Tuesday, 27 October 2026 10:00 AM
Company Update
White Whale Grading is a next-generation, AI-powered card grading company offering 14-day turnaround times, display-ready slabs, FREE subgrades, and QR-code verification for card collecting hobbyists and dealers alike.
CEDARBURG, WI / ACCESS Newswire / October 27, 2026 / You've babied that 1999 Unlimited Charizard forever. Now, you wonder what it's worth? So off it goes for grading. When it's finally returned-weeks, maybe months later-you're left with more questions than answers: How did they come up with that grade? What took so long? I don't remember any surface flaws? Or... is this even my card?
Citing a need in the hobby for faster turnaround times, greater accuracy, transparency, and collector-friendly pricing, longtime friends and avid card collectors Tony DeRosa and Jamey Commons recently launched White Whale Grading-a next-generation, AI-powered card grading company offering 14-day turnaround times, display-ready slabs, free subgrades, QR-code verification and more.
"Whether you're a collector, hobbyist, dealer or investor, so much is riding on a card's grade," said DeRosa. "The grade tells you the condition. The market tells you the value. Once collectors know the grade, they can compare recent sales and condition of the same card to establish an accurate market price-and White Whale Grading was established on AI grading accuracy and trust."
DeRosa and Commons are certainly no strangers to card grading frustrations.
"We know what drives hobbyists and dealers crazy because we've been driven crazy ourselves," laughed Commons. "We were high school friends back in 1994, ripping packs, chasing cards and having fun. Years later, with families of our own and kids interested in the hobby, we became more serious about collecting and started selling slabs. That's when the headaches really kicked in. Turnaround times were brutal, and the cost of using big grading houses was too steep. We felt the hobby was badly in need of a company like White Whale Grading."
According to the co-founders, at the heart of White Whale Grading is its proprietary XRT™ AI Vision system.
"It takes incredibly detailed 2D and 3D images, then analyzes the things we collectors care about most-centering, surfaces, edges and corners," said DeRosa. "We never just say, 'Here's your grade. Good luck.' You get the final grade, free subgrades, scans and a permanent digital report so you can actually see what our technology saw. If the corners pulled it down, or the surface was the issue, you should be able to see that for yourself. We also include anti-counterfeit protection to help safeguard the integrity of every graded card."
Commons added that there's another question that has led to distrust in the hobby: Has my card been altered or messed with in any way?
"Card doctoring can include trimming edges, recoloring worn corners, pressing out creases or cleaning up a surface to hide damage," he said. "Our trademarked XRT™ AI Vision was designed to identify those kinds of issues so collectors can trust what they actually have."
White Whale Grading also believes relying on the human eye can introduce subjectivity, variability and mistakes into the process. And that's why they replaced the potential for human error with proprietary AI technology people can trust.
"There's already too much subjectivity in the hobby," DeRosa believes. "What if the grader is having a bad day-or a splitting headache? Why should your grade come down to a momentary lapse? Our AI never has a bad day. It analyzes what it sees the same way, every time, 24/7.
"As collectors, most of us have had cards lost, damaged or mishandled. People screw up... we're only human after all," he said. "However, that's exactly why we believe the fewer human touch points, the better."
According to DeRosa and Commons, White Whale Grading was created for dealers, too.
"Let's say you've got 50, 100 or even 500 cards waiting to be graded. Every extra week can mean inventory you can't list, price or sell," he said. "That's why we built White Whale Grading around 14-day turnarounds, volume discounts and a process that facilitates larger batches."
Another issue DeRosa and Commons solved at White Whale Grading is the way collectors view labels.
"In a nutshell, many grading companies send you back a horizontal label for your horizontal card," DeRosa said. "You either have to turn your head sideways to read it or store the card vertically. It's annoying at best. At White Whale, if the card is horizontal, the label can be read horizontally. If it's vertical, same idea. Beautifully designed, display-quality labels... and easy to read!"
Finally, DeRosa and Commons say each label includes player/character stats and details, free subgrades and the overall grade.
"And on the back, there's a QR code that links directly to a detailed grading report and certification record, along with a security hologram that adds another layer of protection."
Whether it's a 1999 Unlimited Charizard you're curious about grading, a Stephen Curry rookie you plan to display, or a clean Rickey Henderson rookie you'd like to sell for a profit, White Whale Grading says it's ready to provide a grade you can trust and labeling you can display proudly... or resell with confidence.
"Who knows, maybe you've got a White Whale Blue hidden away," he added. "I hope so, because that's reserved for the rare card that earns four perfect subgrades and a perfect 10 overall... and that's likely worth some serious money."
For 14-day turnarounds, proprietary AI tech, impressive, display-ready slabs and FREE subgrades, go to whitewhalegrading.ai.
White Whale Grading is a next-generation, AI-powered card grading company offering 14-day turnaround times, display-ready slabs, FREE subgrades, QR-code verification and more. For more information, visit whitewhalegrading.ai. Email, [email protected].
SOURCE: White Whale Grading