Read the copy, then read the number
Open a card in the Stash and look at Centering, Corners, Edges and Surface. Each runs from 1 to 10 in half-point steps. They describe this collectible copy. They don't change the character's Haul, Heat or role in The Job.
The vocabulary comes from physical collecting: Beckett assesses those same four condition categories. Lockbox, however, is Smash & Grab's fictional grading house. Its formula is a game rule, not a claim that a real grading company would assess a physical card the same way.
| Subgrade | What to look at | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Centering | How the printed image sits inside the card's cut borders. | 20% |
| Corners | The four points of the card: their shape, whitening and handling marks. | 25% |
| Edges | The long perimeter between the corners, including chipping and wear. | 25% |
| Surface | The printed face and its condition: fading, marks and other visible treatment. | 30% |
Why the average isn't the final grade
Lockbox takes a weighted average, rounds it down to the next half point, then applies a limit: the overall result cannot sit more than half a point above the lowest subgrade. Strong scores elsewhere cannot hide a serious weakness.
Take this worked example: Centering 8, Corners 9, Edges 9.5 and Surface 9. The weighted total is 8.925. Rounding down gives 8.5. The lowest score is 8, so the cap is also 8.5. The finished label reads 8.5 Near Mint+.
Now try Centering 6, Corners 7.5, Edges 7 and Surface 8. The weighted total is 7.225, which rounds down to 7. But the lowest score allows a maximum of 6.5, so the finished grade is 6.5 Excellent. If you looked only at the average, you'd miss the part that decides the label.
Names, numbers and shells
Keep the number when you compare copies. Both 9 and 9.5 are called Mint; both 8 and 8.5 are Near Mint+. A name groups nearby grades, while the number preserves the difference.
The slab shell adds a separate visual cue. Its frame tier changes as the grade rises. You may see the term Pristine associated with the top shell, but the printed condition label for a grade of 10 is Gem Mint. That top grade requires four 10s. A nearly perfect set of subgrades is still nearly perfect.
A useful way to compare two copies
Imagine two 8.5s of the same character and art variant. One has weaker centering; the other has weaker corners. Their overall grades agree, but the compromise doesn't. If the picture sitting squarely in its frame matters most to you, you may prefer the second. Someone who hates corner whitening might choose the first.
Make that comparison in the full inspection view rather than in a small grid thumbnail. First match the character, variant and edition so you're comparing the same artwork. Then read the four numbers and inspect the places they describe. Finish by asking which copy you actually like looking at.
Grades arrive when a Case File is opened. The current system generates the overall grade first, then compatible subgrades; it doesn't repeatedly inspect your card as you play. Taking a character into another Job won't rub its corners down. Keeping it in the Stash won't slowly improve its centering.
For crew decisions, return to Haul, Heat and roles. For collecting decisions, the subgrades give you a more interesting question than “Which number is bigger?” They let you ask what makes this copy yours.