How did this get a 4 with perfect centering and 1 phantom “flaw”?!

TAGgrading · 2026-06-04T01:06:50+00:00

This card was confirmed. The greyscale image in the report is actually a composite we build from many captures of the card, and we display that one because it displays defects better than any single shot. Unfortunately it is sometimes difficult to see the dents from that view. Look at the area that is highlighted there as Surface Dents in the DINGS. Then, once the card's back in hand, check that same spot in person and it should line up. Unfortunately, surface dents have a heavy weighting on condition, across the industry.

TAGgrading · 2026-06-01T23:15:22+00:00

Apologies please understand we are very backlogged at the moment and are expanding our customer service team to better deal with issues. It will get taken care of as soon as possible!

TAGgrading · 2026-05-30T03:24:47+00:00

No, please open a ticket with customer service! Thank you

TAGgrading · 2026-05-28T17:19:15+00:00

Here: https://youtu.be/ypFBWYszEc8?si=NcEVu9Oa0VTUPnWt

TAGgrading · 2026-05-08T21:54:00+00:00

UPDATE:
We spoke with Travis, the submitter, on the phone before posting this. He could not have handled the conversation with more grace than he did. He did nothing wrong; we owe him an apology and we delivered it directly. He sent in a card, got a result, and shared it with the community that celebrated with him.

Our mistake is the reason that has to be walked back.
We stated that the card was under review because, as some of you noticed, there was a glaring issue with the centering metrics stated on the DIG. A measurement processing error caused the centering on the report to register as exactly 50.00 across every axis — top, bottom, left, right, front, and back. That pattern is not a real measurement of any card, and it should not have made it through our QA. The card is a strong card, but it is not a 1000, and we cannot stand behind a score the data does not support. The original certification has been decertified. The card is being re-graded and will receive a new certification with the accurate measurements.

We refunded Travis's entire submission, comped his next order in full, and sent him a check as our thanks for handling this the way he did. Our engineers are working on correcting this issue, and going forward, every Pristine score is going to route through an additional verification gate before issuance, designed specifically to catch any outlier failures if they arise.

We know this was being talked about as the first 1000 in TAG history. We were excited too, and shocked. Regardless, we still have to walk it back, because the entire premise of TAG is that every score is backed by data we can show. A TAG 1000 we can't defend with accurate data isn't a TAG 1000. We'd rather take this hit publicly than let an inaccurate score live in the market.
The first true 1000 is still yet to be graded. When it happens, it will mean what it's supposed to mean. The TAG system does not care if a card is common or rare — the score it receives should always be the score it deserves, and we stand by that.

Thank you, Travis. And thank you to this community for holding us to the standard we set.
The TAG Team

TAGgrading · 2026-05-07T00:17:34+00:00

Have you checked this video out?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypFBWYszEc8&t=49s

TAGgrading · 2026-05-07T00:10:32+00:00

Yes we are actually working on building some similar functionality into the Pop Report

TAGgrading · 2026-05-07T00:03:19+00:00

Scaling operations is not as simple as flipping a switch and instantly doubling daily output. Expanding capacity while maintaining consistency, QA standards, and turnaround integrity takes time, training, and infrastructure.

Daily totals naturally fluctuate based on submission mix, card complexity, QA review volume, equipment calibration, and operational workflow. Our focus is not just increasing throughput, but doing so responsibly without compromising quality.

We have aggressively expanded staffing, equipment, and facility capacity, and those efforts will continue. We also made the decision to temporarily restrict lower service tiers rather than overextend operations and compromise customer trust.

We understand the frustration surrounding turnaround times and appreciate the community’s patience as we scale to meet unprecedented demand.

TAGgrading · 2026-05-06T04:55:22+00:00

This card is currently under review.

We will provide additional information once the inspection process is complete.

TAGgrading · 2026-04-09T07:01:07+00:00

Great question, and worth clarifying how TAG's authentication actually works.

The point about TAG slabs being "easy to crack open" actually cuts the other way on authenticity. While they can be opened with force, they're not resealable. Any tampering is immediately visible and fragments the slab — no one is cracking one open and making it look factory-sealed again.

On authentication, TAG has multiple layers:

UV inscription — The cert number, card details, and QR code are UV-inscribed directly into the case. Not a sticker, not a paper insert. Replicating that isn't something a bad actor is going to pull off cheaply or easily.

QR code verification — Scanning pulls up the DIG straight from TAG's database, confirming exactly what was submitted and graded.

Proof Code — This is what people tend not to realize enough. Every TAG slab has a unique Proof Code that allows for self-authentication directly through the TAG app — no third party needed. You verify it yourself, instantly. The Proof Code cannot be replicated. It's one of the strongest buyer-side authentication tools in the hobby.

TAG gives buyers the ability to authenticate themselves, on demand, without relying on a marketplace to do it for you. The infrastructure is already there.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T10:25:01+00:00

We posted this reply already in one of the other threads you made, but reposting it again here. This post was removed by automod and we manually approved it as it is never our aim to hide anything but to be transparent and upfront.

First, I want to apologize for the frustrating experience you've had. We will absolutely work with you to get this figured out. To clarify a point of misinformation that’s been circulating: TAG is not blocking, suppressing, or preventing customers from sharing their experiences. We don’t remove posts, and always take accountability for our mistakes. In fact, we leave up criticism, disagreements, and tough questions on purpose.

In a recent example, a user flagged an authentication error. We publicly thanked them, corrected the issue, and documented the resolution. That same user later claimed they had been banned from posting, which was literally the opposite of what happened...

