Question 1

How do I know if my Pokemon card is worth grading?

Accepted Answer

A card is worth grading when the expected sale price of the graded card (minus grading fees and selling costs) exceeds the raw card price. Search any card on Should You Grade to see the exact math based on real gem rate data and current market prices.

Question 2

What is a gem rate?

Accepted Answer

The gem rate is the percentage of cards that receive a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) grade. A card with a 60% gem rate means 60 out of 100 submissions receive a PSA 10. Higher gem rates mean better odds of getting the most valuable grade.

Question 3

How much does PSA grading cost?

Accepted Answer

PSA offers 8 pricing tiers ranging from $25 (Value Bulk, 95+ business days) to $599 (Walkthrough, 7+ business days). The cheapest option for most card flippers is PSA Value Bulk at $25 per card.

Question 4

What is Expected Value (EV) for card grading?

Accepted Answer

Expected Value is the average financial outcome of grading a card, calculated as: EV = sum of (probability of each grade x sale price at that grade x (1 - selling fee)) - raw card price - grading cost. A positive EV means grading is profitable on average.

Pokemon Card Grading Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

Stop guessing. Start profiting.