Terms of Service & Prescreening Metrology Disclosure
Winning through brutal honesty: the mathematical reality of computer vision card metrology versus third-party grading slabs.
1. The GradieQ Honesty Pledge
The collectible card grading hobby is plagued by false promises: apps marketing "Guaranteed PSA 10 AI magic" or claiming to replace established grading institutions. That is snake oil. We refuse to sell it.
GradieQ was built on a simple premise: transparency and mathematical rigor beat marketing hype every time. Serious collectors and dealers do not need flattery—they need unvarnished, objective truth so they stop lighting grading fees on fire.
2. What GradieQ Does (The Metrology Engine)
GradieQ is an advanced computational metrology and computer vision prescreening engine. When you submit images or scans of a trading card, our algorithms calculate:
- Sub-pixel Centering: Precise border width ratios measured to fractions of a millimeter on both front and reverse sides.
- Edge & Corner Integrity: Micro-whitening detection, chipping counts, border cuts, and corner radii.
- Surface Defect Mapping: Scratches, foil print lines, and holographic imperfections.
- ISO 14253-1 Measurement Uncertainty: Scientific calibration factoring in pixel resolution and optical lens distortion.
- Objective Grader Rule Matching: Algorithmic comparison against published standards of PSA, Beckett (BGS), CGC, SGC, TAG, and ACE.
3. What GradieQ Is NOT & Strict No-Guarantee Disclaimer
GradieQ is NOT a third-party grading company (TPG). We do not authenticate autographs, we do not sonically weld cards into plastic holders, and we do not issue official third-party certificates.
GradieQ offers NO GUARANTEE that any card prescreened by our software will receive an identical or matching numerical grade from PSA, BGS, CGC, or any other company.
Here is the unfiltered technical and human reality why grades can diverge:
Third-party graders are human beings inspecting dozens of cards per hour under immense volume pressure. Empirical market research shows human grading variance of 15% to 25% between graders (or even the same grader on different days). An algorithm evaluates pure geometry; humans have good days and bad days.
A phone photo cannot measure cardstock core light transmission, internal layer delamination, physical paper density, microscopic depressions in the foil, or subtle surface warps that require tactile inspection, 1200 DPI laboratory scans, or UV lighting.
Cards can pick up micro-abrasions inside penny sleeves, during courier transit, or during initial intake and decapping at the grading facility.
4. Why Serious Collectors & Flippers Use GradieQ
If there is no 100% guarantee, why use GradieQ? Because smart prescreening massively increases your submission ROI:
- Eliminating Guaranteed Losers: The biggest leak in grading profitability is submitting cards that have an obvious 58/42 back or an edge defect invisible to the naked eye. Filtering these out saves $20–$50 per card.
- Intelligent Grader Routing: Identifying whether a card is suited for PSA (tolerant 60/40 centering) or BGS/CGC (where pristine subgrades justify going for a Black Label or Pristine 10).
- Objective Baseline: Having documented, timestamped proof of your card's condition before trusting it to couriers and third parties.
5. No Registration & 1,000 Free Card Community Pool
GradieQ operates with complete simplicity: no user registration, no passwords, and no personal account data.
- 1,000-Card Free Pool: Access is provided directly via an open community pool secured by an anti-bot graphical challenge (CAPTCHA). Every visitor receives a daily grading allowance without needing an account.
- No Personal Data Stored: We do not ask for or store email addresses, names, or passwords.
- Anonymous Telemetry: Aggregate system telemetry (page views and scan processing times) is collected solely to monitor server health and optical model performance.
Your card scans and metrology data are processed without invasive tracking or third-party data broker sharing.
6. Limitation of Liability & Legal Disclaimers
GradieQ is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. In no event shall GradieQ, its creators, or affiliates be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from grading submission fees, insurance costs, lost shipping items, or financial gains/losses in collectible trading.
Nothing on GradieQ constitutes financial, legal, or investment advice. You remain solely responsible for your cards, submissions, and trading decisions.