Is a card worth sending to PSA, Beckett, CGC or TAG? Enter what you pay for the raw card, the grader and tier, how often you expect it to come back a gem (PSA 10, BGS 9.5, CGC 10 or TAG 10), what it sells for graded, and your selling fees. The calculator shows your expected profit per card, the gem rate you need to break even, and whether grading beats just selling raw. Pick a card from our Card Data list to fill in today’s prices.
How the calculator works
Expected value per card = gem rate × (gem price minus selling fees) + (1 − gem rate) × (non-10 price minus selling fees). Profit is that minus the raw cost, grading fee and shipping. The break-even gem rate is the share of copies that must come back a gem for you to make your money back.
Grading tiers and fees are each grader’s published service levels as of fall 2026. PSA: Value reopened on October 29, 2026 at $39.99 for cards worth up to $500 (new Value orders go behind everything already at PSA, and Value Bulk is still closed); Standard is $59.99 for cards up to $1,000, and PSA moves a card up a tier when it is worth more than the tier’s limit. Beckett: Base is $14.95 without subgrades or $17.95 with them, and Standard and up include subgrades; Beckett has been taking submissions through a temporary form, and Priority may be paused. CGC: Bulk needs at least 25 cards, and each tier has a declared-value limit; above $100,000, Unlimited Value adds 1% of the card’s value. TAG: prices don’t change with the card’s value, but each tier covers cards only up to a set amount, and Base needs at least 5 cards. eBay fees are the standard trading card rates. All of these change often, so check the grader’s site and eBay before submitting, and use the “Other” options to enter your own numbers.
Gem prices differ by grader: a BGS 9.5, CGC 10 or TAG 10 usually sells for less than a PSA 10 of the same card, so enter that grader’s recent sold prices when you compare.
Card prices in the picker come from our Card Data pages: TCGplayer Near Mint for raw, PriceCharting sold prices for PSA 9 and PSA 10, updated Oct 30, 2026. Gem rates vary a lot by card, set and print run; this is a planning tool, not a guarantee.
Best Pokémon cards to grade right now
These cards need the fewest PSA 10s to pay for grading: buy a raw copy, pay PSA’s cheapest tier that covers it, and the “break-even” column is the share of copies that must come back a PSA 10 (the rest counted at PSA 9 value). “Pays at a 9” means even a PSA 9 sells for more than the raw card plus the fee. Only cards with steady recent sales are listed. Prices as of Oct 30, 2026.
| Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Tier | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typhlosion (Unlimited) Neo Genesis | $118.18 | $1,500.55 | $366,000.00 | PSA Express ($199.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Chansey (1st Edition) Base Set | $329.00 | $4,050.00 | $102,500.00 | PSA Super Express ($349.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Shining Gyarados (1st Edition) Neo Revelation | $1,716.50 | $8,173.74 | $81,300.00 | PSA Premier ($599.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Umbreon (1st Edition) Neo Discovery | $1,328.48 | $9,817.20 | $79,930.36 | PSA Premier ($599.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Houndoom (Unlimited) Neo Revelation | $323.32 | $3,012.10 | $69,999.99 | PSA Super Express ($349.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Venusaur (1st Edition) Base Set | $1,050.00 | $7,951.82 | $69,999.99 | PSA Premier ($599.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Sabrina's Gengar (1st Edition) Gym Heroes | $1,282.80 | $8,098.59 | $64,866.62 | PSA Premier ($599.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Dark Espeon (1st Edition) Neo Destiny | $463.19 | $4,007.16 | $63,321.25 | PSA Super Express ($349.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Slowking (1st Edition) Neo Genesis | $284.01 | $3,699.50 | $52,750.00 | PSA Super Express ($349.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Snorlax (1st Edition) Jungle | $285.27 | $4,332.45 | $50,000.00 | PSA Super Express ($349.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Houndour (Unlimited) Neo Discovery | $69.08 | $499.64 | $49,234.30 | PSA Value ($39.99) | Pays at a 9 |
| Raikou (1st Edition) Neo Revelation | $488.27 | $3,738.09 | $49,588.13 | PSA Super Express ($349.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Mewtwo (1st Edition) Base Set | $345.00 | $6,233.67 | $42,725.67 | PSA Premier ($599.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Gengar (1st Edition) Fossil | $401.54 | $4,000.00 | $41,499.50 | PSA Super Express ($349.00) | Pays at a 9 |
| Blastoise (Shadowless) Base Set | $274.32 | $3,352.09 | $37,750.00 | PSA Super Express ($349.00) | Pays at a 9 |
Of the 692 cards checked, 658 break even at a 40% gem rate or lower. Open any card for its own grading math, or pick it in the calculator above to use your own numbers.
