Collecting guides
Are My Pokémon Cards Worth Grading?
Decide whether to grade a Pokémon card with exact-printing checks, raw versus graded sale scenarios, submission costs and a practical condition checklist.
Start with your reason for grading. For resale, compare what you could receive after all costs with selling the same card raw. For your own collection, decide what the professional assessment and holder are worth to you. Neither decision should depend on assuming a PSA 10.
The useful comparison is specific: one card, one printing, one grading service and several possible outcomes. This guide shows the math, the physical checks and where Brickify’s raw and PSA estimates fit.
Which prices should you compare?
Confirm the set, collector number, language, edition marking, finish and any stamp or promotional version first. A Charizard from a different release is not a comparable sale just because it has the same name or artwork. For graded copies, match the grading company and exact label as well.
- For the raw route, look for comparable sales with a clearly described condition similar to your card.
- For the graded route, look at the specific service and grade in each sale. Keep results for different grades separate.
- Record the date, currency, included shipping and whether the sale was for a single card or a lot.
- If few matching sales exist, record the uncertainty. An asking price alone does not establish what a buyer will pay.
A large gap between a raw estimate and a PSA 10 estimate is a reason to investigate, not evidence that your card will achieve that grade. Include lower-grade and no-numeric-grade outcomes in the decision.
The grading break-even calculation
Compare both routes after their own costs. For a graded sale, subtract submission charges, shipping to and from the service, any selected shipping coverage, marketplace fees and delivery to the buyer. For a raw sale, subtract its marketplace fees and buyer delivery costs. Check the current service terms for possible additional charges.
Here is an entirely hypothetical example in USD. Assume the card actually sells for $25 raw or $50 graded. Assume raw selling and delivery costs total $5, graded selling and delivery costs total $8, and grading plus return shipping totals $30.
| Assumed route | Calculation | Amount remaining |
|---|---|---|
| Sell raw | Calculation$25 − $5 | Amount remaining$20 |
| Grade, then sell for $50 | Calculation$50 − $8 − $30 | Amount remaining$12 |
| Grade, then sell for $120, assuming $17 selling/delivery costs | Calculation$120 − $17 − $30 | Amount remaining$73 |
Under the $50 graded-sale assumptions, submitting leaves $8 less than selling raw. Under the $120 assumptions, it leaves $53 more. These are assumed completed sales, not price forecasts. The amounts exclude the original purchase cost, your time and taxes; they compare the two routes for the same already-owned card.
Repeat the calculation for other plausible outcomes, including an ungraded return if the service cannot grade the card. Check which charges still apply in that case. Do not assign probabilities to grades unless you have a sound basis for them. A result that works only at the highest grade leaves little room for error.
Which cards deserve a closer look?
- A card with matching sales at several grades: you can compare more than the best possible outcome.
- A first edition, shadowless or promotional printing: establish the exact version before researching prices. The label alone does not decide whether grading pays.
- A card you want professionally assessed for your own collection: a resale premium is not the only reason to submit.
- A card with wear or an unusual printing feature: check the service’s eligibility and grading rules rather than assuming either automatic rejection or a premium.
An expensive raw card is not automatically a good submission, and a worn card is not automatically pointless to grade. The exact item, your purpose, the service’s rules and the full cost comparison decide what needs further research. Keep sealed-product submissions separate; they use different eligibility and service requirements.
How to inspect the card before deciding
Use good light and inspect both sides. Handle the card by its edges with clean, dry hands and avoid forcing it out of a tight holder. Do not clean, press, trim or otherwise alter it to improve a potential grade. PSA’s published standards describe grading criteria and exclude various altered or questionably authentic cards.
- Centering: compare front and back border widths without treating your measurement as a guaranteed grade.
- Corners: look for bends, softness and whitening.
- Edges: inspect for chips, wear and separation.
- Surface: tilt the card to check scratches, print lines, dents, creases and residue.
- Identity and alterations: record anything uncertain and check the service’s submission guidance before sending the card.
Write down visible defects instead of giving yourself a promised number. A raw label such as Near Mint or Lightly Played describes condition under a particular standard. It does not translate directly into a professional numeric grade.
Grading companies also use different labels and standards. CGC distinguishes Pristine 10 from Gem Mint 10, for example. Compare prices for the exact service and label; do not pool every card carrying a 10.
Does an older card change the decision?
Age changes which printing and condition comparisons you need to research. It does not guarantee a grading premium. Confirm the older release, examine its physical condition and look for sales of that exact card at relevant grades. Avoid projecting a modern card’s price pattern onto a vintage card, or the reverse.
Keep uncertainty about authenticity separate from uncertainty about grade. A scanner match identifies a catalogue candidate. It does not authenticate the physical card or guarantee that a grading service will accept it.
How Brickify helps you compare raw and graded prices
Scan or search for the Pokémon card in Brickify, then confirm the set and printing. The card detail screen offers Raw and PSA 10 estimates. The raw condition menu includes Near Mint, Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played and Damaged, so review the condition you are using before comparing values.
Use those estimates as a starting reference. Research other grades separately and check relevant completed sales before filling in your scenarios. Brickify does not predict your card’s grade, authenticate it or promise a sale price.
Record the quantity you own and your purchase details, then follow the card and binder value history. Keep submission receipts, service correspondence and your scenario calculations with your own supporting records. If the same physical card returns graded, update how you record it without counting it once as raw and again as another owned copy.
What to confirm before sending a submission
- Select the service and confirm that it accepts this exact card or variation.
- Check current service prices, declared or insured value requirements, possible additional charges and processing estimates.
- Follow that service’s current packaging and shipping instructions.
- Save photographs of the card and copies of the submission details in your own records.
- Compare raw, lower-grade, higher-grade and ungraded-return outcomes with all applicable costs.
- Decide whether you are submitting for resale or for your own collection, and set a spending limit that fits that purpose.
For resale, the decision needs room for fees, condition uncertainty and an outcome below the highest grade. For a personal collection, it can be enough that you want the assessment and holder. In either case, make the choice with the exact card and current terms in front of you.
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Explore the Pokémon scannerEstimates are a reference, not guaranteed sale prices. Brickify is independent of the owners of the collectible brands mentioned here.