there was already a big difference in the quality of the service of both companies, as well as in what cards they focus on for their grading options. We had Carat Grading, which focused on grading more traditional collectible cards, while UGS focused on grading popular trading card games, such as Yu-Gi-Oh! or the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Now, we were lucky enough to be able to send some cards to Orange Card Grading Services in The Netherlands, which offers even more options, as they grade pretty much all card games out there. While at first, this company may seemingly offer a standard grading service, we were very surprised by the precision of the grading, and the report that came with every graded card. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with the cards we had graded by Orange Card Grading Services.
Note: to learn more about terminology for card grading, and card grading service reviews, be sure to check our announcement article that will be updated frequently. You can do so by clicking here.
Ordering process
The ordering process on the site is quite simple. You just pick a number of cards you wish to have graded, and you’re basically good to go. This might be fun for collectors looking for an easy way to send their cards to the company, but the option of a form to fill in does have our slight preference. This is because the order form will also serve as a checklist of what you’re going to send. Not only for yourself is this form a good way to check what you’re sending over, but it’s also a good thing for the company to have in case they immediately spot something ‘wrong’ with the package that arrives at their doorstep.
As a whole, the website itself does need a bit more work, as the layout sometimes feels a bit wonky, and sometimes the arrangement of the entire menu just completely jumps all over the place. That being said, these items can easily be resolved with a few fixes and updates.
Slabs
After a few days, we received our cards in a very professional-looking box with the company’s logo clearly visible on it. Inside this box we found somewhat market-standard slabs, with frosted sides, putting the focus on the cards themselves. We noticed the cards were put in very straight, and that the fit was quite perfect. We sent over Pokémon Trading Card Game cards, as well as a Magic: The Gathering card. We cannot surely state how the slab suits smaller cards, such as those from Yu-Gi-Oh! or Cardfight!! Vanguard, but we noticed the company does have the option to select a ‘perfect fit sleeve’ when ordering. We reckon this helps to make the slabs enclose the cards better. Nonetheless, the slabs were clean, the cards remained in their place very well, and the label is very clear. We do have to mention that the slabs clearly show ten markings of where the slabs have been welded shut. This is present for all the slabs on identically the same spots, so it is a consistent marking if you’re worried that every slab will look different. We are not sure if this is also the reason the slabs also had a heavy nail-polish remover smell to them.
The orange-colored OCGS label clearly depicts the company logo, the card game name, the set it’s from, as well as the card name itself. Next to this, we see the score that may range from 1 to 100, and the backside states the company website, as well as the QR code that leads you directly to the graded card’s report page (we’ll delve into this below).
Database
Even though the labels of the slabs may not show any subgrades whatsoever, the QR code that leads to the actual database entry is quite impressive. Not only can you read up on the details of the graded card, but you’ll also see an example of the card, as well as the rigorous check it went through. On this card-specific page, you can see a weight test, a light test of the front and back of the card (to spot fakes), and an in-depth report of the four subgrade categories. You’ll see where your card has lost points, or in which areas it excels. The report is also a PDF file, which means you could download it, print it, and even add it to the card in case you wish to display it or even sell it in the future. (Report example can be found by clicking here.)
Preservation or worthy investment?
Again, it’s hard to state if a company will eventually grow into such a success that it will end up becoming a market leader, but Orange Card Grading Services does delve into a niche market of collectors that truly wish to know everything about the cards they send over to be graded. The report included for every graded card is quite impressive, and this might be the company’s ticket to success. As for now, we reckon that this company is great for preserving your favorite cards, while also getting the aforementioned interesting report. The only remark about the end product itself is the fact that the company should perhaps look into the sealing marks that are present on the slabs.
Conclusion
As a whole, Orange Card Grading Services pleasantly surprised us, and we did feel like the company truly went to great lengths to provide us with all the information we could possibly want about our favorite cards. An honorable mention goes to the fact that the company clearly marked the prerelease Magic: The Gathering Card as an ‘extra’, which is not done by all card grading services. Other than that, we do hope the website gets fleshed out a bit more, the slabs get a slightly cleaner finish, and offer a snug-fit option for every type of card the company grades. For collectors, we can advise looking into this service if you’re in need of a good grading company.
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