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Is grading Pokémon cards worth it? Odds of a PSA 10

Sometimes, but only for the right cards. Grading pays off when the price gap between raw and PSA 10 is large compared with the fixed costs, and when the chance that your copy gets a 10 is high enough. For most cheap cards it does not. CardHunt shows both numbers per card, free.

The three numbers that decide it

  1. The gap between the raw price and the PSA 10 price (and the PSA 9 price as the fallback).
  2. The chance of a 10. The PSA population report shows how often a card was graded a 10; the condition of your copy decides whether it will be one of them.
  3. Fixed costs: grading fee, shipping both ways and selling fees. They are the same for a $5 card and a $500 card, which is why cheap cards rarely work.

When it is usually worth it

  • The PSA 10 sells for many times the raw price, and recent sales confirm it.
  • A large share of graded copies of the card got a 10, or the copy in your hand has strong centering and clean corners and edges.
  • You can buy the raw copy at or below market price.

When it usually is not

  • The raw card is cheap and the PSA 10 premium is small after fees.
  • The card has a low gem rate, so most copies come back as a 9 or lower.
  • The photos show off-centering, whitening or surface marks.

Check a specific card

Look up the card on CardHunt for the price ladder, population and expected return, use the PSA grading calculator for the break-even chance of a 10, or browse the cards by budget in worth grading and the monthly report. For the full decision process see the five checks.

Questions

What are the odds of getting a PSA 10 on a Pokémon card?

It differs per card. PSA's population report shows what share of graded copies got a 10, and the condition of your own copy matters most. CardHunt shows the PSA 10 rate for each card.

Is it worth grading a cheap Pokémon card?

Rarely. Grading fee, shipping and selling fees are roughly fixed, so a cheap card needs a very high chance of a 10 and a large PSA 10 premium to break even.

How do I know if my card will grade a 10?

You cannot be sure. Check centering, corners, edges and surface carefully. CardHunt's free grader gives an estimate from photos, but PSA decides the real grade.

Ready to look? See which cards are worth grading.