How much does it cost to grade a Pokémon card?

Grading services typically cost $25–50 USD per card to place an order, but they may vary on the card's value. Give the grading service around 2–3 weeks to grade your Pokémon cards and send them back.

Is it worth it to grade Pokémon cards?

Pros Of Getting Pokémon Cards Graded

Fans who get their Pokémon cards graded can increase their collectible value in most cases by a lot. Another benefit of grading is protection, as most companies will send the Pokémon card back in a sealed slab of plastic.

How much does it cost to send a card to PSA?

Now in terms of pricing, PSA's most basic service level costs $20 per card with a minimum submission of 20 cards worth up to $199 in declared value. On the other hand, their most elite service costs $600 per card, worth up to $9,999 in declared value.

Is PSA grading worth it?

Regardless if you're talking counterfeits or reprints, PSA card grading services can be an excellent tool to verify a card's authenticity. That's not to say that PSA is correct 100% of the time and fakes don't occasionally slip through their hands.

Why is PSA grading so expensive?

PSA, BGS and other popular grading services have increased their prices because… Well because they can – It's like anything else, if demand for it goes up, so does the value. The higher prices also mean lower and more manageable submission numbers, but higher value, which is better for the grading services.

Grading Cost is Dropping! Should We Grade Our Pokemon Cards?

Is PSA grade 10 good?

A PSA Gem Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card. Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doesn't impair the overall appeal of the card.

How hard is it to get a PSA 10 card?

For a card to earn a 10, the edges of a card must be flawless to the naked eye and virtually perfect when looked at under magnification. The final criteria looked at by card graders is the surface of the card. A card's surface is susceptible to loss of glossiness, wax stains, scratching, and printing defects.

Is PSA grade 7 good?

As the grade number gets lower, the flaws on the trading card become more and more noticeable. PSA Near-Mint 7, Excellent-Mint 6, and Excellent 5 graded trading cards display poor focus, printing issues, chipping on the edges, surface scratches, and rounded corners.

What is the cheapest way to get Pokémon cards graded?

Certified Guaranty Company (CGC)

CGC uses blue labeling for grading cards. They are typically the quickest and least expensive to utilize. Even though they are cheaper, they are still high quality. They are said to be strict graders and will provide subgrades on their cards too.

Is PSA really $100 per card?

PSA grading costs range anywhere from $22 per card all the way up to $10,000 per card, depending on the value of the card, the age of the card, how many cards you're submitting at one time, how fast you want the turnaround to be, and other factors. Below is a complete rundown of the PSA grading cost levels.

Why are PSA 10 cards so expensive?

10-Point Grading Process

PSA grading is expensive because they use a 10-point grading process to grade and value cards. Not every grading company has such an extensive grading process. Since PSA does, it makes its services a bit more expensive.

Can I take my cards to PSA?

Submitting your trading cards to PSA is the first step towards getting the most from your trading card collection. Learn more about the different types of grading services and the benefits of PSA grading.

Do graded Pokémon cards lose value?

Cards could get lost, stolen, or damaged.

Pokémon cards only hold their value if they remain in 100% pristine condition. If a PSA 10 Charizard drops to PSA 9 while it's in your possession, it loses 80% of its value.

Where do I send my Pokémon cards to get graded?

Send your cards to Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA), Beckett Collectibles, or CGC Cards for the most credible grading services. Grading services typically cost $25–50 USD per card to place an order, but they may vary on the card's value.

Can graded Pokémon cards be fake?

Basically, PSA has no intention of grading a fake card, as the key element of the grading process is the authentication of raw/ungraded cards. A PSA grade is proof that a card is legitimate.

Do you pay PSA after grading?

PSA charges you for your submission after your order has been graded and shipped back to you. Meaning, while you provide your payment info when you fill out your submission request, you aren't actually charged until the process has been completed.

Where is PSA grading located?

PSA is a division of Collectors Universe, which has offices in California, New Jersey, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. As the only third-party grading service to offer a guarantee on its services, PSA has emerged as the clear leader in authentication and grading for trading cards and other collectibles.

What is the minimum grade for PSA?

Item does not meet the minimum grade of 10 from PSA, and is returned in its original holder. Full grading fee is charged even if item does not meet minimum grade. Item DOES meet or exceed the minimum grade of 10. The card is encapsulated into a PSA holder and full grading is charged.

What is a Grade 9 card?

If your card gets a grade of 9, you should be very happy. You'll be able to earn book value – or more – for your card. It is also referred to as “mint 9” and is considered the condition that it was in when it was in the pack. If it gets a score of 9.5, it's called a “gem-mint”, signifying that it's nearly flawless.

What does Grade 9 mean?

Grade 9 is the highest grade. Ofqual's GCSE grading diagrams outline the changes and also provide some useful guide for parents.

Is a PSA of 5 bad card?

EX 5: Excellent. With PSA EX 5 autographs; aging is becoming evident. The autograph, by this stage, has lost the luster of a bold autograph but it can still be deciphered with the naked eye.

What is the most expensive Pokemon card?

The most expensive Pokémon card is the Pikachu Illustrator which sold for $5.275 million in July 2021. It's the true Holy Grail of Pokémon card collecting and only one PSA 10 is known to exist.