Grading

Grading is its own surface because it's a multi-step process with real cost and lead time. Sereal tracks each item through the pipeline, stamps the dates for you, and folds the grading fee into your cost basis when the item comes back.

The pipeline

Items move left to right; Sereal sets the date on each transition so you always know how long something's been out.

Cards

Queued → Submitted → Graded

Comics (the pressing path is built in)

Press Queued → Submitted for Pressing → Returned from Press →
Grade Queued → Submitted → Graded

Work the pipeline from the Grading page: each row has a status dropdown, and the medium toggle (All / Cards / Comics) keeps the two flows separate. An item stays on the pipeline until it's Graded, then drops off — it's back in your Collection with a grade.

Finalizing a grade

When an item comes back, Finalize it:

• Cards — enter the grade, the cert number, and (optionally) the grading fee.
• Comics — enter the CGC grade with its label (e.g. 9.8 NM/MT, 9.6 NM+), the cert number, an optional fee, and flag restoration if the book was pressed or worked on.

The fee is added to the item's cost basis, so your P&L reflects what grading actually cost you. Cert numbers enable PSA/CGC verification from the item detail view.

Should you grade it? (Flip Check)

Grading only pays off if the graded comp clears the raw comp plus the fee. Grading Flip Check helps you decide before you spend: enter the population / gem-rate inputs and Sereal runs a two-scenario expected-value estimate, then gives a verdict chip:

• Grade — the math favors submitting.
• Maybe — marginal; depends on the grade you actually hit.
• Skip — the spread doesn't cover the fee.

Treat it as a decision aid, not a guarantee — it's only as good as the comps you feed it.

Next

Once an item is graded and you're ready to move it, see Selling.