From the workshop
Before-and-after stories, what we're seeing on the bench, honest advice on restoration and grading, and what's new at YIAN.
21 articles · 30 topics · Written in the UK workshop
Restoring a card for grading
Planning to grade a restored card? Community opinion doesn't decide whether restoration work is acceptable; each grader's own standards do. A restorer explains which kinds of work are generally lower risk, which are more likely to be flagged, why results can vary between companies and graders, and how to plan restoration around your grading goals.
Card burnishing
How home burnishing tools, household cleaners, heat and pressing damage Pokémon cards, what you can safely do at home, and when to stop and ask for help.
Altered Pokémon card
How graders such as PSA and CGC look at cleaned and restored Pokémon cards, why the choice for your own collection is yours, and how YIAN tells you before any work which steps suit grading and which carry a risk.
Should I restore my Pokémon card
An honest guide to restoring a damaged Pokémon card: what usually improves, what doesn't, how graders look at restored work, and why the choice for your own collection is yours.
Cards
Discover how YIAN helps UK collectors organise card portfolios, assess surface condition accurately, and prepare rare vintage favourites for archival preservation.