Funko Pop Grading Explained

Funko Pop grading is a paid service in which an outside company inspects a boxed Funko Pop, confirms it is genuine, rates the condition of the packaging on a numbered scale, and seals the box in a protective case with a label showing the result. The grade is mostly about the box, not the vinyl figure inside it. Grading does not make a common figure valuable. It puts a documented condition on a figure that collectors already want, which can make buyers more comfortable and sales smoother. The grading landscape has also changed: the best-known grader, PSA, stopped taking Funko submissions at the end of 2025, so who grades Pops today is a real question.

What Funko grading actually is

Grading is a condition report that travels with the figure. A grader looks at the Pop in its original box, checks that the figure and box are authentic, and assigns a number. The Pop is then encapsulated in a hard, tamper-evident case, usually with a label that lists the figure, the grade and a certification number you can look up on the grader's website.

Two ideas are worth separating from the start.

Authentication. Counterfeit Pops exist, especially of exclusives and rare convention pieces. A grader's first job is to decide whether the item is real and unaltered. Swapped stickers, replaced windows and repainted boxes are the kinds of changes that can disqualify a piece.

Condition. A real figure in a battered box is still real. The grade tells a buyer how battered, in a standard language, so they do not have to rely on a seller's photos and adjectives.

Because the grade is mostly about packaging, it only means something for figures that are still in their boxes. An out-of-box figure is a different product with a different market, and grading services built around box condition do not help it much.

Who grades Funko Pops

This part moves, so read it as a snapshot and confirm each company's current status on its own website before you send anything.

PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator). PSA announced its Funko Pop grading and authentication criteria in October 2022 and became the name most collectors associated with graded Pops. In 2025 PSA announced that it would end the service. The final day to submit Pops for grading, reholdering or dual-service orders was December 1, 2025. PSA said it would continue to authenticate signed Pops, with an autograph-only label that confirms the signature but does not give a condition grade. Plenty of PSA-graded Pops are still out there and still trade, so you will keep seeing them on the secondary market.

VVGS (Vinyl Vault Grading System). According to a collector resource we read, VVGS began grading Funko Pops in 2018, years before PSA entered the field, and it looks at all six sides of the box as well as the figure. Details such as turnaround and tiers are on its own site.

PGS (Pops Grading Services). A smaller grader focused on Funko, reported to use a 1 to 10 scale and to examine all six faces of the box, the corners and the figure. Collector opinion on its slabs is mixed, so see how the market treats a specific grader before you decide.

CGC. Best known for comic books, with a growing list of collectible categories. One source reported that CGC was building toward Funko grading, but its status was still developing as of that report. Check CGC's current offerings page.

AFA. Known for grading action figures and toys in original packaging. We could not confirm from its public pages whether it currently accepts Funko Pops, so ask AFA directly before assuming it does.

The practical takeaway is that the grader matters. A grade is only as useful as buyers' trust in the company behind it, and that trust is built over years of consistent standards. When you consider a graded Pop, look at how recent sales of that grader's slabs compare with sales of the same figure ungraded.

What the scales look at

Grading companies differ in the details, but they converge on the same questions about the box. PSA's published criteria are the most widely discussed, so they are a good model.

• The window. Scratches, scuffs, dents, clouding and loose or replaced plastic all count. Differences in window shape that came from the factory are not damage.
• The corners. Sharp, square corners score best. Light softness is tolerated at higher grades, and crushed or bent corners push the grade down quickly.
• The edges and faces. Scuffs, rubbing, shelf wear and print marks on any side of the box.
• Creases, tears and stains. Folds in the cardboard, rips, water marks and discoloration, with the location and severity both considered.
• The stickers. Exclusive and chase stickers should be present, original and flat. Residue from a removed price sticker counts against the box.
• Eye appeal. Graders consider how visible a flaw is on the front of the box compared with an edge or the back.
• The figure. The figure is examined for authenticity and for obvious problems such as a missing piece, a broken part or significant paint defects, which can prevent a grade altogether.

In PSA's system, the scale ran from 1 (Poor) to 10 (Gem Mint) with half grades in between, such as 8.5. One collector guide states that the top grade is rarely or never given and that 9 is the practical ceiling for most boxes. A forum summary of PSA's criteria describes a 10 as a box with a clean window, sharp corners and perfectly applied stickers. Those two accounts conflict, which is a good example of why you should confirm the specifics on a grader's own site and not rely on secondary summaries.

