Is it worth getting Magic cards graded?

Grading cards is not something all card collectors do but it is extremely popular among some Magic: the Gathering Card collectors- especially for higher-end cards. There are many benefits to having your cards graded which include permanent protection and having the card(s) authenticated.

How much does it cost to get an MTG card graded?

PSA Grading Cost Per Card

Value Plus: $40/card. Regular: $75/card. Express: $150. Super Express: $300/card.

Does getting a card graded increase value?

Not only it increases the chances of selling the card compared to other similar non-graded copies, but it also allows you to sell it at a much higher price, if the final grade is high.

Do graded cards hold value?

Much to the surprise of novice collectors, getting cards graded does not always increase their value. In fact, most cards, once graded, will return less than if they were sold raw.

Why is it so expensive to get a card graded by PSA?

Professional Sports Authenticator - Wikipedia

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.

The Dark World of Magic Card GRADING...Why Stores Grade PSA or BGS

How much does PSA 10 increase value?

In that case, the 9 was worth 2.5x as much as the raw. PSA 10s are worth about 3.5x as much as PSA 9. So if you're getting your cards graded, that means you score big with a 10. If you're buying, it means you'll be shelling out the big bucks to a Gem Mint 10.

Is it better to sell cards graded or ungraded?

Graded cards are generally worth more than their counterparts that aren't graded because graded cards have been examined, authenticated, and assigned a condition by an expert. Thus, a card deemed to be gem mint is going to be valued higher than one that looks mint in “raw” condition. This makes sense.

What is the cheapest way to get cards graded?

Of the major grading companies, BGS currently offers the cheapest card grading service, which is $18 to grade a single card at the “Base” level. This is $2 less than CSG's “Economy” level, $5 less than PSA's “Value” service, and $4 less than SGC.

Are ungraded cards worth anything?

Keep in mind your cards are ungraded or raw, so they will usually sell at prices that are typically less than if they were graded in the same condition. That does not mean you should or must get your cards graded. In fact, you may lose money if you do.

What is the best card to get graded?

The Professional Sports Authenticator is an industry-leading grading company. Their red and white graded slabs have become synonymous with grading, and a PSA 10 is as good as it gets with a sports card grade.

What is the best grading service for MTG?

In addition to sports cards, Beckett is a leader in grading gaming cards such as Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering as well as non-sports cards like Star Wars and Marvel. Beckett also offers on-site review services to give our customers greater clarity on the condition of their card before they decide to have it graded.

What is the most expensive graded Magic card?

The final $511,100 sale price made the autographed Alpha Black Lotus the most expensive Magic: The Gathering card ever sold at auction to date.

What is the best company to grade MTG cards?

What is the best company to grade MTG cards? In the current state of the hobby, PSA is undoubtedly number one on the list of the top trading card grading companies. They slab over 2 million cards a year, which is more than any other company.

Are graded cards a good investment?

Graded Sports Card Investing

The grading of a card proves its authenticity and increases its price. Also, when the sports card market is unstable, graded cards tend to increase in value more than ungraded ones.

Is CGC grading worth it?

You would need to get a 9.8 from CGC on most newer books to make them worth your time and money. There are exceptions to this rule (see our next tip). If the book is from the 1960s, then there's a much higher chance that it'll be worth grading, depending on the grade and significance of the issue.

Can you grade cards for free?

Now with that out of the way, let me rephrase that as you probably can't get cards graded for free. And most likely not in the way you're thinking. But there are cheap grading options, and ways to minimize your costs. Card grading is a service, just like dining out is a service provided by restaurants.

Is PSA 8 good?

A PSA NM-MT 8 is a super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the card can exhibit the following: a very slight wax stain on reverse, slightest fraying at one or two corners, a minor printing imperfection, and/or slightly off-white borders.

Who has the strictest card grading?

As far as vintage cards are concerned, PSA is the gold standard. They offer grades ranging from authentic (less than a 1 or altered) to 10. A mint grade is given a 9 and a perfect card is a 10 which is dubbed "gem mint". All grading companies have their idiosyncrasies and PSA is no different.

What does PSA 10 mean?

According to PSA, a PSA 10 card will have, “four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus, and full original gloss”. This means that the card is virtually flawless with little to no imperfections.

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.

How long does PSA grading take?

PSA Grading currently takes about 20 days to grade a card at the “value plus” service level ($40/card) and 10 days at the “Regular” service level ($75/card). Not too long ago, in April of 2021, most of the basic services were suspended, and in March of 2022, “Regular” service was $100 without a stated turnaround time.