How to decide if grading a card is worth it

Grading costs real money and real time. Before you send a card in, check three things: the centering, the surface and edges, and what the card nets after every fee. If the math only works at a 10, most cards should stay raw.

Start with the grade you will probably get

Most people price a submission at the grade they hope for. Price it at the grade the card will probably get instead.

A card that looks clean in a top loader can still fall short of a 10. Take it out, put it under a bright light, and look at it the way a grader will.

Check centering first

Centering is the easiest flaw to measure and the hardest to argue with.

PSA's standard for a Gem Mint 10 is about 55/45 or better on the front and 75/25 or better on the back. That means the borders on opposite sides can only differ by a small amount.

To check it:

• Measure the left and right borders on the front, then the top and bottom.
• Divide each side by the total of the pair. A 3 mm left border and a 2 mm right border is 60/40.
• Do the same on the back.

If the front is outside 55/45, do not count on a 10, no matter how clean the rest of the card looks.

Look hard at surface, corners, and edges

Surface issues cost more grades than people expect. Tilt the card under a light and look for:

• Print lines and print dots, which are common on chrome cards
• Scratches or scuffs on the surface
• Dents or wrinkles, even small ones
• Soft or white corners
• Chipping on colored borders

One clear flaw on the surface or a corner usually rules out a 10. Two flaws can rule out a 9. Be honest here, because the grader will be.

Do the fee math before you ship

A graded card only helps you if it nets more than the raw card would. Count every cost:

• The grading fee. At PSA right now, the Value tiers are paused and Standard is $59.99 per card. Priority is $79.99, and Express is $199.00.
• Shipping and insurance both ways. Split the cost of the whole package across the cards in it.
• Selling fees. eBay charges 13.25% of the total sale for sports trading cards, plus $0.40 per order over $10. The fee applies to the total the buyer pays, not only the card price.

Look up recent sold prices for the raw card and for the grade you actually expect. Use sold listings, not asking prices.

A worked example

These prices are example numbers only, to show the math. They are not market data for any card.

Say a raw card sells for $40. The same card sells for $70 as a PSA 9 and $200 as a PSA 10. You grade it at Standard for $59.99, and your share of the shipping is $10.

• Sell it raw: $40 minus about $5.70 in eBay fees nets about $34.30.
• It comes back a PSA 9: $70 minus about $9.68 in fees, $59.99 for grading, and $10 for shipping nets about negative $9.67. You lose money.
• It comes back a PSA 10: $200 minus about $26.90 in fees, $59.99, and $10 nets about $103.11.

In this example, grading only pays off at a 10. If the centering or the surface makes a 10 unlikely, the smart move is to sell the card raw or keep it.

A simple rule of thumb

Grade a card when all three of these are true:

1. The centering is inside 55/45 on the front.
2. You cannot find a surface, corner, or edge flaw under a bright light.
3. The grade you realistically expect nets more than the raw sale after grading, shipping, and selling fees.

If any one of these fails, stop and think again.

When grading still makes sense at a loss

Some cards are worth grading even when the math is thin:

• You plan to keep the card and want it protected and authenticated.
• It is a high-dollar card where the buyer expects a slab.
• It is a 1/1 or low-numbered card where authentication matters more than the number on the label.

That is a collecting choice, and it is a fair one. Just make it on purpose, not because a 10 felt likely.

What this post is not

This is not advice to buy or sell any card. Grading prices and eBay fees change, so check the current pages before you submit. The goal is simple: know the grade you will probably get, and know what it nets, before the card leaves your hands.