CardHunt
Tools to decide if a Pokémon card is worth grading
Short answer: no single tool decides it. A good grading decision rests on five checks. CardHunt covers the first four for live eBay listings, so you can see which raw cards could pay off before you buy. Browsing is free, no account needed.
The five checks, and what does each one
1. Find a raw copy to buy
You need live listings, not just a price. CardHunt scans eBay every day and lists the strongest ones in the eBay finds, each graded from its photos. Searching eBay by hand works too, but it is slow when you want to compare hundreds of cards.
2. Check what a PSA 10 and a PSA 9 sell for
The gap between raw, PSA 9 and PSA 10 is the whole reason to grade. Every card page on CardHunt shows the PSA price ladder and the raw to PSA 10 ROI. For actual eBay sold prices you can cross-check on sites such as 130point or PriceCharting.
3. Check how often the card really grades a 10
A card that is worth a lot as a PSA 10 but rarely gets one is a trap. PSA's population report on psacard.com lists how many copies got each grade. CardHunt uses that population data to estimate your chance at a 10 instead of assuming every card will.
4. Look at this specific copy
Centering, corners and edges decide the grade of the card in your hand, not the average for the set. CardHunt estimates front and back centering from the listing photos and flags the copies that look strongest. It is not a grade: scratches, print lines and whitening that the photos do not show still count at PSA.
5. Add up the real costs
Grading fee, shipping both ways, selling fees, and for sellers outside your country shipping and import VAT. A cheap card can stop being a deal once these are counted. Use the PSA grading calculator for the break-even chance, or read how this works when you buy from Europe.
Where CardHunt fits
CardHunt scans eBay Pokémon listings every day, estimates centering from the photos, uses PSA population data for the chance of a 10, and shows the PSA 10 value, the ROI from raw to PSA 10 and, for your country, what shipping and import costs add. The monthly grading report shows which cards are worth grading at all, and the best finds show which listings look strongest today.
What no tool can promise
- A PSA 10 price is the best case. Only a copy that actually grades a 10 reaches it.
- Photos cannot show every flaw. Surface scratches and print lines may only show in hand.
- Prices move. Check the current eBay sold prices before you buy.
- PSA's fees and turnaround change. Confirm them on psacard.com.
Questions
How do I find Pokémon cards on eBay that are worth grading?
Compare the listing price of the raw card with what a PSA 10 of the same card sells for, then check the photos for centering, corners and edges. CardHunt scans live eBay listings for you, shows the PSA 10 value and the raw to PSA 10 ROI, and estimates centering from the photos. Browsing is free.
What does it cost to grade a Pokémon card with PSA?
PSA charges a fee per card that depends on the service level, and you also pay shipping to and from the grader and selling fees when you sell the slab. Check psacard.com for current fees. These fixed costs are why cheap cards need a high chance of a PSA 10 to break even.
Is a high PSA 10 price enough to justify grading?
No. A PSA 10 price only counts if the card actually grades a 10. Check the population report for how often that happens, and the photos of the specific copy for centering, corners, edges and surface.
Ready to look? Open the live eBay finds.