Population ReportSet RegistryCustomer Service: 1-800-VGS-SNIF
The four-discipline standard

The most trusted name in four-discipline card authentication.

Every card submitted to VGS is evaluated for aroma, reviewed by the residents of the retirement home down the street, tested under the lights at Club Neon, and assessed for whether it would save your life in an emergency. It is then encapsulated in a tamper-evident holder and entered into the population report. This is the standard. There is no other standard.

Submit a cardVerify a cert
3,412,908Cards sniffed since 2023
1Retirement home (down the street)
4Sub-grades on every label
0Gem Mint 10s lost in an emergency*
VGSAuthenticated · Sniffed
1909-11 · T206
Honus Wagner
Piedmont 150 · Pittsburg
8
NM-MT
Aroma6.5
Panel10
Club10
Survival9
10000001
VGS Cert #10000001. The first card ever graded by VGS. Aroma sub-grade reflects that it smells, unmistakably, of 1909.
Our grading standard

Four disciplines. Four sub-grades. One label.

Traditional graders assess centering, corners, edges and surface. We respect that work. We simply believe it stops short of the questions collectors actually ask: What does it smell like? What would Bernice think? Would it get me into the club? And if my life depended on it, would it save me?

A grader holding a sleeved trading card to his nose at a desk, with slabbed cards labeled MINT, NM and EX beside him.
Senior Olfactory Grader R. Delacroix evaluates a 1998 submission in Sniffing Chamber B. Chamber B is the spare office.
ISub-grade: Aroma

Olfactory Integrity

Each card is evaluated by a certified nasal technician in a climate-controlled chamber at a standard distance of 2.5 centimeters. Technicians sniff blind, in rotation, and are prohibited from eating anything with onion for six hours prior. We assess bouquet, note structure and finish, and we document every foreign presence, from binder ring to basement.

What we look for
  • Top notes and finish
  • Factory gum-stick residue
  • Evidence of attic
  • Evidence of glovebox
  • Cigarette (see MK qualifier)
  • Febreze (disqualifying)
Four elderly residents at a table in a retirement home lounge examining trading cards with loupes and magnifying glasses, beneath signs for the home's card club.
The panel in session. Harold (center) with the house loupe; Bernice, far left, with her own loupe, which she brought from home and will not share.
IISub-grade: Panel

Elder Consensus

A rotating panel of residents from the retirement home down the street reviews every submission after lunch and before bingo. The panel is shown the card for no more than ninety seconds, then asked for a verdict. Sub-grades reflect the majority opinion, adjusted for whether Harold had his glasses. No card has ever been explained to the panel. The panel does not want it explained.

What the panel looks for
  • Whether he seems like a nice young man
  • Whether it resembles a grandson
  • General smugness
  • Quorum (three residents awake)
  • Color, in Dot's opinion
  • Whether Bernice may keep it
A smiling man holding up a slabbed holographic trading card on a crowded nightclub dance floor under colored lights, with a neon sign reading Club Neon.
A submitted card during a Friday simulation at Club Neon. The submitter's face has been left visible with his consent and, frankly, his enthusiasm.
IIISub-grade: Club

Club Presence

How much cooler would this card make you look in a nightclub? Our technicians find out. Every submission is carried into Club Neon on a Friday between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. and presented, sleeved, at the rope, at the bar and on the floor. We record bouncer reaction, strobe compatibility, whether the card reads as jewelry or as a receipt, and whether a stranger offers to buy a drink for it. Cards over a declared value of $5,000 are simulated on Saturday with table service.

