Made the Grade Certified Collectibles

Made the Grade Certified Collectibles is a dealer in third-party graded collectibles at 3822 N Ridgeway Ave in Chicago. Its focus is comic books, trading cards and coins, with sports cards the game it carries, and it suits collectors who want slabbed books and cards in a known grade more than a rummage through bins. The business has served the collector community since 1998, and the owners have been active in the hobby for more than 40 years.

What's on the shelves

The store is an authorized dealer with Certified Guaranty Corporation (CGC), Certified Sports Guaranty (CSG) and Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), which covers graded comics, graded sports cards and graded coins. Collectors can also hand over sports cards for grading through CSG.

For comic readers, back issues are the other half of the business. Want lists for back issues are always accepted, so a collector hunting a specific run can leave the list with the store rather than comb through stock.

The CGC 9.8 subscription service

The most distinctive thing the store runs is a subscription service for CGC graded comics in 9.8 condition. It began in 2009 and delivers a graded copy of every new issue in a chosen series. Subscriptions are available for any title, and a one-time purchase on demand is also an option for collectors who don't want to commit to a series.

Pricing for regular versions of new releases, effective for books released January 1, 2025 and onward, includes all shipping costs:

Variant covers can be pre-ordered, with pricing set by the variant ratio and the cost of the raw books, and variant orders are invoiced through PayPal.

Shipping and privacy

Domestic shipping is free. International orders go by First Class or Priority Mail, with Priority priced by actual weight and rates calculated by destination. Canada, Europe and Australia are covered, and other destinations are available on inquiry. Customer information is stored only for shipping and order requests and is not shared with third parties, and customers occasionally receive emails about new releases.

The local scene

Several other collectible and game stores sit close by in Chicago: Tomm's Video Games Service and Bart's Coins & Collectibles are each about 0.3 miles away, Near Mint Games and Hot Sauce Games are about 0.4 miles away, and Forever Timeless Hobby Shop is about 1.2 miles away. That makes a short walk-around visit practical for collectors who want to cover coins, games and cards in one trip.

Card shows within driving range include the Chicago Card Show, about 14.7 miles away, which next starts November 8, 2026. The Vernon Hills Card Expo, about 22.1 miles away, follows on November 15, and the HobbyScan Holiday Card Show, about 23.1 miles away, starts December 20. The Chaser's Cards & Collectibles Exchange Show, about 27.2 miles away, also starts November 8, and the Massive Card Show Spectacular, 33 miles away, starts November 14.