If you have ever bought a vintage Pokémon card online, you know the sinking feeling of realizing it has hidden surface scratches or stubborn grime. For years, collectors assumed that was just the permanent reality of older cards. But what if it isn’t?
Enter Rocket Collect, a Pennsylvania-based service specializing in Pokémon TCG card restoration. Rocket Collect offers professional grading prep, including specialized card cleaning and polishing services. They have become so proficient at reviving tired cards that they even offer a Workshop Guide and E-Book to teach others their methods.
We sat down with Rocket Collect to talk about the fine line between conservation and alteration, the tools of the trade, and what collectors need to know before sending their childhood grails off to be graded.
1. Card restoration is a very niche skill in the TCG world. How did you first get into cleaning and polishing cards, and how much trial-and-error did it take to perfect your process?
I started back in 2022. The journey started with me doing my own cards; at the time, I sold packs and cards on WhatNot and met a lot of collectors. From that point, our Discord server started to grow. Before too long, fellow collectors started asking me to clean and polish their cards, and then came repairs. I was able to do a lot more testing with the time I had, and I would always practice before handling a customer’s card. Between customers, I’d always try and push the limits with cheap cards, and from that point, we developed a process that only improved from there.
Track Your TCG Collection
Create your free Card Codex account to monitor card prices, view real-time market trends, and analyse your portfolio’s growth.
Start Tracking Now — It’s Free2. For people who might be confused, what is the actual difference between “cleaning” a card and “polishing” a card?
Cleaning is the first step after a proper inspection takes place. We can remove all types of dirt specs and grime—”poke mold”—from the card before polishing. The last and final step is polishing the card to remove micro-scratches and bring back the brilliance of the holo, especially with vintage cards.
3. Are there certain types of damage (like deep dents or creases) that are just impossible to fix, no matter how much you polish them?
Absolutely. Sometimes it can be hard to remove dents, which involves using an edge tool and pressing the card, and more recently, heat pressing. As far as creases, I can’t speak much on them; the testing is not there yet for me, and I can’t certify that it won’t come back on a customer’s card. I feel as though I can’t charge for something I currently cannot certify.
4. There is an ongoing debate about “conserving” versus “altering” a card. How do grading companies view your services, and where do you draw the line?
It really comes down to your own morals. If we are fixing a dent and it gets corrected, then great—it wasn’t there from the factory, or at least it was not intended to be there. Same is true for cleaning and polishing: removing dirt and scratches that were not there originally. But adding glue or coloring “whitening” is clear alteration.
As far as grading companies go, I have done a team-up with a grading company and have sent cards to all the major graders. They take it more seriously than they did a year ago, but it is very subjective. I’ve sent the same card out multiple times; it got a grade, then it didn’t, and then it did. The time it didn’t, they said the “corner looked flattened,” yet the card was never pressed through any of its grading cycles. It all comes down to the subjectivity of the person grading it at that moment.
5. Why did you decide to release a Workshop Guide and an E-Book to teach others your methods?
It was an opportunity to share my knowledge. The E-book is a small entry of my personal thoughts and beliefs, and the workshop guide contains great knowledge to help others. For the price, it’s a fair way to get a much better grade on your cards, and the return on value can be very lucrative. The same methods I use have raised values by thousands, one card in particular, a Skyridge Charizard, saw a $10,000+ jump. I’ll never forget that one.
6. At Card Codex, we love the visual appeal of collections. When you aren’t prepping cards, what does your personal Pokémon collection look like?
I’m all slabs! I used to play with friends back in the day and didn’t focus on centering; every card was the same to me. Then I started looking at these cards as actual pieces of art and started to obsess over BGS Black Labels. I’m an Eevee collector at heart, and I prefer Japanese cards—the quality is a lot better than English. I can’t justify English prices for the current print quality. I’m also a big One Piece collector, though I did move some of my Black Label collection recently; it’s 2026, everything is expensive, and I’ve got a family to look after!
7. What is the most miraculous “before and after” restoration you have ever pulled off?
Without a doubt, the #146 Skyridge Charizard. It went from a BGS 8 to a BGS 9.5. If you take the value then to now, it was a $10,000 jump. The most expensive card I’ve handled was a Gold Star Rayquaza valued roughly at $30,000, though that was already an immaculate card that simply hadn’t been graded yet.
The Rapid-Fire Round
- Most satisfying era of cards to clean? E-Series, without a doubt.
- Biggest mistake beginners make? Going in blind and jumping straight to valuable cards.
- Your favorite Pokémon TCG artist? Kouki Saitou—the Skyridge Charizard is the GOAT.
- Slabs (Graded) or Raw (Binders)? Slabs all the way!
8. How can people follow your journey?
We mainly use YouTube and Instagram for all our posts, but our website is the best place to keep up with everything. You can check out our free E-book, it takes about 45 minutes to get through and it’s a great read for anyone interested in the craft!