What we look for
  • Rope clearance
  • Foil under strobe
  • Name recognition among bouncers
  • Fits in a clutch
  • DJ acknowledgment
  • Reads as jewelry, not receipt
A man with a backpack holds up a sleeved trading card toward three armed men in camouflage at a rural checkpoint.
Senior Field Grader T. Vance secures safe passage at a checkpoint with a 2003 submission. The card was returned with a Survival sub-grade of 10. Vance is fine and has been given the rest of the week off.
IVSub-grade: Survival

Emergency Survivability

Would this card save your life? Every submission is assessed for its performance in a life-threatening emergency. The scenario is drawn by lot at the start of each session and includes, but is not limited to: safe passage through a checkpoint, an emergency dance-off, a hostage negotiation, a bear, a wedding you were not invited to, and being asked at a party what you do. We assess rigidity under duress, throwability, recognition among armed men, hype on reveal, and whether the card can plausibly be accepted in lieu of papers, cash or an apology. A perfect 10 ends the emergency on reveal. A 1 makes it worse.

What we look for
  • Rigidity under duress
  • Throwability (distance, spin)
  • Recognized by armed men
  • Accepted in lieu of papers
  • Hype on reveal
  • Buys time (bars, minutes, days)
The VGS grading scale

Ten points. Half points where earned. Names you already know.

The final grade is not an average of the four sub-grades. Our algorithm is proprietary, and was explained to us once by a man named Dale. In practice, the final grade cannot exceed the lowest sub-grade by more than 1.5 points, because a card that smells like a glovebox is a card that smells like a glovebox.

GradeDesignationAromaPanel verdictClubEmergency
10Gem MintDay-of-print. Nothing else.Unanimous; standing ovation (assisted)VIP, table service, DJ shout-outEnds the emergency on reveal
9MintClean; faint cardstockUnanimous, seatedVIP eligibleSafe passage; dance-off won in one throw
8NM-MTFaint binderApproved, one abstentionPast the rope, near the barGuards confer, then wave you through
7NMNeutral. Smells like a card.Approved; Harold nappingAdmitted; nobody asks about itHolds its own
6EX-MTNotes of shoeboxApproved 5–3Admitted after ID checkBuys you a verse, not a chorus
5EXDefinite basementSplit; Dot vetoedLine only; cover chargeFolds under pressure
4VG-EXAttic, unmistakableDeclined; “looks smug”Coat check confiscated itBuys you eight bars
3VGDampDeclined; no quorum (bingo)Cited as a receiptDropped mid-negotiation
2GoodSomething happened hereBernice asked us to take it awayTurned away at the doorThrown; did not go far
1.5FairCigarette, Febreze, defeatHarold said no, unpromptedNot attemptedNot attempted
1PoorTechnician stepped outsidePanel left the roomClub Neon called usMade it worse

Compatibility: the VGS 10-point scale aligns with PSA's numeric grades, Beckett's four-sub-grade label format, and CGC's Pristine designation. It is not compatible with anything else. Crossover submissions from other holders are welcome; see Services.

Submit a card

Online submission

Complete the form to receive a four-discipline evaluation, a final grade and a cert number. Turnaround is instant, which is a service level we do not otherwise offer. Storage history is self-reported and will be verified by nose.

As it should appear on the label. Player, set, number.

By submitting you agree that VGS may smell your card, show it to residents of the retirement home down the street, carry it into a nightclub, and present it during an emergency. Results are final. Bernice's are more final.

Grader’s report

Example submission
VGSAuthenticated · Sniffed
1999 · Pokémon Base Set
Charizard Holo #4
Unlimited
7
NM
Aroma8.5
Panel5.5
Club8
Survival7.5
34129089
7NMCert 34129089
8.5
Aroma sub-grade
Detectable Skittles. Technician could not determine flavor.
Olfactory technician, Chamber B
5.5
Panel sub-grade
Harold (88) asked why anyone would want this. Nobody had an answer.
Retirement home panel, post-lunch
8
Club sub-grade
Admitted after an ID check. DJ acknowledged it but did not play a song for it.
Club Neon simulation
7.5
Survival sub-grade
Scenario: wedding, uninvited. Got as far as the buffet.
Emergency simulation, scenario drawn by lot

Storage history as reported: Binder, sleeved. Service level: Regular. Encapsulated in a sonically welded, tamper-evident holder. Opening it releases the certified aroma.

