Pokemon Promo · #042 · Jul 1999
Should You Grade?
Negative expected value ($-6.38) — while a PSA 10 would be profitable, the probability-weighted outcome across all grades means you lose money on average at this grading tier. Low grading population — gem rates based on only 51 graded cards may be unreliable, and the market for this card in graded form may be illiquid. The gem rate is only 29% — you'll need a very clean copy to hit PSA 10. Only 99 sales per year — it may take time to find a buyer at full price. PSA 10 profit of $4.76 is thin — grading fees and selling costs eat most of the margin.
Factors in grading cost, turnaround time, and compounding — how fast you can reinvest profits into the next flip.
Shows the best-value tier from each grading company based on EV, cost, and turnaround. Pop = total graded population; 10s = grade 10 count.
