Blog
The measurable parts of collecting — what PSA actually publishes, what a photograph can and cannot tell you, and the arithmetic behind the numbers Cardient shows you.
Sep 2026
Pokémon cards by rarity: what each symbol means
The rarity is the small mark next to the card number. Here are all 17 marks on current English cards, cropped from real cards, with how many cards carry each.
Sep 2026
Pokémon set symbols: 198 English sets in order
The set symbol says which set a card is from. Here are 198 English set symbols, oldest first, with each set’s release date and card count, and why Base Set has none.
Sep 2026
Reverse holo vs holo: how to tell them apart, and which is worth more
A holo has a shiny picture. A reverse holo has a shiny everything-else. That is the whole test — but it stops working on cards printed before about 2002, it misses the cosmos finishes entirely, and the price you see on a reverse holo is the one you should trust least.
Aug 2026
PSA grading Pokémon cards: what actually decides the grade
PSA weighs four things, and only one of them can be measured before you post the card. Here are PSA's published centering tolerances, the 5% rule that explains why half the hobby says 55/45 and the other half 60/40, and what a photo genuinely cannot tell you.
Aug 2026
How to measure Pokémon card centering (and the mistake that ruins the number)
The arithmetic is one line long. The hard part is that photographing a card at a slight angle makes a perfectly centred card measure off-centre — so most people measure their camera rather than their card. Here is how to do it properly.
Aug 2026
What makes a card a PSA 10?
Gem Mint does not mean flawless, 55/45 and 60/40 are both correct answers to the centering question, and the 10 is the only grade where the back of the card can cost you anything. What the top grade actually requires.