Cert verification

Verify a VGS certification number

Every VGS holder carries an eight-digit certification number. Enter it below to confirm the card, the four sub-grades, the final grade and the panel's remarks on record. If your holder has no number, it is not a VGS holder, and you should ask whoever sold it to you what they smelled.

Try:

Cards graded on this page are added to the registry immediately. Cards graded elsewhere are added when Harold finishes typing them in.

VGS Cert 10000001✓ Verified · Registry match
VGSAuthenticated · Sniffed
1909-11 · T206
Honus Wagner
Piedmont 150 · Pittsburg
8
NM-MT
Aroma6.5
Panel10
Club10
Survival9
10000001
Card
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner (Piedmont 150 · Pittsburg)
Final grade
8 NM-MT
Sub-grades
Aroma 6.5 · Panel 10 · Club 10 · Survival 9
Submitted
Feb 3, 2023 · Pittsburgh, PA · Walk-Through
Panel remark
"A nice young man." — Harold. Unanimous. Bernice asked to keep it and was told no, gently.
Aroma note
Smells overwhelmingly of 1909. Tobacco, paper, a horse somewhere. Original; no qualifier.
Population report

Pre-war population, by grade

The population report lists every example of a card VGS has encapsulated, by final grade. Pre-war cards are shown below. Their aroma sub-grades are, as a category, low. They smell like the year they were printed, and the year they were printed was a long time ago.

CardTotal10987≤6BouquetPanel remark on file
1909-11 T206 Honus WagnerPiedmont 150 · Pittsburg
2001010“A nice young man.” — Harold. Smells overwhelmingly of 1909.
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144Big League Chewing Gum
4102914160Panel voted to keep it. Panel was overruled. Faint gum, ninety years on.
1909-11 T206 Christy MathewsonPortrait · N.Y. Nat’l
118042140530“He has kind eyes.” — Dot. Club: admitted, nobody asked.
1887 Allen & Ginter N28 Cap AnsonWorld’s Champions
270138150“That’s a moustache.” — Bernice. Tobacco notes are original, not a qualifier.
1887 Allen & Ginter N28 King KellyWorld’s Champions
190026110Walt asked if he was Irish. Approved. Emergency: surprisingly rigid.
1910 Obak CutshawOakland · P.C.L.
6000240“He seems tired.” — Dot. Panel requested a chair for him.

Population figures update nightly, after Harold's programs. The Set Registry is coming soon; at present it is a shoebox in Harold's room. Card images: public domain scans via Wikimedia Commons (Library of Congress; The Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Services & pricing

Service levels

Pricing is per card and determined by declared value, as is customary. Declared value also determines which night of the week your card goes to the club. Turnaround times are estimates measured in business days, and the retirement home observes every holiday, including several we had not heard of.

Entry

Value

$14.99 / card
Max declared value $499Turnaround 65 business days
  • One sniff, one technician
  • Panel of one (whoever is up)
  • Club: Tuesday, from the parking lot
  • Emergency simulated in the hallway
Most popular

Regular

$39 / card
Max declared value $1,499Turnaround 20 business days
  • Full four-discipline evaluation
  • Panel of three, post-lunch
  • Club Neon, Thursday
  • Emergency: one scenario, drawn by lot
Priority

Express

$99 / card
Max declared value $4,999Turnaround 5 business days
  • Two technicians, blind, in rotation
  • Panel of five incl. Bernice
  • Club Neon, Friday
  • Emergency: two scenarios, one armed
Premium

Super Express

$249 / card
Max declared value $24,999Turnaround 2 business days
  • Chamber A (the good office)
  • Full panel, quorum guaranteed
  • Saturday, with table service
  • Emergency: field test at a checkpoint
In person

Walk-Through

$650 / card
Max declared value $99,999Turnaround Same day
  • A grader smells your card while you watch
  • You meet the panel. Bernice holds your hand.
  • You attend the club with your card
  • Actual emergency, parking lot

Crossover

Send us your PSA, BGS, CGC or SGC holder. We will not crack it. We will smell the holder, show the holder to the panel, and issue a VGS grade for the holder. Minimum-grade requests honored.

