The grading system in TCG Card Shop Simulator looks simple on the surface, but both grading-related achievements demand strategy, patience, and a smart approach to regrading. This TCG Card Shop Sim Obsessed with Grades & Grading Master Achievement Guide breaks down exactly how these achievements work and outlines efficient methods to unlock them faster than brute-forcing random submissions.
TCG Card Shop Sim Obsessed with Grades & Grading Master Achievement Guide
Grading Master
Goal: Earn credit for 500 Grade 10 cards returned from grading.
Key Mechanics to Understand
- You do not need to own 500 Grade 10 cards at the same time.
- The counter increases based on how many Grade 10s you have ever received back from grading.
- Regrading Grade 10 cards counts again if they return as a 10, making them more valuable to regrade than non-10s.
Odds Breakdown
- Ungrading card → Grade 10 chance: 38.4%
- Regrading results:
- +1 grade: 30%
- same grade: 41%
- –1 grade: 29%
This means a Grade 10 card has a 71% chance to return as a 10 again if you resend it. Regrading 10s is therefore more efficient than trying to upgrade 9s.
Fastest Strategy for Grading Master
- Grade fresh cards until you build a pool of Grade 10s.
- Sell non-10 returns immediately (especially 9s and below).
- Regrade your Grade 10s over and over to farm more counted 10s.
- Fill each shipment with some ungraded cards to replenish your 10 pool.
Extra Tips
- If you have money, the 2-day service speeds up the process the most.
- If money is tight, use a cheaper service — odds remain identical.
- Selling a single high-value Grade 10 can fund multiple shipments; do this sparingly so you keep enough 10s to regrade.
- Players who reach the achievement later in the game (e.g., shop level 100+) can brute-force harder, as income is no longer a bottleneck.
Example Timeline:
Going from 100 to 500 Grade 10s with 2-day service took roughly 43 in-game days using this method. Doing it purely with fresh ungraded cards would take ~65 days on average luck.
Obsessed with Grades
Goal: Own 10 copies of the same card, one in each grade from 1 through 10, all stored in your binder at the same time.
Conditions You Must Meet
- Must be the exact same card (same set + same edition).
- All 10 graded cards must be in your binder.
- Do not sell or regrade any card once it fills a grade slot.
- Achievement triggers when opening a grading box while the full set is present in the binder.
(It will also trigger if the final card needed is inside that box.)
Best Way to Complete the Grade Set
- Start with a common card you have dozens or hundreds of copies of.
- Grade copies of that single card until you naturally get grades down to about 5 or 6.
- Pull aside one copy of each new grade into a display or protected spot so you don’t accidentally resend it.
- Regrade only low grades (5 or lower) to generate the missing grades.
Why low grades?
Because grade 1–3 are extremely rare from raw grading:
- Grade 1 or 2 chance: <1 in 300
- 8–10 make up ~75% of results
Regrading Low Grades (the Efficient Trick)
Regrading results recap:
- 30% upgrade
- 41% same
- 29% downgrade
This means regrading Grade 5s produces Grade 4s regularly, which can then drop to Grade 3, Grade 2, and eventually Grade 1. Regrading is far faster than waiting for a natural low roll.
Suggested Cutoff:
Only regrade Grade 5 and below. Keep Grades 6–10 unless you still need those specific slots.
Example Scenario & What to Do
You start with:
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, five Grade 5s, two Grade 4s, one Grade 2
Correct move:
- Keep one of each grade you don’t have stored yet (e.g., keep one 5, one 4, the 2).
- Regrade all extra 5s, the remaining 4, and the Grade 2.
Why regrade the Grade 2 immediately?
Because you will eventually need a Grade 1, and Grade 2 must be regraded sooner or later. Working downward earlier creates attempts toward Grade 1 more quickly.
Even with poor luck, this method is much faster than waiting for natural 1s–3s.