About CCA card grading
in Huntington Beach.
CCA (CCA Card, also known as CCA Universe) is a trading card grading and authentication company in Huntington Beach, California, founded in 2022 by Shane Elmer. CCA grades Pokémon, TCG and sports cards with four published condition subgrades and a public certification record for every graded card.
C
Certified
C
Collectible
A
Authentication
How CCA started
CCA was founded in 2022 in Huntington Beach, California, by Shane Elmer. Shane Elmer started collecting Pokémon and trading cards as a kid and came back to the hobby in earnest in 2020.
Before CCA, Shane Elmer owned and operated a local card shop in Huntington Beach. Running the shop convinced Shane Elmer that collectors needed a grading service that paired hobby knowledge with modern measurement and showed its work: published subgrades, measured centering and both scans on every certification record.
The shop was sold, the grading system was built, and CCA opened for submissions. CCA still operates from Huntington Beach, and the grading standards, prices and Population Report are all public so collectors can check the work for themselves.
Company facts
From card shop to grading company
- Founded
- 2022
- Founder
- Shane Elmer
- Based in
- Huntington Beach, CA
- Grades
- Pokémon, TCG & sports
What collectors can check
How CCA shows its work instead of asking for trust.Authentication first
Every card is checked for alterations and authenticity before it is graded. Cards that fail are not given a numeric grade, and no grading fee is charged for them.
Four published subgrades
Centering, corners, edges and surface are scored separately and shown with the overall grade on the label and the public certification record.
Proof you can check
Every certification record carries front and back scans, and the Population Report counts every card CCA has graded, small numbers included.
The CCA Guarantee
The CCA Authenticity and Grade Guarantee covers eligible CCA slabs that remain in their original ultrasonically sealed, tamper-evident holder, up to $250,000 per claim and $500,000 in total per owner. It does not apply to the original submitter, and the exclusions are published in full.