Reholder

Scuffed or cracked VGS holder? We will re-encapsulate your card in a new holder at the original grade. Re-sniffing is included at no charge and is, at this point, mostly for us.

Bulk & dealer accounts

Submissions of 50+ cards receive volume pricing and a dedicated panel session. Please note the panel tires after roughly forty cards and the remainder are graded by Gloria alone.

Authentication

What every submission is checked for

  • Trimming, recoloring and rebacking. Detected visually by our technicians, and confirmed by smell, since a rebacked card smells like glue and regret.
  • Febreze, Lysol and “airing out.”Any attempt to alter a card's natural aroma prior to submission voids the Aroma sub-grade. The card will be labeled Authentic — Altered Scent.
  • Cologne transfer. Cards submitted after being carried in a shirt pocket at a wedding receive the OC qualifier. We know. We can tell.
  • Chain of custody. From receipt to encapsulation, each card is handled only by technicians, panel members and one bouncer named Terrence, who has signed a form.
  • Tamper-evident holder.Sonically welded. Opening it releases the card's certified aroma, which is then no longer certified.
Collector feedback

From the hobby

I sent in a PSA 10 for crossover. It came back a VGS 6. Apparently it smells like my car. I have never felt so seen by a company.
Devin R. · Tampa, FL · 14 cards submitted
The panel said my Jordan rookie “looks like a nice boy who should call his mother.” I framed the grader's notes next to the slab.
Marcus T. · Cleveland, OH · Express tier
Card did not save me in the emergency. Survival sub-grade was a 4. I should have read the sub-grades. That's on me.
Priya K. · Jersey City, NJ · Walk-Through
Customer service

Frequently asked questions

Is VGS affiliated with PSA, Beckett, CGC or SGC?

No. We admire them. We use their vocabulary the way a cover band uses chords. Their marks belong to them, and their graders, to our knowledge, do not smell anything on purpose.

What if my card smells like nothing?

Nothing is a smell. It grades a 7 (NM). Cards that smell like nothing are extremely common and, in the panel’s words, “fine.”

Who is on the panel?

Residents of the retirement home down the street who have signed a release and are awake. We will not say which street. Core members are Bernice (91), Harold (88), Dot (94), Walt (87) and Gloria (79, the young one). Panel composition rotates. Bernice does not rotate.

Can I be present for the sniffing?

Only at the Walk-Through tier. You will be asked to stand behind the tape and to refrain from commentary during the second sniff.

What happens to my card at the club?

It is carried, sleeved, by a technician who presents it at the rope, at the bar and on the floor. It is never set down. It is never lent. If someone asks to hold it, the technician says “she’s not mine to give,” which has proven effective.

What happens to my card during the emergency simulation?

A scenario is drawn by lot. If it is a dance-off, the card is held aloft by a trained technician for one (1) song while an opponent dances at it. If it is a checkpoint, a Senior Field Grader presents it and requests passage. If it is a bear, we use a photograph of the bear. The card is not thrown unless the submitter has requested throwability testing, which we do not recommend and which results in a DQ qualifier roughly half the time. Every card has been returned. Not every grader has.

Do you grade sealed wax?

We grade what we can smell. A sealed pack receives a provisional Aroma sub-grade and a note reading “promising.” The panel finds sealed packs frustrating and has asked us to stop.

What is the Bouquet Label?

A VGS 10 with a perfect 10 in all four disciplines, encapsulated in a black holder with gold foil. Three exist. One is a Bernice, meaning Bernice graded it and Bernice has it, and we have decided not to press the matter.

How do I contact customer service?

Call 1-800-VGS-SNIF, weekdays 9 to 11 a.m., and ask for Bernice. Bernice does not check email. Nobody checks email.