Pokémon card grading FAQ
The questions people ask before their first PSA submission, answered against the same data and assumptions the app uses.
Is it worth grading Pokémon cards?
Grading is worth it when the PSA 10 sale level exceeds the raw price plus the USD $75 all-in grading cost by a margin wide enough to survive a PSA 9 outcome. On cheap modern cards the spread is usually too small; on cards with a strong graded premium and frequent sales it can be substantial.
How does Grade Hunter calculate grading profit?
Estimated profit is the recent graded sale level minus the raw market price minus a flat USD $75 grading cost. Raw prices come from public TCGPlayer market data and graded levels from recent public eBay sold listings for that exact grade.
What does the $75 grading cost include?
It is a single all-in estimate covering submission fees plus shipping and handling both ways. Using one flat figure site-wide keeps every card directly comparable, so it is an assumption rather than a quote from a grading company. Your own cost will vary by service level and country.
What if the card comes back PSA 9 instead of PSA 10?
Every card report shows the PSA 9 level alongside PSA 10 for exactly this reason. Treat PSA 9 as the realistic downside: if the card still breaks even at PSA 9, the submission carries far less risk.
How accurate are the price estimates?
Accuracy depends on how many recent sales exist. Each card carries a data-quality signal — when it is low, only a handful of sales sit behind the estimate and it should be treated as indicative. Prices also move daily, so a report is a snapshot, not a guarantee.
Which cards are the best to grade right now?
The live rankings list them by measure: best cards to grade overall, highest percentage return, cheap cards worth grading, trending movers, and biggest dollar profit. They are regenerated from current market data rather than hand-picked.
Does a high ROI percentage mean a big profit?
No. A very high percentage usually means a very cheap raw card, so the dollar gain can still be small. For actual dollars, rank by estimated profit rather than percentage return.
Is PSA better than CGC or BGS for value?
PSA slabs generally command the strongest resale premium and the deepest sold-comp data for Pokémon, which is why Grade Hunter's calculations use PSA levels. CGC and BGS differ on cost, turnaround and subgrades — the grader comparison guide covers where each makes sense.
Does Grade Hunter grade cards or sell cards?
No. Grade Hunter is analytics only: it estimates market outcomes so you can decide what to submit. It does not grade, buy or sell cards, and it is not affiliated with PSA, CGC, BGS, Nintendo or The Pokémon Company.
Do I need an account to see grading data?
No. Card data, rankings, set pages, the market summary and the methodology are public. An account adds saved watchlists and higher daily lookup limits, and Pro adds live data and the card scanner.
Still unsure? Read the methodology, check a term in the glossary, or run a card through browse.