Best Zapdos Cards to Grade
The Zapdos cards worth grading, ranked by expected profit per submission — every grade outcome weighted by how often the card actually receives it — after current grading fees. The PSA 10 best case is shown on every row but does not decide the order. Top pick: Zapdos (Aquapolis) at an expected +$2,613.
Ranked by expected profit 30
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expected +$2,613 per submission: 12.1% of 916 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($16,801), and a PSA 9 ($2,727) still clears the $1,520 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $333 | $2,727 | $16,801 | $1,187 | +$15,281 | 12.1% | +$2,613 | 916 high |
| 2 | Expected +$1,953 per submission: 16.2% of 1,263 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($11,700), and a PSA 9 ($1,140) still clears the $1,330 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $194 | $1,140 | $11,700 | $1,136 | +$10,370 | 16.2% | +$1,953 | 1,263 high |
| 3 | Expected +$1,326 per submission: 1.8% of 1,344 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($44,999), and a PSA 9 ($3,149) still clears the $2,744 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $275 | $3,149 | $44,999 | $2,469 | +$42,255 | 1.8% | +$1,326 | 1,344 high |
| 4 | Expected +$1,289 per submission: 8% of 983 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($9,601), and a PSA 9 ($2,379) still clears the $1,128 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $413 | $2,379 | $9,601 | $715 | +$8,473 | 8% | +$1,289 | 983 high |
| 5 | Expected +$733 per submission: 3.2% of 309 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($15,709), and a PSA 9 ($1,000) still clears the $1,222 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $46 | $1,000 | $15,709 | $1,176 | +$14,487 | 3.2% | +$733 | 309 high |
| 6 | Expected +$534 per submission: 3.6% of 18,774 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($8,998), and a PSA 9 ($1,348) still clears the $745 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $36 | $1,348 | $8,998 | $709 | +$8,253 | 3.6% | +$534 | 18,774 high |
| 7 | Expected +$459 per submission: 4% of 353 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($13,000), and a PSA 9 ($178) still clears the $1,168 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $19 | $178 | $13,000 | $1,149 | +$11,832 | 4% | +$459 | 353 high |
| 8 | Expected +$353 per submission: 6% of 781 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($6,300), and a PSA 9 ($200) still clears the $709 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $27 | $200 | $6,300 | $682 | +$5,591 | 6% | +$353 | 781 high |
| 9 | Expected +$323 per submission: 5.6% of 1,277 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($6,000), and a PSA 9 ($300) still clears the $715 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $36 | $300 | $6,000 | $679 | +$5,285 | 5.6% | +$323 | 1,277 high |
| 10 | Expected +$185 per submission: 2.7% of 442 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,525), and a PSA 9 ($610) still clears the $423 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $189 | $610 | $1,525 | $234 | +$1,101 | 2.7% | +$185 | 442 high |
| 11 | Expected +$146 per submission: 34.4% of 378 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($634), and only a PSA 10 covers the $102 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $16 | $69 | $634 | $86 | +$532 | 34.4% | +$146 | 378 high |
| 12 | Expected +$123 per submission: 26.7% of 266 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($775), and only a PSA 10 covers the $158 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $70 | $125 | $775 | $88 | +$617 | 26.7% | +$123 | 266 high |
| 13 | Expected +$96 per submission: 9.2% of 173 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,150), and a PSA 9 ($167) still clears the $119 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $8 | $167 | $1,150 | $111 | +$1,030 | 9.2% | +$96 | 173 high |
| 14 | Expected +$77 per submission: 3.6% of 3,170 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,000), and a PSA 9 ($300) still clears the $499 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $100 | $300 | $3,000 | $399 | +$2,501 | 3.6% | +$77 | 3,170 high |
| 15 | Expected +$69 per submission: 11.2% of 161 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($960), and only a PSA 10 covers the $96 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $6 | $75 | $960 | $90 | +$864 | 11.2% | +$69 | 161 high |
| 16 | Expected +$63 per submission: 56.5% of 72,418 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($408), and only a PSA 10 covers the $234 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $150 | $156 | $408 | $84 | +$174 | 56.5% | +$63 | 72,418 high |
| 17 | Expected +$56 per submission: 3% of 3,539 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,000), and a PSA 9 ($199) still clears the $429 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $30 | $199 | $3,000 | $399 | +$2,571 | 3% | +$56 | 3,539 high |
| 18 | Expected +$32 per submission: 2.5% of 4,924 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,950), and a PSA 9 ($211) still clears the $269 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $30 | $211 | $1,950 | $239 | +$1,682 | 2.5% | +$32 | 4,924 high |
| 19 | Expected +$13 per submission: 14.8% of 270 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($500), and only a PSA 10 covers the $103 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $18 | $54 | $500 | $85 | +$397 | 14.8% | +$13 | 270 high |
