If you are asking yourself, ‘what Pokémon cards should I get graded’ every time you look at your collection, you’re not alone. Pokémon cards can be difficult to navigate, and so many different factors come into play when determining if they are worth grading or not—because most of them won’t be worth the time, hassle, and cash.
So, which cards should you get graded, and which ones should you skip and add back to your collection for simple viewing pleasure? You are going to have to consider the design, the age, the condition of the card, and more, to come to an informed decision.
Why Grade Your Pokémon Cards in the First Place?
You can grade your Pokémon cards for any reason, including just for yourself and your personal collection. However, many people will opt to grade their cards if they are thinking about selling them, as grading by a professional will determine the card’s authenticity, condition, and quality—which all impact how much the card will be worth if you want to make some extra cash.
When a card gets graded, it will be put in a protective slab with the grading information on it, making it easy for buyers and sellers alike, and also keeping the card out of harm’s way (because accidents can happen). If you are considering getting your cards analysed, but don’t know what Pokémon cards should I get graded, we encourage you to look at it logically, unless it’s getting done for personal reasons.
You should grade your old Pokémon cards if you want to protect them for yourself, or if you are considering selling them, if they are in good condition. There are lots of older Pokémon cards that could be worth a fortune, and getting it professionally graded will prove to any potential buyers that the condition is as stated, and that the card will be protected from future damage.
How Does the Grading Scale Work?
At Get Graded, 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! Consider the damage and overall condition of the card, and estimate a grading based on the information given below.
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 centring 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
Top Pokémon Cards That Are Worth Grading
The rarity, condition, and popularity of the card all come into play when deciding if it is a valuable grading option. Common cards won’t be worth the effort, but a 1st Edition or a Charizard more than likely is worth it. The rarer a card is, the more collectors are going to want it—and the more they would be willing to pay for it.
Pokémon cards with unique artwork (e.g. special illustrations), famous signatures (e.g. original Pokémon artists or even voice actors), misprints, 1st Editions, and Shadowless variations can all be worth a fortune, and are therefore very much worth grading, providing they are in good condition. Any card—no matter how rare—will be worth cents if it is too damaged.
Some of the top Pokémon cards that are worth grading include:
- 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard
- 1st Edition Charizard
- 1st Edition Blastoise
- 1st Edition Venusaur
- Bronze Pikachu No. 3 Trainer Trophy Card
- Pikachu Illustrator (PSA 10 (Gem Mint) graded sold in 2021 for $5.275 million!)
- University Magikarp Card
- No Rarity Charizard
- Master’s Key
As you can see from the quick list of examples above, Charizard cards are definitely a popular choice, and are almost sure to bring in some cash if you could bear to grade and part with it!
What Are the Signs a Card Might Not Be Worth Grading?
Generally, the signs that a card isn’t worth grading comes down to the condition of the card and how common or rare it is. You can come to a conclusion about getting the card graded or not quickly just by looking at the rarity symbol it has, and by taking note of any damage. Visible damage is going to make the value of the card plummet, immediately meaning that it isn’t worth grading.
Determine the rarity of a card by finding the 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)
How Can You Evaluate the Condition of a Pokémon Card Before Sending it for Grading?
When asking yourself, ‘what Pokémon cards should I get graded’, you need to remember that you can do some of the work yourself to get a head start. In other words, you can evaluate the condition of your card before sending it off to make sure that you aren’t going to waste cash.
How Do You Check the Condition of Your Card?
If you want to take the time to check the condition of your Pokémon card at home before sending it to a professional like us, you need to remember that you probably won’t be able to spot all the minor details that we will. This means that you can easily grade your card higher than it is—so it’s important to be as brutal as possible when doing this yourself, and take into consideration every imperfection.
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 (colours are dulled)
- Discolouration from any source
- Any other visible damage
What Do the Different Card Conditions Mean?
Determining the condition of your card and comparing it to examples online? 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 |
Why Choose Get Graded Over US-Based Graders?
Here at Get Graded, we like to show you the ins and outs of the grading process, and teach you how to pick Pokémon cards for grading. We like to keep our grading process transparent, and give you as much information as possible so that you know the thought process.
Choosing a trusted grading service is key, and we aim to please. So, now that you have an answer to ‘what Pokémon cards should I get graded’, are you ready to take the dive? Or, find out about our shop or service pricing, population report, or CERT checker, and create an account or find your nearest store now.