Should I grade my Pokémon card? How to know if it’s worth grading

Quick answer: Grade a Pokémon card when a high grade (usually a 9 or 10) would sell for more than the raw card plus the grading fee and postage, and the card is clean enough to get that grade. Check the condition first: a free estimate shows if it’s likely to get a 9 or 10.

At a glance

The maths in one line

Worth grading if: value graded (at the grade you expect) − value raw − grading fee − postage is more than zero. If it would only come back a 7 or 8, many cards are worth less graded than the fee.

Which Pokémon cards should you get graded?

Cheap cards rarely pay for the fee unless you grade them for your own collection.

• Valuable cards: chase cards, vintage holos, special illustration rares.
• Cards in excellent condition: sharp corners, clean edges, good centering.
• Cards you want to keep safe for years: the slab protects them.

How to know if your card is clean enough

Check the centering, the corners, the edges and the surface: our how to grade Pokémon cards for free guide shows how. One white speck on a back corner is often the difference between a 10 and a 9.

PSA, CGC, Beckett or ACE?

PSA is the best known when selling; ACE is the cheapest and quickest from the UK. See PSA vs CGC vs Beckett vs ACE and what grading costs in the UK.

Should I grade before selling?

Only if the graded price beats the raw price by more than the cost and the wait. A raw card sells today; a graded one takes weeks to come back.

Check it free before you decide

Want to know before you pay? Our free grader gives you an estimate for PSA, Beckett, CGC and ACE from your phone, with the centering in millimetres and every flaw marked on your photos.

Reported by Galar Alerts. Photos: Galar Alerts.