Free tool
Should I grade this card?
Grading is expensive and most cards lose money once you add the fee. Answer a few honest questions and get a straight verdict — with the reasoning laid out, not just a yes or no.
What does it sell for raw today?
$
The raw (ungraded) price — check TCGplayer or recent eBay sold listings, not asking prices.Era
PSA 10 price, if you know it
$
Condition, honestly
Why are you grading it?
Enter what the card sells for raw to get a verdict.
Pre-grading checklist
Before you spend the fee, inspect the card under good light with a loupe or magnifier. The mindset matters: go in trying to convince yourself it is not a 10. If you honestly can't find the flaw that knocks it down, then maybe.
- Centering. The front borders should be near-perfect and even on all four sides. Off-center is the most common gem-mint killer.
- Corners. Sharp under magnification — not rounded, fuzzy, or jagged. A single soft corner caps the grade.
- Surface. No scratches, print lines, dents, indentation, or scuffs — and the holo texture intact where it should be.
- Back. Check the edges and corners for whitening. Graders flip the card, and so should you.
The thresholds here are rules of thumb drawn from collector research, not guarantees — your card and the market are their own thing. For the full reasoning behind them, read Is grading Pokémon cards worth it?