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Articles from the YIAN workshop on cgc restored card: practical, honest advice for Pokémon card collectors in the UK and beyond.
This page gathers everything the YIAN workshop has written on cgc restored card, newest first. Start with “Can a Restored Pokémon Card Be Graded? YIAN Explains Grader Standards and Risks”.
YIAN restores Pokémon cards by mail from a UK workshop: a free photo quote, £30 per card, and an in-hand assessment before any work. Articles explain general principles; for your own card, send two photos.
Short answers to what collectors ask us most about this.
Restoration does not guarantee a numerical grade. PSA, BGS, CGC, and other graders apply their own criteria and make the final decision for each card.
Before choosing restoration, consider whether a grading submission is still right for your card. We can explain the work and its limits, but cannot predict or control a grader’s outcome.
It depends who is asking. For your own collection, whether a cleaned or restored card still feels original is your choice. For grading, each company applies its own standards: cleaning, restoration and touch-ups can be treated as alteration, and some work is more likely to be flagged than other work.
We tell you before any work which steps suit grading and which carry a risk, and we never hide work from a grader. Check the grading company's current policy before you submit.
Restoration can be part of a grading plan, as long as the work is chosen to meet that grader's standards and nothing is hidden from them. Tell us you plan to grade when you send your quote, and we'll say which steps are generally lower risk and which are more likely to be flagged. Check the grader's current policy too.
It's work that removes or eases problems without adding anything to the card: cleaning surface dirt and residue, and easing minor wear, dents and small bends. That's our standard service. Colour touch-up, which does add ink, is a separate option you choose.
We can assess surface dirt, light scratches, holo wear, minor dents, and small bends. What can improve depends on the card’s condition, so we review it before agreeing to any work. If you choose it with your quote, we can also touch up small white spots (up to 1mm) with colour: on the back of any Pokémon card, and on the front of vintage cards with solid yellow borders. It's included in the price.
Deep creases, larger ink loss, water staining, and structural damage may have limited improvement potential. We will explain those limits before you decide.
Yes. We photograph every stage, from arrival to the finished card, and the photos appear on your quote page. You also get a Before and After report, so you have a clear record of the work.
No. A grade is one grading company's opinion of the card on the day it's assessed, and YIAN doesn't promise a grade, a grade increase, or acceptance for grading. What we can do is explain the work and its limits before you choose.
Gentle handling, sleeving and dry dusting are low risk. Household cleaners, water, heat, pressing and home burnishing tools can cause permanent damage such as clouding, warping or lifted print. If you're unsure, send photos for a free quote before trying anything.
Cards in our care aren't insured by YIAN, so insure the delivery to us for your cards' value and choose a suitable return service, up to Special Delivery Guaranteed, insured to £750. We take reasonable care of your cards and of the work you approve.
Choose a package and send two photos, the front and the back of the card, with a short note on what it's for. No account is needed. We reply within two working days and tell you whether we can help and the price before you pay anything.
