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ARS

ARS Grading

Japan's premier card grading service for Pokemon and TCG collectibles

Trading Cards Founded 2019 Tokyo, Japan

About ARS

ARS Grading is Japan's leading third-party card grading service, specializing in Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other Japanese trading card game (TCG) products. Founded in 2019, ARS has become the go-to grading service for Japanese-language cards and cards originating from the Japanese market, where the hobby has deep cultural roots.

ARS uses a 1-10 grading scale with the coveted "10+" designation for cards that achieve perfect scores across all grading criteria — a rarity that commands extreme premiums in the Japanese collector market. Cards are evaluated by expert graders with deep knowledge of Japanese printing standards and card stock, which differ from Western card production.

ARS has gained significant international recognition, particularly among Pokemon collectors who seek Japanese-graded Japanese cards for authenticity. Their holders feature bilingual Japanese/English labels, making them accessible to global collectors while maintaining their Japanese heritage. The company is considered the benchmark for grading Japanese-origin cards.

ARS Grading Scale

ARS uses a numeric grading scale to evaluate card condition.

Grade Label Description
10+ Perfect ARS's highest designation for a card that exceeds Gem Mint standards. Flawless in every measurable way — perfect centering, corners, edges, and surface. Extremely rare and highly sought after.
10 Gem Mint Virtually perfect card with no visible imperfections. Excellent centering, sharp corners, clean edges, and pristine surface quality.
9 Mint Outstanding condition with only one or two very minor imperfections. Card presents as near-perfect to the naked eye.
8 Near Mint-Mint High-quality card with slight wear. Minor centering variance, tiny corner touches, or very light surface wear.
7 Near Mint Slight wear visible on corners and edges. Minor surface imperfections may be present.
6 Excellent-Near Mint Light to moderate wear. Visible corner and edge wear with minor surface issues.
5 Excellent Moderate wear across multiple attributes. Card shows clear signs of handling.
1-4 Good to Very Good Significant wear with heavy handling marks, creasing, or damage present.

What Makes ARS Unique

  • Japan's #1 card grading service — the authority for Japanese TCG products
  • Coveted "10+" designation for absolute perfection (rarer than PSA 10)
  • Expert graders specialized in Japanese printing standards and card stock
  • Bilingual Japanese/English labels for international market accessibility
  • Premier choice for grading Japanese Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other Japanese TCG cards

Frequently Asked Questions

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