Card restoration FAQs

It depends on the damage. Common treatments include surface cleaning, scuff and minor scratch reduction, corner correction, indent reduction, gloss restoration, and rejuvenating dried-out cardboard. Every card is assessed individually before any treatment begins.

CardRevive uses proprietary products and treatment processes selected after physically assessing each card. We do not publish exact products, formulas or treatment methods because they are trade-confidential. Before work begins, we explain the proposed service, material risks specific to the card and price for approval. Any restoration is technically alteration, and no grading outcome is guaranteed.

Grading companies inspect cards for evidence of alteration and restoration, and only they decide whether that evidence is present. CardRevive does not promise that work will be undetectable, accepted or numerically graded. PSA currently lists evidence of restoration and cleaning as No Grade outcomes; other grading houses apply their own policies. Review the chosen grader's current rules before submitting.

PSA's current published standards say cards bearing evidence of restoration or cleaning will not receive a numeric grade. PSA may return the card unencapsulated and still charge the grading fee because its graders assessed the submission. CardRevive cannot predict an individual determination and does not promise PSA acceptance or a grade. Other grading houses apply their own current rules, which collectors should review before submitting.

Card cleaning is the lightest level: surface dust, fingerprints, and very light contamination removed without touching corners, edges, or gloss. Card restoration is broader: cleaning plus targeted work on edges, corners, indents, gloss, creases, and colour where appropriate. Grading prep is the workflow around either: assessing whether a card is grade-ready, choosing the right grading house (PSA, BGS, PCG or ACE), packaging it correctly, and submitting through our middleman service. Most CardRevive submissions involve a combination, scoped to the card after physical assessment.

Yes. Any work on a card, cleaning, edge correction, indent or crease repair, is technically alteration. We are upfront about that. We also offer a play-it-safe minimal-intervention option that limits work to the lightest treatments and tends to yield smaller grade gains. Converting a PSA 4 into a 10 is not possible without alteration, and throughout the process we prioritise preserving the card's original integrity.

No. Adding pigment to a card destroys grade-ability and conservation integrity. We are conservators, not painters.

Restoring a card you own is generally lawful. What matters next is honest disclosure and compliance with the rules of any marketplace, buyer, insurer or grading company involved. We are upfront that restoration is alteration, and the grading call always belongs to the grading house.

Restoration is priced as a percentage of card value. Standard is 5% with a A$25 minimum, Express 7.5% with a A$50 minimum, Priority 10% with a A$100 minimum. Specialty repairs (indent, crease, mould) are flat fees added on top. The pricing estimator on our pricing page returns a live quote.

Every card in a restoration submission starts with an A$10 inspection. We assess each card on the bench and may recommend restoration, cleaning only, grading as-is where requested, return untreated or no further action. If restoration is unnecessary, you do not pay the restoration tier fee.

Standard tier runs 60 to 75+ business days, Express 40 to 50+, Priority 5 to 25+. Even simple work involves drying time between steps, and we usually have several projects on the bench. We give you a tighter estimate when we confirm the quote after physical inspection.

Ten environmental factors are commonly identified as causing change to a card. The six most common are careless handling, light exposure, temperature fluctuations, humidity, dirt, and insect attack. Pollution can also be an issue depending on where you live. Prevention is always better than cure.

Slabbed cards need to be cracked out before treatment. We crack out PSA, BGS, PCG, ACE and CGC slabs at the bench, treat the card, and re-submit through our middleman service.

Yes. Japanese stock has different gloss and edge characteristics than English print runs, but our protocol covers both, alongside Korean, Chinese, German, French, Italian and Spanish editions. Send a photo if you are unsure about the specific era.

Most cards we treat see a 1–3-point grade improvement. The exact movement depends on starting condition, card era and which treatments apply. We give a candid assessment before treatment begins, but no grade is guaranteed.

Yes, walk-ins are welcome at the Lab, 493a Forest Rd, Penshurst NSW 2222 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm · Sat 9am–2pm). No appointment needed; creating your submission first means the cards are logged the moment they arrive. (The Padstow address listed under shipping is a Parcel Collect box for mail-in only, so please don't drop in there.)

No. CardRevive does not provide agreed-value or collectible insurance for customer cards, and declaring a value does not insure a card. A customer may choose paid Australia Post Extra Cover for an Australian return parcel; it is carrier compensation subject to Australia Post terms, not CardRevive insurance. We do not offer cover for overseas packages. We log and photograph cards on receipt and use reasonable care while they are with us. The absence of insurance does not remove any responsibility we have under Australian Consumer Law or other applicable law.

We document the card on intake, investigate what happened and contact you. You accept inherent card-specific risks that we disclose and that can occur even when reasonable care and skill are used; you do not accept loss caused by our failure to use the care and skill required by law. Depending on the circumstances, an appropriate remedy may include re-performing the service, a refund or compensation.

We offer authentication when needed and a middleman service to PSA, BGS, PCG, ACE and CGC. We do not grade cards ourselves, that is intentional, the lines stay clean between conservation and grading.

No. Grades are issued by third parties against their own scoring criteria. We can dramatically improve a card's chance of a higher grade, but the final number is theirs.

It depends on the card, buyer and grading outcome. Restoration can improve presentation, and treated cards typically move 1–3 grade points when they receive a new numeric grade, but restoration or alteration can reduce desirability for some collectors. We explain that trade-off during assessment before any work begins; no grade or increase in value is guaranteed.

You should disclose that a card has been restored or altered. A graded slab records the grading house's decision, but it does not make a misleading description to a future buyer acceptable. Your exact legal duties depend on the sale and platform, and CardRevive provides before-and-after records to make accurate disclosure easier.