CGC now grades TCG cards full time in Hong Kong
CGC said on October 5 that TCG-only orders sent in Hong Kong are now graded there, not in Florida, at no extra fee. Sports and mixed orders still go to Florida.
By the Rip.fan Editorial Team.
Published Updated 4 min read
CGC Cards said on October 5, 2026 that its office in Hong Kong now grades TCG cards on a full-time basis. TCG submissions made in Hong Kong are no longer sent to CGC’s headquarters in Sarasota, Florida, and CGC says it charges no additional fee for grading them locally.
According to the announcement, card grading at CGC’s Hong Kong office dates from May 2024. Until now, TCG orders taken in by that office made the trip to Florida for grading. As of the announcement, those orders stay in Hong Kong.
What goes where
The change covers TCG cards only. This table sets out where each kind of order sent in Hong Kong is graded, before the announcement and now, from CGC’s announcement.
| Order sent in Hong Kong | Graded before October 5 | Graded as of October 5 |
|---|---|---|
| TCG cards only | Sarasota, Florida | Hong Kong office, no additional fee |
| Sports cards | Sarasota, Florida | Sarasota, Florida |
| Non-sports cards | Sarasota, Florida | Sarasota, Florida |
| Mixed order of TCG and other cards | Sarasota, Florida | Sarasota, Florida |
| On-site grading at listed shows | At the show | At the show, as before |
Orders that still go to Florida travel there with insurance, and CGC ships the graded cards back to the Hong Kong office with insurance, to be returned to submitters. Collectors in Hong Kong can submit through one of CGC’s Authorized Dealers or straight to the Hong Kong office, which sees visitors by appointment only.
What full time changes
Before October 5, the Hong Kong office sent TCG orders on to Florida for grading. Full-time grading means the office now grades those orders itself as its regular work. CGC says it will keep holding on-site grading events at certain shows in the region alongside it.
CGC is one of five brands in the Certified Collectibles Group, founded in 1987, alongside NGC, PMG, JSA and ASG, according to the announcement. The same announcement appears on CGC’s card news page, dated October 5, 2026.
Who grades the cards
CGC says the Hong Kong team is made up of card graders who moved from other CGC sites and staff trained locally. The company says this keeps grading in Hong Kong in line with its global standards. Steven R. Eichenbaum, chief executive of the Certified Collectibles Group, which CGC is part of, called the change a step in serving collectors in the region. He noted that the group has worked there since 2008.
Shows stay part of the picture. CGC says it will keep grading on site at certain trade shows in Asia, naming the Asia Super Collectors Convention in Macau, scheduled for October 9 to 11, 2026. It says it will announce those shows and their deadlines on its website and social media. On-site grading gives a faster turnaround to customers who ask for the service before or during an event.
Hong Kong orders stay closer to home
For collectors in Hong Kong, a TCG-only order now skips two insured trips, out to Florida and back. A mixed order still makes both trips, so the way an order is split decides where it is graded. The announcement gives no turnaround figure for the Hong Kong office, so it does not say how much time the shorter trip saves.
For buyers anywhere, CGC’s announcement says every card it certifies goes into its holder and carries its guarantee of authenticity and grade. A TCG card graded in Hong Kong is still a CGC-graded card, held to the same global standards by CGC’s account.
What to do
- If you submit in Hong Kong and want TCG cards graded there, send them as their own order, apart from sports or non-sports cards.
- Ask your Authorized Dealer or the Hong Kong office for the current turnaround and fees before you submit, since the announcement lists neither.
- Need cards back fast? Watch CGC’s website and social media for the next show with on-site grading and its deadline.
- Buying a CGC-graded card from a seller abroad? Look up its certification number and read the label first. Our guides to reading a CGC label and spotting a fake slab show what to check.
- Comparing graders? Our guide to CGC and SGC sets their services side by side, and the glossary explains turnaround time.
How we checked
The details here come from CGC’s announcement of October 5, 2026, read on October 12, 2026, and from the same announcement on CGC’s card news page, read on October 22, 2026. Our editorial policy explains how we work.