At the low end of any scale, a box may be so damaged that it no longer works as protective or display packaging. Collectors often call a Pop in that state "out of box" or treat it as a loose figure for pricing purposes.

A comparison of grading versus alternatives

When grading matters

Grading helps in particular situations, and it is wasted effort in many others.

It tends to matter when:

• The figure is scarce: a convention exclusive, a retailer exclusive with a short run, a chase variant, a vaulted figure or a hand-numbered piece.
• Demand for the character or franchise is strong and sustained, not just a short spike after a movie.
• The box is genuinely clean. A grade cannot rescue a damaged box, and a low grade on a figure whose value depends on condition can reduce what a careful buyer will pay.
• You plan to sell to buyers who cannot inspect the item in person and who value a neutral opinion.
• You want to keep the piece long term and prefer a hard, sealed case that protects it from handling.

It usually does not matter when:

• The figure is a common retail release made in large numbers. The cost and months of waiting rarely make sense.
• The box already has visible dents, creases or window scratches.
• The figure is out of the box.
• You need the money soon. Turnaround is measured in weeks to months.

A useful rule from collector guidance is that grading adds documentation and confidence to value that a figure already has. It does not create value from nothing.

What grading does to value, qualitatively

The effect of a grade on what buyers will pay is not a fixed multiple. It depends on the figure, the grade and the market at the time you sell.

A higher grade on a wanted figure usually widens the pool of interested buyers, because some collectors only buy slabs with grades they like. The same grade on a figure few people want does little. Differences between adjacent grades can be large for scarce figures and small for common ones. A mid-range grade on a figure whose raw version is easy to find can come back worth no more than the ungraded copy, once you account for fees and shipping.

There is also a counter-effect. Some collectors prefer to own the original box and handle the figure themselves, and they will pay less for a slab or ignore it. And graders' policies can change, as the PSA announcement showed. When a service closes, the existing slabs keep their labels, but the label's meaning depends on collectors continuing to trust it.

The reliable way to see the effect for a specific figure is to compare recent sold results for the same figure raw and graded at different grades, matching box condition as closely as you can. Our guide Funko Pop Values: How Pricing Works explains how to read sold prices and why asking prices mislead.

Preparing a Pop for grading

If you decide to submit, a few habits protect the result.

• Do not open the box. Opening usually removes a boxed figure's value and prevents box grading altogether.
• Handle the box by the edges and keep it out of the sun. Fingerprints and fading both show.
• Photograph every side first. If something goes wrong in transit, you have a record of the original condition.
• Use the grader's packing rules. Each company publishes how it wants Pops shipped, and ignoring them can cause delays or damage.
• Insure the package for its real value and use tracking.
• Be honest about the figure. Declared value and description should match what the item is.

Seeing a Pop on camera before you buy

Graded or raw, the best check on a Pop is seeing the box itself. A live seller can turn the box under a light, show the window and corners, and read out a cert number so you can verify it on the grader's website before you bid. On ShopBidz, Collector Of Goodies and Six2Six both sell collectibles and toys, so they are two sellers you can watch live and ask about box condition and stickers. If you are thinking about selling a figure of your own, our guide Where to Sell Funko Pops covers the options. And if you are working out how to price a raw figure, Funko Pop Values: How Pricing Works shows the sold-price method step by step.

Common mistakes

• Grading common figures. Fees, shipping and waiting time can exceed what the grade adds to a figure that many people own.
• Sending a damaged box and hoping. Window scratches, crushed corners and creases are what graders look for first. If you can see them, assume they will.
• Trusting a slab without verifying it. Look up the cert number on the grader's site and check that the description matches the figure in the case.
• Assuming one grader's grade equals another's. Scales and strictness differ. Compare like with like when you check sold prices.
• Forgetting the figure's own condition. Paint defects, missing pieces and swapped parts can stop a grade even when the box is clean.

Bottom line

Funko Pop grading is a third-party condition report on a boxed figure, built mostly around the box: the window, corners, edges, stickers and creases, plus a check that the figure is genuine. PSA, the best-known grader, ended Funko submissions at the end of 2025, and other companies such as VVGS and PGS grade Pops, with CGC reportedly developing a service, so confirm who is accepting work before you plan around it. Grading helps scarce, wanted figures in clean boxes and rarely pays for common ones. Compare recent sold results raw and graded for your figure, verify any slab you buy, and see the box on camera when you can.