LEGO grading standards · 2026

AFA · CGC · WATA — compared.

Three slabbing services. Three scales. Three fee tiers. This is the head-to-head — what each measures, what they charge, how long they take, and where each makes the most sense for resale. Plus where BrickGauge’s free AI pre-grade fits in your submission flow.

Run a free inspection →Pre-grade your set first

Head to head

The 2026 comparison.

Fees and turnarounds were verified against each service’s public rate card in 2026. They shift over time — always check the authenticator’s site before mailing a set in.

Service	Scale	Sub-scores	Fee	Turnaround
AFA Action Figure Authority	0 – 100	Box · Bubble · Figure	$25 – $40	3 – 6 wks
CGC Certified Guaranty Company	0.5 – 10 (half-points)	Box · Seal · Surface	$23 – $30	3 – 5 wks
WATA Wata Games	0.5 – 10 (half-points)	Box · Seal Authenticity	$30 – $50	4 – 6 wks

When to choose what

Each one has a sweet spot.

Action Figure Authority

AFA

Legacy collector recognition — UCS Star Wars, vintage, SDCC.

↦Scale: 0 – 100
↦Sub-scores: Box · Bubble · Figure
↦Fee: $25 – $40
↦Turnaround: 3 – 6 wks

Certified Guaranty Company

CGC

Modular Buildings, Icons, modern flagships. Card-grade mental model.

↦Scale: 0.5 – 10 (half-points)
↦Sub-scores: Box · Seal · Surface
↦Fee: $23 – $30
↦Turnaround: 3 – 5 wks

Wata Games

WATA

Strict reseal authentication. High-tier sealed UCS, rare exclusives.

↦Scale: 0.5 – 10 (half-points)
↦Sub-scores: Box · Seal Authenticity
↦Fee: $30 – $50
↦Turnaround: 4 – 6 wks

Where BrickGauge fits

Pre-grade first. Ship second.

BrickGauge isn’t competing with AFA, CGC, or WATA — we’re the step that comes before any of them. AFA & CGC tell you the grade after you’ve paid the fee, shipped the box, and waited four weeks. BrickGauge tells you the likely answer in 38 seconds for $0 on your first two boxes.

We’re calibrated on 240,127 graded submissions across all three houses. The model returns the predicted grade range at each authenticator on every report — so you can pick the service that gives you the best resale comp for your specific set + tier combination.

Don’t pay to find out

See the grade range first.

BrickGauge predicts the likely AFA, CGC, and WATA grade range on every report. If all three predict below your resale break-even, don’t ship. If one of them tops the others on the comp you care about, you know which service to mail to.

More about LEGO grading services.

↦What's the difference between AFA, CGC, and WATA LEGO grading?

AFA (Action Figure Authority) uses a 0–100 scale with sub-scores for box, bubble, and figure — the legacy standard for sealed action figures and toys, now applied to LEGO. CGC uses a 0.5–10 scale with sub-grades for box, seal, and surface — the same scale used for trading cards. WATA grades on the CGC scale but publishes a separate Seal Authenticity flag — more rigorous on reseal detection. All three are slabbed, all three add resale premium when condition is high.

↦Which LEGO grading service is best for resale?

Depends on the set tier. AFA carries the most legacy collector recognition on UCS Star Wars, vintage Castle, and SDCC exclusives — buyers expect that label. CGC has gained share on Modular Buildings, Icons, and modern flagships because the 0.5 / 9.0 / 9.5 / 10 scale maps cleanly to trading-card buyer mental models. WATA is the youngest on LEGO but the strictest on seal authenticity.

↦How much does AFA cost for a LEGO set?

AFA tiers run $25–$40 per set depending on declared value. Standard tier (sub-$1k declared) is around $30. Express tiers add $50–$100 for 2-week turnaround. Insured round-trip shipping adds $15–$40. Budget $50–$100 all-in per submission.

↦How long does CGC take to grade a LEGO set?

Standard CGC LEGO turnaround in 2026 is 3–5 weeks. Express tiers exist at higher fees ($60–$120) for 5–10 business days. Walk-throughs at major card shows can return graded sets same-day for an even higher fee. Plan for 4 weeks at standard tier unless you've paid for express.

↦Can BrickGauge submit my LEGO set to AFA or CGC for me?

Not yet — BrickGauge is pure pre-grading intelligence. We tell you the likely outcome before you ship; you handle the actual submission via AFA / CGC / WATA's own intake portals. A concierge tier may launch — join the Vault Elite tier waitlist for first access.

↦Should I cross-grade a LEGO set from AFA to CGC?

Rarely worth it. The slab fee + shipping doubles, and the cross-graded result usually maps within ±0.5 of the original grade. Cross-grade only if you specifically want CGC scale buyer recognition for an AFA-graded modern Modular or Icons set, and the resale premium clearly justifies the fee.

↦Does BrickGauge replace AFA or CGC?

No. BrickGauge is pre-grading — the call you make before you ship. The official slabbed grade still comes from AFA / CGC / WATA. We just keep you from spending $40 + 4 weeks to find out a box was going to come back at AFA 75.