GradePrep™ · Know before you grade.
How GradePrep works
GradePrep is what you do before you pay a grader. We inspect each card under magnification, clean it safely, inspect it again, and tell you the grade range it is likely to get, what will hold it back, and a clear call: grade it, or not. Every defect is marked on a diagram of the card, front and back. We do not grade cards and we do not submit them for you.
Sec. 01 · Who it is for
Good for
- Anyone about to pay grading fees.
- Choosing which cards from a stack are worth submitting.
- Cards a safe clean would improve.
- A second pair of eyes, in writing.
Not the right fit for
- Dents, creases or damage. We clean the surface only. No restoration.
- Valuations or authenticity opinions.
Sec. 02 · Step by step
What you do. What we do.
- 01
Book online
- You
- How many cards, plus any add-on. Pay in full to confirm.
In your hub: Waiting for your cards, with our address.
- 02
Post your cards
- You
- Sleeves and semi-rigid holders. Reference inside and on the parcel. Tracked and insured recommended. Your risk until we log them in.
- Rippex
- We log each card, record its condition and email you. If the count differs from the booking we ask before starting.
In your hub: With us.
- 03
First inspection
- Rippex
- Surface, corners, edges and centring, under proper lighting and magnification. Anything found now is recorded as pre-existing.
In your hub: Being cleaned and assessed.
- 04
Safe clean, second inspection
- Rippex
- Dust, fingerprints and suitable residue lifted. Then inspected again, so the result describes the card as it will be submitted. If cleaning would risk a card, we assess it uncleaned and say so.
- 05
Your results
- Rippex
- Per card: the likely grade range, what holds it back, a marked-up diagram front and back with photos, and a clear call: grade it, or not. A card we would not grade can come home fitted into a MADE. mag, bumper or holder from £1.
In your hub: Results ready. Report to download. We aim for ten working days from arrival. A target, not a guarantee.
- 06
Choose return shipping
- You
- Confirm your address, pick a service, add insurance if you want it, pay at cost.
- Rippex
- We weigh the parcel and show you the services and prices.
In your hub: Choose your return shipping, then Ready to send.
- 07
Home
- Rippex
- New sleeve and holder for each card, sent tracked.
In your hub: On its way back to you, then Complete.
Sec. 03 · What it costs
Per card. Less the more you send.
- 1 to 9 cards
- £15.00 per card
- 10 to 24 cards
- £14.00 per card
- 25 cards or more
- £13.00 per card
- Slab removal add-on
- £5.00 per card
- Return postage and insurance
- At cost, your choice
Every card gets the full treatment. Sending cards to us is at your cost. Return postage is charged at what it costs us. Insurance for the return is optional.
Full wording: the GradePrep Terms.
Sec. 04 · Why Rippex
Why it works.
Spend grading fees on the right cards
Know the likely range before you pay to find out.
See where every defect is
Marked on the card, front and back, with photos.
Two inspections
Before the clean and after it.
Safe preparation only
Never restoration. If a clean carries a risk, we leave the card alone and say so.
A clear call
Grade it, or not. No hedging.
Honest about what it is
Our opinion, not a grade and not a guarantee. The grader decides.
Sec. 05 · Questions
Questions.
Is this grading?
No. We are not a grader and we do not submit for you. We prepare and assess so you can decide.
What do I get per card?
The likely grade range, what holds it back, a marked-up diagram with photos, a clear next step, and a new sleeve and holder.
How accurate is it?
It is our professional opinion of the card as we saw it. Graders decide on their own criteria and can differ.
What does cleaning involve?
A safe surface clean: dust, fingerprints, suitable residue. No dent or crease work, no flattening, no trimming, recolouring or resurfacing.
How long does it take?
We aim for ten working days from your cards arriving. A target, not a guarantee. We tell you if an order will run longer.
What does it cost?
A price per card that drops with volume, shown before you pay. Slab removal is a per-card add-on. Return postage at cost.
What if I send a different number of cards?
Fewer: we refund the difference. More: pay the difference at the same per-card price, or have the extras back unworked.
My card is in a slab.
Only with the slab removal add-on. The holder and its grade are destroyed and cannot be put back.
Might you decline a card?
Yes, where cleaning is an obvious risk or a card looks altered. We tell you why, refund that card and return it with the rest.
How do my cards come back?
You choose the service and any insurance from real prices once we have weighed the parcel, and pay at cost. Sent tracked.
Do I have to insure the return?
No. Without it you are covered only to the service's own limit. Once the parcel leaves us, transit risk sits with the carrier and any insurance you chose.
What if a card is lost or damaged with you?
We cover it up to the card's evidenced market value. Every card is photographed on arrival and after preparation.
Can I cancel?
Before work starts, full refund. Within 14 days of booking, full refund by law whether or not work has started. After that, once work has started, the fee is not refundable. Ask from the order in your hub.
Does it include a valuation?
No.
Where do I see results?
In your hub under GradePrep, card by card, with the report to download.
Sec. 06 · If something goes wrong
What happens.
More cards arrived than booked
Pay the difference at the same price, or have the extras back unworked. Your call.
We decline a card
We tell you why, refund it and return it untouched.
Cleaning would risk a card
We assess it uncleaned and say so.
You want to cancel
Ask from the order in your hub. A person reviews it and emails you.
Anything else: support@rippex.co.uk, with your reference.