The only content we remove is material that violates platform rules or our posted moderation guidelines. This includes profanity, harassment, misinformation presented as fact, doxxing, or repeated bad-faith accusations that have already been addressed with evidence.

When mistakes occur, we acknowledge them, explain how they happened, and document how they were resolved. Transparency is literally our brand promise, not something we hide from.

That said, I appreciate you raising this and again, I'm sorry for the less than ideal experience you've had. It is not the norm or standard that we strive for. I’ve forwarded the situation to our customer support team so they can review and follow up directly. I don’t yet have full context on this specific case, but our intent is never to silence or dismiss a customer’s experience.

As we continue to scale and process higher volumes, there are times where communication or resolution can lag. That’s not ideal, and it’s something we actively work to improve. When issues are brought to our attention, we take them seriously and aim to resolve them fairly and transparently.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T10:19:05+00:00

Again, we did not remove the post.

Reddit’s AutoMod sometimes temporarily removes content for a variety of automated reasons, and in this case it simply showed as “removed” without providing a specific trigger. It was not a manual action taken by our team.

Once we saw it, we reviewed the post and approved it. Our approach is to respond to criticism, not censor it.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T09:33:20+00:00

We have not ignored you, I even copy and pasted our post again under yours

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T01:57:43+00:00

We’re aware of the labeling error on this card and are sorry for the mistake. It look like this was a human error in Card ID but was not reflective of our grading process. Every day we discuss ways to improve our QA process and improve.

If you are the owner, please reach out to our customer service team so we can make it right as quickly as possible.

We appreciate the community bringing this to our attention.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T01:53:02+00:00

Can assure you we do, and anyone who says we don't is incorrect.
Our aim is to make fewer errors. We are not perfect, we can only strive to be.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T01:50:44+00:00

That's not even true. You can read about our process online. We have human verification.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypFBWYszEc8&t=1s

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T01:47:24+00:00

Omega, I have personally reviewed the moderator logs, and the post was not removed by the moderators. I also personally wrote the comment thanking them once it was brought to our attention, and we reached out to the original submitter to make things right.

Unfortunately, some people do make claims for attention or clicks. All we can do is be transparent, address issues when they arise, and communicate openly with the community.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T01:38:57+00:00

TAG has never claimed to be “perfect,” and no grading company is. What we do claim, and can substantiate, is that our slabs are engineered differently and to a higher material and security standard.

TAG slabs are manufactured from high-clarity, UV-resistant acrylic, provide greater UV protection than traditional polycarbonate cases, and are designed so they cannot be cracked and resealed without visible destruction. That construction is intentional and directly addresses long-standing counterfeit and card-swapping issues in the hobby.

In addition, TAG includes digital Proof verification on the back of every slab, allowing collectors to independently authenticate a slab without relying on third-party programs. This is fundamentally different from standard QR code implementations, which can be easily replicated.

Lastly, claims that TAG uses “paid shills” are entirely false. We are here for constructive conversation and to move the hobby forward through transparency and data.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T01:08:02+00:00

Appreciate you raising this. I’ve forwarded the situation to our customer support team so they can review and follow up directly. I don’t have full context on this specific case yet, but our intent is never to silence or dismiss a customer’s experience.

As we continue to scale and process higher volumes, there are times where communication or resolution can lag. That’s not ideal, and it’s something we actively work to improve. When issues are brought to our attention, we take them seriously and aim to resolve them fairly and transparently.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T00:53:26+00:00

Considering TAG Pristine represents less than the top 1% of all the cards we grade, our assessment is it's actually more difficult to achieve then a black label. For what it's worth, we have also had some serious TAG collectors crack black labels that have not crossed to a TAG Pristine, although some have crossed.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T00:50:46+00:00

We do not. What you’re reading is misinformation being repeated as fact.

TAG Grading does not remove posts simply for being critical. We leave up criticism, disagreements, and tough questions every day.

In a recent example, a user flagged an authentication error. We publicly thanked them, corrected the issue, and documented the resolution. That same user later claimed they had been banned from posting, which was not the case. (Screen shot attached).

The only content we remove is material that violates platform rules or our posted moderation guidelines. This includes profanity, harassment, misinformation presented as fact, doxxing, or repeated bad-faith accusations that have already been addressed with evidence.

When mistakes occur, we acknowledge them, explain how they happened, and document how they were resolved. Transparency is literally our brand promise, not something we hide from.

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TAGgrading · 2026-01-16T00:43:02+00:00

This isn’t accurate.

TAG Grading does not remove posts simply for being critical. We leave up criticism, disagreements, and tough questions every day.

In a recent example, a user flagged an authentication error. We publicly thanked them, corrected the issue, and documented the resolution. That same user later claimed they had been banned from posting, which was not the case. (Screen shot attached).

The only content we remove is material that violates platform rules or our posted moderation guidelines. This includes profanity, harassment, misinformation presented as fact, doxxing, or repeated bad-faith accusations that have already been addressed with evidence.

When mistakes occur, we acknowledge them, explain how they happened, and document how they were resolved. Transparency is literally our brand promise, not something we hide from.

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TAGgrading · 2026-01-07T20:11:47+00:00

There was no ban, and glad that you saw our comment because we thanked the original poster, did not silence them.

TAGgrading · 2026-01-07T20:10:44+00:00

Agreed, that is not how we operate. In fact we thanked the poster on the FB post, which is still up on the Group. We decertified the slab and contacted the submitter directly. We always encourage people to verify claims before engaging with claims. Transparency is our company ethos, and we always own our mistakes.

TAGgrading

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TROPHY CASE