Pokémon Grading UK: Protect Your Collection with Imperium
As the cornerstone of the TCG world, your Pokémon collection deserves more than just a plastic sleeve. At Imperium Grading, we provide a world-class Pokémon grading service in the UK, combining technical precision with artistic flair. Whether you are looking to secure a vintage Charizard or a modern Alt-Art masterpiece, our mission is to provide the most transparent, consistent, and visually stunning grading experience in the country.
Why Grade Your Pokémon Cards in the UK?
Choosing a domestic grading service isn’t just about avoiding international shipping risks and high customs fees. It’s about professional preservation and market clarity.
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Authentication: Our experts verify every card to protect you against the rise of high-quality fakes.
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Protection: Our stackable, hyper-clear, UK-made slabs are engineered for durability and UV resistance.
Certification Lookup
Received a submission and want to see your report? You can scan the QR code on the back of the label to take you straight to your report. Alternatively, you can enter a cert number below (also found on the back of the label).
True 'Imperium' 10
While other companies offer a generic “Gem Mint” grade, we believe the absolute best cards deserve more.
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The Imperium 10: Reserved for the pinnacle of quality. To achieve an Imperium 10, a card must be flawless across all four subgrades (Centering, Surface, Corners, and Edges). Should your card achieve an ‘Imperium 10’ you will be able to opt in to upgrade your label to our red holofoil label that is only reserved for cards that reach top marks.
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Detailed Grading Reports: Every Pokémon submission includes a full digital report as standard. We don’t just give you a number; we give you the rationale, highlighting defects and specific subgrade scores so you can calibrate your collection accurately.
Professional Pokémon Grading for Every Era
We accept and specialise in all Pokémon TCG eras, ensuring your cards are handled with expert care regardless of their age:
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Vintage Classics: Base Set, Jungle, Fossil, and the legendary Neo era.
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EX & Diamond/Pearl: Protecting the holos and secret rares of the mid-2000s.
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Modern Masterpieces: Scarlet & Violet, Sword & Shield (including VSTAR, VMAX, and Special Illustration Rares).
We also offer a ‘retro’ label to compliment the older styled cards. Retro labels are available for +£3 per card.
Consistency you can calibrate to
We ensure absolute grading consistency through daily, rigorous procedures. Our graders adhere to the strictest protocols, including:
- Fixed Calibration Checks
- Adherence to Reference Standards
- Inter-Grader Audits
This commitment to daily checks delivers unmatched market stability. It translates directly to significantly tighter population curves, ensuring fewer surprises, and providing grades that you can price and trade against with absolute confidence.
Custom Art Labels for Pokémon Collectors
We believe the slab should be as beautiful as the card inside. Our Premium Art Match labels are hand-drawn by real artists—never generative AI. These labels extend the artwork of your favorite Pokémon beyond the card frame, creating a display-grade finish that turns your collection into a gallery. These labels are available on most modern era sets, and we accept requests for labels that we haven’t done yet via the order form.
Art labels are available for +£3 per card.
1
Submit your order
Use the form on our submission page to select the service type (grading, crossover, reholder, authentication) that you’d like.
2
Enter your details & pay
Make sure the details on your delivery address and contact details are correct. Pay for the order and await a confirmation email.
3
Delivery slip
Download and print off the delivery slip that is included in the order email (you can also access this from the user dashboard). If you don’t have access to a printer you can include a hand written version, just make sure it includes the order number correctly.
4
Prep your cards
Package your cards securely, in semi-rigid toploaders, with plenty of protection to avoid them getting damaged in transit. Be sure to include your delivery slip inside the box, so that when we receive the order we can trace it to your online order easily.
5
Follow your submission
You’ll receive email updates as well as being able to see the order progress in your dashboard. Once the order has reached it’s final stages it will be sent out to you and tracking numbers will be provided.
You will also be able to view the cards grading report, so you’ll have a full understanding of why your submission was given the grade it received.
Our pricing tiers
Once you've decided what cards you want to submit. Select the service level that best fits your collection. Our tiers are structured by turnaround time and volume, ensuring every collector receives a premium experience.
Platinum
£35Art label
+£3
Gold
£25Art label
+£3
Silver
£15Art label
+£3
Bronze
£12Art label
+£3
Platinum
£35Art label
+£3
Gold
£25Art label
+£3
Silver
£15Art label
+£3
Bronze
£12Art label
+£3
Platinum
£30Art label
+£3
Gold
£20Art label
+£3
Silver
£12Art label
+£3
Bronze
£9Art label
+£3
Platinum
£30Art label
+£3
Gold
£20Art label
+£3
Silver
£12Art label
+£3
Bronze
£9Art label
+£3
*All prices shown are per card
The Imperium Grading Journey
Total transparency from intake to dispatch. Follow your cards through our rigorous multi-stage process with real-time alerts.
Arrival & Intake
Your package is opened and verified. We take intake photos and check cards against your order. You'll receive an email notification the moment we begin. Note: Unpaid cards are returned ungraded.
Stage 1 Grading
Initial assessment is completed by our first specialist grader. They input all data and scores into our secure system. We’ll notify you by email as soon as the grading starts.
Stage 2 Grading
A second, independent assessment is conducted. To ensure a non-biased, consistent result, the second grader has no knowledge of the previous scores recorded.
Finalisation
Our Head Grader reviews both reports for accuracy and confirms the final grade. You will receive an email once your order successfully passes through this final evaluation.
Label Production
Your chosen label (Standard, Retro, Set, or Art) is printed, quality checked, and prepared for the final encapsulation phase.
Encapsulation
The card is ultrasonically sealed in our premium, UK-manufactured slab—engineered for clarity and protection.
Final Quality Check
A final inspection of the finished slab ensures it meets the "Imperium Standard" before it leaves our facility.
Dispatch
Slabs are securely boxed and postage labels created. You'll receive a final email with tracking information and an expected delivery date.
Understanding the Grade: Centring Guide
Centring is a critical factor in achieving a high grade. The table below shows you our tollerances for centering and what the maximum grade achievable is from the centering alone.