CARD

Restoration

ARTISTS

Our beloved craft of restoring our childhood cards turned into a passion. Money was never the goal for many of us. With Pokemon cards reaching new heights in speculative value now invites scammers to enter the market. Use this guide as Giovanni’s personal vetted list of card restoration artists. These artists attempt to fix a card but there are no promises or guarantees regarding the outcome of the restoration process or the possibility of achieving a higher grade. Results may vary, and there is a risk that the card’s condition could worsen.

Follow these steps to start the process:

1. Do not send a ton of cards in each submission. Pick cards worth getting fixed based on damage that is repairable, and value of the card.
2. Analyze the card yourself. Cards with whitening, missing paint, or compromised structural integrity should be skipped. Cards with lifted edges/corners, indents, bends, creases, or dirt/pokemold are good candidates.
3. Take really good pictures. Put you camera on 2x with good lighting on a dark surface and capture any damage noticed.
4. Look below for a restoration artist within your country to reduce shipping costs.
5. Reach out in Instagram DMs with our callouts below for the best chance at a response – These experts receive hundreds of messages and you must stand out.
6. Backlogs fluctuate which means some artists may be too busy, and others are ready for more cards. If you don’t hear back after a week, it’s safe to move to the next artist.
7. Once you get in communication with an artist, send your pictures and get a quote. Some charge upfront, some after work is rendered. There’s no standard for how the artists charge, communicate, etc. Each artisan has their own process.
8. Send your cards in and wait patiently. Asking for an update is a sure fire way to have them rush and risk mistakes.
9. Once you get your cards back, be sure to tip when appropriate. Some clients have netted thousands in increased value and each artisan deserves a tip in these cases. If your card has worsened or remained the same, they probably told you as such and you just have to take the risk that it’s not always going to work out.
10. Leave reviews! Some artists have reference posts, or other places to highlight customer satisfaction. Telling others about them is also appreciated.

Remember that artists usually love projects of personal collections rather than using them as a cash machine. It doesn’t make us feel good to be used so please be generous with payment. Tip if you have done well as that goes a long way.