| 20 | Expected +$9 per submission: 9.8% of 4,831 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($720), and only a PSA 10 covers the $93 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $6 | $35 | $720 | $87 | +$627 | 9.8% | +$9 | 4,831 high |
| 21 | Expected +$1 per submission: 65.1% of 19,803 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($174), and only a PSA 10 covers the $132 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $50 | $57 | $174 | $82 | +$42 | 65.1% | +$1 | 19,803 high |
| 22 | Expected loss −$5 per submission: 29.1% of 47,026 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($366), and only a PSA 10 covers the $179 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $95 | $95 | $366 | $84 | +$187 | 29.1% | −$5 | 47,026 high |
| 23 | Expected loss −$11 per submission: 50.4% of 18,668 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($164), and only a PSA 10 covers the $119 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $37 | $52 | $164 | $82 | +$45 | 50.4% | −$11 | 18,668 high |
| 24 | Expected loss −$13 per submission: 63.8% of 25,762 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($138), and only a PSA 10 covers the $119 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $38 | $50 | $138 | $81 | +$19 | 63.8% | −$13 | 25,762 high |
| 25 | Expected loss −$15 per submission: 0.9% of 234 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($6,000), and a PSA 9 ($101) still clears the $690 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $11 | $101 | $6,000 | $679 | +$5,310 | 0.9% | −$15 | 234 high |
| 26 | Expected loss −$15 per submission: 8.6% of 1,474 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($483), and only a PSA 10 covers the $94 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $9 | $59 | $483 | $85 | +$389 | 8.6% | −$15 | 1,474 high |
| 27 | Expected loss −$18 per submission: 60.4% of 1,724 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($110), and only a PSA 10 covers the $95 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $14 | $28 | $110 | $81 | +$15 | 60.4% | −$18 | 1,724 high |
| 28 | Expected loss −$22 per submission: 57% of 6,221 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($156), and only a PSA 10 covers the $136 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $54 | $58 | $156 | $82 | +$20 | 57% | −$22 | 6,221 high |
| 29 | Expected loss −$31 per submission: 28.5% of 323 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($155), and only a PSA 10 covers the $95 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $13 | $30 | $155 | $82 | +$60 | 28.5% | −$31 | 323 high |
| 30 | Expected loss −$55 per submission: 0% of 67 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($10,510), and a PSA 9 ($130) still clears the $1,132 you have in it. Confidence medium on that sample. | $8 | $130 | $10,510 | $1,124 | +$9,378 | 0% | −$55 | 67 medium |
Best case only — no gem-rate evidence 1
Fewer than 10 graded copies in the PSA and CGC population reports. They clear the grading cost if they gem — that is all the numbers support.
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | $105 | — | $40,800 | $2,427 | +$38,268 | — | — | none <10 |
Expected = every grade outcome weighted by its share of the card's graded population, minus the raw price and the grading cost (PSA tier fee for the graded value plus ~$20 round-trip shipping, fees as of 2026-09-26). Best case is the PSA 10 leg alone. Gem rates come from a self-selected population — collectors grade their cleanest copies — so read them as an upper bound. Raw is a blended market price, not a sale of your copy. Full method and filters on the grading index.
How to read the Zapdos ranking
Every Zapdos card listed here clears one bar: its PSA 10 price beats its raw price by more than the cost of grading it. 31 Zapdos printings pass. 30 of them (97%) have a gem-rate sample of at least ten graded copies in the population reports, and 21 of those keep a positive expected value once every grade outcome is weighted by how often the card actually receives it.
The order is expected profit, not the PSA 10 best case, which rewards the widest raw-to-gem gap whether the card gems one time in two or one in fifty. Here the top row, the Zapdos from Aquapolis, gems 12.1% of the time across 916 graded copies: +$2,613 is what a long run of submissions would average, $15,281 is what one lucky copy returns.
The median gem rate across the sampled Zapdos cards is 9.8%. Roughly one submitted copy in 10 came back PSA 10, and most rows here still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, so the PSA 9 price does most of the work. Of the 30 ranked cards, 16 still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, 14 need a 10 to break even and 9 lose money on expectation. 29 rest on a hundred or more graded copies.
1 card sits below the ranking with a best case only, fewer than ten graded copies.
Before you submit a Zapdos card
Grading pays on condition. The four things every grader scores — centering, corners, edges and surface — can be checked at home before paying a fee, and a copy that is visibly off-centre or has a whitened corner will not gem whatever the population says. Those gem rates come from a self-selected population of clean copies, so a random copy does worse.
The cost column assumes a PSA submission at the tier covering the card's PSA 10 value, fees as of 2026-09-26, and raw is CardTrack's blended near-mint price, not a sale of your copy: pay more, or hold a lighter copy, and the break-even moves against you. Test a card with your own numbers in the ROI calculator, see the printings that fail the bar on the Zapdos card list, or see how gem-mint premiums run across the whole catalogue on the PSA premium index.