Got a collection, and you’re asking yourself, ‘is my Pokémon card worth grading’? There are a couple of things to consider, from pricing and quality, to why you would want your card to get graded in the first place. You might want to sell it for more money, or just get it graded to be the perfect collector’s item for your eyes only. It doesn’t matter in the end, because everyone has their own reasons but, how do you actually know if your card is worth the cost and the effort to submit them? We’ll cover everything you need to know.
In this blog, we will break it down step by step so you can feel confident in your decision to either send your card off for professional grading or keep it safely tucked away in your binder.
Why Grade a Pokémon Card?
You might want to grade a Pokémon card (or any collector’s card) for lots of reasons, but most people will consider grading their cards if they want to sell them and make some extra cash. When you get a card graded, a professional will analyze it and determine its condition, quality, and authenticity—which all heavily impact pricing. The better grade your card is, the more money it will be worth.
Just think about the PSA 10 (Gem Mint) graded Pikachu Illustrator Card that was sold in 2021 at an auction for a whopping $5.275 million! Similarly, other rare Pokémon cards have been sold for well over $200,000—but don’t expect to reach these lofty numbers unless you have something truly phenomenal. It’s more likely that a Pokémon card is worth between $100–$300, but lots of factors play a role, and you might find that you’re sitting on some gold!
So, with all that being said, with grading determining authenticity and value—is my Pokémon card worth grading? There are lots of factors to consider!
Factors That Make a Card Worth Grading
Is my Pokémon card worth grading, or is it something that you should skip? The answer depends on why you want the card graded in the first place, the condition of your card, and the card’s rarity. Rare and signed cards will be worth far more, and the condition of the card will heavily impact how much someone will be willing to pay for it.
Factors that can make a card worth grading include:
- Has high natural value – if the card naturally has a high natural value (e.g. vintage cards), grading can be very beneficial. You can check listings on dedicated card-pricing sites and see the price of the card you have when ungraded, and decide if grading is worth it based on the price
- Is in excellent condition – the better condition your card is in, the better grade it will be given, and the more money it will be worth. For example, a Gem Mint 10 (or BGS 9.5/10) is far more valuable than a Mint 9
- Grading offers a significant jump in value – to do this, check what your card has sold for in different graded conditions and see if the potential profit outweighs the grading cost
- For protection – the slab you get from a card being graded will protect the card and preserve it in the long-term, so you and buyers can benefit from ease of mind
- To prove authenticity – autographed and vintage cards are authenticated when graded, making them more appealing to buyers as they are guaranteed to be what is claimed
- You want to sell the card fast – buyers don’t have to be subjective when they are looking at a graded card, and they will know exactly what they are getting with their purchase, leading to easier and faster sales
How Do You Check the Condition of Your Card?
You can check the condition of your Pokémon card at home, but you probably won’t be able to spot the minor details that an expert will. For proper grading, you will need to send your card to a trusted grading service (like us), and benefit from a fast turnaround and expert support so that you have less to worry about.
Below are key signs of damage to look out for when inspecting your cards:
- Scratches
- Water damage
- Bending in the structure
- Whitened borders
- Any stamps
- Planarity (if it lies flat on a table)
- Any tampering with the borders
- Clouding (colors are dulled)
- Discoloration from any source
- Any other visible damage
Is It Valuable? Rarity and Market Demand Explained
When asking yourself, ‘is my Pokémon card worth grading’, it’s important to remember that the value of the card (including rarity), and market demand are key factors that you need to keep at the forefront of your mind. Unless you want your card graded for personal reasons, you need to consider how many other cards just like yours are out there, and how likely it is that someone would want to buy your card based on that.
You can find one of these symbols on the bottom left or right-hand corner of the card (this can be found beside the set number):
- Black circle – common card
- Black diamond – uncommon card
- Black star – rare card
- Black star with “PROMO” – promo card
- Two black stars – double rare (Scarlet & Violet Pokémon TCG Expansion)
- Two silver stars – ultra-rare (Scarlet & Violet Pokémon TCG Expansion)
- One gold star – illustration rare (Scarlet & Violet Pokémon TCG Expansion)
- Two gold stars – special illustration rare (Scarlet & Violet Pokémon TCG Expansion)
- Three gold stars – hyper rare (Scarlet & Violet Pokémon TCG Expansion)
What Do the Different Card Conditions Mean?
Terms like mint, near mint, light played, and more might be difficult to understand at first, but they all refer to the condition that the card is in (and therefore how much it is worth). Expressions can be different from country-to-country, so we’ve included the key terms you should be aware of below.
Expression | Condition | US-Expression |
Mint | Perfect | Mint |
Near Mint | Booster-Fresh | Near Mint |
Excellent | Minor wear | Slightly Played/Excellent |
Good | Visible wear | Moderately Played/Very Good |
Light Played | Severe wear | Played/Good |
Played | Damaged | Heavily Played |
Poor | Destroyed | Poor |
A Quick Look at the Grading Scale
Here, we use a modified PSA-style scale to offer more transparency in our grading procedure and give better insight into the process. The higher the number, the better!
Below are the grades that we use at Get Graded:
- 10 (GEM MINT) – Flawless under magnification
- 9.5 (MINT+) – One barely noticeable flaw
- 9 (MINT) – Near perfect with tiny edge or centering issues
- 8 (NEAR MINT) – Slight wear, minor scuffs
- 7 (NEAR MINT-) – Noticeable edge/corner imperfections
- 6 (EXCELLENT) – Minor surface scratches, whitening
- 5 (VERY GOOD/EX) – Small creases or dullness
- 4 (GOOD) – Multiple signs of play or damage
- 3 (FAIR) – Significant wear or bending
- 2 (POOR) – Creases, ink marks, or tears
- 1 (AUTHENTIC/POOR) – Confirmed authentic but heavily damaged
How Get Graded Makes US Card Grading Simple
You should grade your Pokémon cards if you want to—but we encourage you to take a logical approach to it and do some research ahead of time. See how much a card like yours is being sold for on other (trustworthy) websites, and make an informed decision from there. But, you can always grade your card just for yourself, too!
If the price mentioned wouldn’t even cover the cost of shipping and getting it graded, then chances are, it isn’t worth it. Always assume that your card will get a worse grading than you think, since every scratch and wrinkle counts, and make a choice from there.
So, is my Pokémon card worth grading? Submit to Get Graded at Tampa HQ today for expert analysis and trusted USA certification. Or, find out about our shop or service pricing, population report, or CERT checker, and create an account or find your nearest store now.