The CGC Pre-Submission Checklist: 15 Things to Verify

Before spending $100-300+ on CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) video game grading, verify these 15 items. This pre-submission checklist covers everything professional dealers and experienced collectors check before committing to a grading submission. Skipping even one step can result in a disappointing grade and wasted money.

What Is a CGC Pre-Submission Checklist?

A CGC pre-submission checklist is a systematic evaluation of your sealed video game's condition before paying for professional grading. It covers the same factors CGC graders assess — seal integrity, case condition, insert quality, edges, and authenticity — plus financial calculations to ensure the grading investment makes sense. Professional dealers never submit without running through this process.

Seal Integrity Checks (Items 1-5)

Seal integrity is the most heavily weighted factor in CGC video game grading. These five checks cover the critical seal conditions that make or break your grade.

1. Check for Seal Separation

Hold the game under bright, angled lighting and slowly rotate it. Look for thin shadow lines where the shrink wrap has lifted from the case surface. Even 1mm of separation can drop your grade 0.5-1.0 points. Check every edge, not just the obvious ones.

2. Inspect H-Seam Quality

Examine the horizontal seal on the back of the game. The H-seam should sit flat and tight with consistent width. Look for uneven overlap, edge lifting, discoloration, or excessive width. A clean H-seam is essential for grades above 9.0.

3. Evaluate Y-Fold Tightness

Check both Y-folds on each side of the case. Tight, crisp triangular folds indicate excellent preservation. Loose, messy, or uneven Y-folds suggest handling or age. Compare both sides — asymmetric Y-folds are noted by graders.

4. Look for Corner Tears

Inspect all four corners (eight total, front and back) under magnification. Corner tears as small as 1-2mm significantly impact grades. Corners are the most vulnerable points on shrink wrap — this is where damage most commonly occurs.

5. Check for Puncture Marks

Look for tiny holes in the shrink wrap from stacking, handling, or storage. These are often found on the front and back faces where pressure from other items creates small punctures. Use magnification and bright lighting to spot them.

Case Condition Checks (Items 6-8)

6. Assess Case Scratches

Hold the game at various angles under bright light to reveal surface scratches on the case or shrink wrap. Light scratching from handling is common and reduces case clarity scores. Deep scratches that distort the artwork view are more heavily penalized.

7. Check for UV Yellowing

Compare the case color against a known un-yellowed example or white paper. UV yellowing turns clear plastic and shrink wrap yellow-brown over time. Even slight yellowing from sunlight or fluorescent storage is detected by graders and lowers grades 0.5-2.0 points.

8. Look for Cloudiness or Residue

Check for hazy, milky appearance on the shrink wrap (distinct from yellowing) which indicates moisture exposure or chemical degradation. Also check for sticker residue from retail price tags — residue lowers grades, and attempting removal risks seal damage.

Insert and Edge Checks (Items 9-12)

9. Verify Insert Centering

Look at how the cover art insert sits within the case. Off-center inserts where the artwork shifts to one side are a manufacturing defect that lowers grades. Compare the margin on each side of the insert.

10. Check Insert Print Quality

Look for print defects, color inconsistencies, water spots, or fading on the cover art visible through the case. While some printing issues are factory defects, they still affect the grade.

11. Inspect All Edges

Run your eyes along every edge of the case. Look for compression marks, shelf wear lines, rounding of sharp edges, or damage from drops. Top and bottom edges are most commonly affected from being slid across shelves.

12. Examine All Corners

Separately from seal corner tears (item 4), check the case corners beneath the seal. Dings, crushing, or rounding of corners from impacts or drops lower the edge condition component score.

Final Verification (Items 13-15)

13. Verify Authenticity

Confirm the shrink wrap type is correct for the game's era and region. Check for factory seal characteristics (security stickers, correct wrap thickness). If anything feels off, research the specific game's known packaging before submitting. CGC will flag suspected reseals.

14. Predict the Grade

Based on your inspection, estimate a grade range. Or use AI-powered pre-submission analysis for a data-driven prediction: upload 5 photos and receive a predicted grade range in 30 seconds with 80% accuracy within 0.5 points. This step informs the most important check — the ROI calculation.

15. Calculate ROI

The final and most important check: will grading make financial sense? Use the formula: Graded Value at Predicted Grade minus Raw Value minus Total Grading Costs (fees + shipping + insurance = $100-300). If the result is significantly positive, submit. If it's negative or marginal, keep the game raw. Never submit on hope — submit on data.

Quick-Reference Checklist

1. Seal separation: No lifting or shadow lines under angled light
2. H-seam: Flat, tight, consistent width, no discoloration
3. Y-folds: Tight, crisp, symmetric on both sides
4. Corner tears: No tears at any corner (check under magnification)
5. Puncture marks: No holes in shrink wrap
6. Case scratches: Minimal surface scratching
7. UV yellowing: No yellow-brown discoloration
8. Cloudiness/residue: No hazy appearance or sticker residue
9. Insert centering: Artwork properly centered in case
10. Insert print quality: No defects, fading, or water spots
11. Edge condition: No compression, wear lines, or rounding
12. Corner condition: No dings, crushing, or impact damage
13. Authenticity: Correct seal type for era and region
14. Grade prediction: Estimated or AI-predicted grade range
15. ROI calculation: Positive return after all costs

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I check before submitting a game to CGC?

Before CGC submission, check these 15 items: seal separation, H-seam quality, Y-fold tightness, corner tears, puncture marks, case scratches, UV yellowing, cloudiness/residue, insert centering, insert print quality, edge condition, corner condition, authenticity, predicted grade, and ROI calculation. Only submit when all checks pass and ROI is clearly positive.

What is the most important thing to check before CGC grading?

Seal integrity is the most important thing to check before CGC grading. Seal separation, corner tears, and H-seam issues are the top grade-lowering factors. After seal checks, calculate ROI — even a clean game shouldn't be submitted if the graded value at the predicted grade won't exceed raw value plus $100-300 in total costs.

How do I know if my game will get a good CGC grade?

Evaluate your game against CGC's five grading components: seal integrity, case clarity, insert quality, edge condition, and authenticity. If all areas look excellent under magnification and bright lighting, expect 9.0+. For a data-driven prediction, use AI analysis that provides grade ranges with 80% accuracy within 0.5 points from 5 photos.

What tools do I need to check game condition before grading?

For manual inspection, you need bright angled lighting, a magnifying glass or loupe, a clean white surface for comparison, and a smartphone camera for documentation. For AI-powered analysis, upload 5 photos to GameMintAI for a 30-second grade prediction. The AI catches microscopic defects that manual inspection often misses.

Should I clean my sealed game before submitting to CGC?

Do not clean your sealed game before CGC submission. Cleaning risks damaging the seal — even gentle wiping can create micro-scratches or loosen seal adhesion. Never use chemicals, solvents, or adhesive removers on a sealed game. Submit the game as-is. Any modification may be flagged as tampering by CGC graders.

Bottom Line

The 15-point pre-submission checklist takes 10-15 minutes per game and can save you $100-300+ per avoided bad submission. Professional dealers never skip this process, and neither should you. For collectors who want a faster, data-driven approach, AI-powered pre-submission analysis covers all 15 checks from 5 photos in 30 seconds. Either way, the goal is the same: only submit games that will grade well enough to justify the investment.