Pokémon card grading costs: PSA vs Beckett vs CGC vs TAG
Every grader’s current service levels, as of Oct 30, 2026. The cheapest way in: PSA Value at $39.99, Beckett Base, no subgrades at $14.95, CGC Bulk at $17.00 and TAG Base (grade only) at $39.95. Add shipping and insurance both ways, and check each grader’s site before you send: tiers pause and prices change often.
| Grader | Tier | Fee per card | Card value | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | Value | $39.99 | up to $500 | 90-100 business days |
| PSA | Standard | $59.99 | up to $1,000 | 70-80 business days |
| PSA | Priority (was Regular) | $79.99 | up to $1,500 | 50-60 business days |
| PSA | Express | $199.00 | up to $2,500 | 20-30 business days |
| PSA | Super Express | $349.00 | up to $5,000 | 10-15 business days |
| PSA | Premier (was Walk-Through) | $599.00 | up to $10,000 | 7-10 business days |
| Beckett (BGS) | Base, no subgrades | $14.95 | no limit listed | 75+ business days |
| Beckett (BGS) | Base with subgrades | $17.95 | no limit listed | 75+ business days |
| Beckett (BGS) | Standard (subgrades included) | $34.95 | no limit listed | 45 business days |
| Beckett (BGS) | Express (subgrades included) | $79.95 | no limit listed | 15 business days |
| Beckett (BGS) | Priority (subgrades included, may be paused) | $124.95 | no limit listed | 5 business days |
| CGC | Bulk | $17.00 | up to $500, 25-card minimum | 120+ business days |
| CGC | Economy | $20.00 | up to $1,000 | 65-90 business days |
| CGC | Standard | $55.00 | up to $3,000 | about 10 business days |
| CGC | Express | $100.00 | up to $10,000 | about 5 business days |
| CGC | WalkThrough | $300.00 | up to $100,000 | about 2 business days |
| CGC | Unlimited Value ($300 + 1% of value) | $300.00 + 1% of value | any value | about 2 business days |
| TAG | Base (grade only) | $39.95 | covered to $500, 5-card minimum | 60 business days |
| TAG | Standard | $59.95 | covered to $1,000 | 45 business days |
| TAG | Priority | $79.95 | covered to $1,500 | 30 business days |
| TAG | Express | $149.95 | covered to $2,500 | 10 business days |
| TAG | Premier | $299.95 | covered to $5,000 | 3-5 business days |
Grading FAQ
How much does it cost to grade a Pokémon card?
From about $14.95 to several hundred dollars a card, plus shipping and insurance. PSA’s cheapest open tier is Value at $39.99 for cards worth up to $500; more valuable cards must go in higher tiers, because graders charge by the card’s value.
Is it worth getting my Pokémon cards graded?
Only when a 10 sells for well above the raw price plus the grading fee, and your copy is clean enough to have a real chance at a 10. Most modern cards sell for so little that the fee eats the gain. Use the calculator above with your card, or open the card on our Card Data pages for its grading math.
What is a gem rate?
The share of graded copies of a card that came back a 10 (PSA calls a 10 “Gem Mint”). You can work it out from the PSA population report: PSA 10s divided by the total graded. Pack-fresh modern cards often gem at 30-60%; vintage cards much lower.
Is PSA, CGC, Beckett or TAG the cheapest?
Per card, Beckett’s base tier and CGC’s bulk tier are usually the cheapest, but PSA 10s sell for the most, so PSA often pays best on cards with a big 10 premium. Compare the full fee table above, and remember a CGC 10 or TAG 10 usually sells for less than a PSA 10 of the same card.
How long does PSA grading take?
PSA lists Value at 90-100 business days, Standard at 70-80 business days, Priority at 50-60 business days, Express at 20-30 business days, Super Express at 10-15 business days, Premier at 7-10 business days. These are estimates, and new Value orders go behind everything already at PSA.