Best Pokémon cards to grade
The Pokémon cards where grading adds the most value — ranked by net profit from raw to PSA 10 after real grading costs, with each card's estimated gem rate and risk-adjusted return (what you'd expect once you weight every grade outcome, not just the PSA 10 best case). Top pick: Pikachu ☆ at +$109,040 best-case net.
Net (best) = PSA 10 value − raw value − grading cost (tier fee + ~$20 round-trip shipping), using PSA fees as of 2026-06-28 (the paused PSA Value tier is excluded so ROI isn't overstated). Risk-adjusted return weights every grade by its likelihood, estimated from PSA population data — which is cumulative and skews toward nicer, resubmitted copies, so gem rates are a guide, not a guarantee. Grading outcomes are not guaranteed. For informational purposes · not financial advice.
PSA grading standards
Centering is the one criterion PSA publishes as a hard number, so it is the only part of a grade you can check yourself before paying. The ratios below are the widest border PSA allows at each grade — a card is judged on its worse axis, and the reverse is graded too. Meeting the centering limit does not earn the grade: corners, edges and surface all still have to hold up.
| Grade | Front | Back | What the card looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 GEM-MT | 55/45 | 75/25 | Effectively flawless to the naked eye. Four sharp corners, clean edges, full original gloss and no staining. A minor printing flaw can survive if it does not hurt the card's overall look, but wear cannot — this is the grade where centering is tightest and most 10 attempts fail. |
| PSA 9 MINT | 60/40 | 90/10 | Mint to the eye, with one small permitted flaw: a faint surface imperfection, a tiny printing blemish, or slightly off-white borders. Corners and edges still look sharp. The usual difference between a 9 and a 10 is centering or a single point of very light wear. |
| PSA 8 NM-MT | 65/35 | 90/10 | Very light wear that needs looking for. Typically one slightly fuzzy corner, a minor surface mark, or minimally off-white borders. Still presents as a clean card at arm's length. |
| PSA 7 NM | 70/30 | 90/10 | Light wear that is visible without hunting for it — slight fraying at a corner or two, minor surface wear, or a small loss of gloss. No creasing. |
| PSA 6 EX-MT | 80/20 | 90/10 | Obvious but modest handling. Corners show visible rounding, edges show wear, and the surface may have lost some gloss. Colour is still strong and the card is free of creases. |
| PSA 5 EX | 85/15 | 90/10 | Clearly played. Rounded corners, noticeable edge wear and some surface scuffing, with colour beginning to dull. Still whole and presentable. |
| PSA 4 VG-EX | 85/15 | 90/10 | Well handled. Corner rounding is pronounced, surface wear is easy to see, and a very light crease may be present without dropping the card further. |
| PSA 3 VG | 90/10 | 90/10 | Heavy handling. Rounded corners, dulled colour, scuffing or scratching, and light creasing. The card reads as used rather than collected. |
| PSA 2 GOOD | 90/10 | 90/10 | Substantial wear throughout — heavy corner rounding, creasing, surface damage or writing. Intact and identifiable, but plainly worn. |
| PSA 1.5 FR | 90/10 | 90/10 | Severe wear, stopping short of destroyed. Heavy creasing, major surface loss or damage, but the card is complete with no missing pieces. |
| PSA 1 PR | — | — | The floor. Extreme damage — major creasing, staining, tears, missing paper or pieces. Graded so the card can be authenticated and slabbed at all, not because condition is being certified. |
Qualifiers
When a single defect is the only thing holding a card back, PSA can grade it with a qualifier — a slab reading PSA 8 (OC) rather than dropping to a 6. Qualified cards usually trade below an unqualified card of the same number, so the letters matter when you are pricing one.
- OC — Off-Centre: Centering is outside the tolerance for the grade the card would otherwise earn.
- ST — Staining: A stain the card is otherwise clean enough to have avoided.
- PD — Print Defect: A flaw introduced when the card was printed, not by handling.
- OF — Out of Focus: The image itself was printed soft — a manufacturing fault, not wear.
- MK — Marks: Ink or pencil marks on the card.
- MC — Miscut: Cut outside the intended borders at the factory.
Grade criteria and centering tolerances are published by PSA. Summaries here are ours. See the official PSA grading standards for the authoritative text.
Grading FAQ
Which Pokémon cards are worth grading?
The cards with the biggest gap between raw and PSA 10 value relative to the grading fee — and a realistic shot at a gem 10. This page ranks them by risk-adjusted return, not just best-case profit.
How is grading ROI calculated?
Net = PSA 10 value − raw value − grading cost (the tier fee plus roughly $20 round-trip shipping). Risk-adjusted return weights every possible grade by its likelihood, estimated from PSA population data.
Is grading a Pokémon card worth it?
It's worth it when the PSA 10 premium comfortably beats the grading cost and the card is clean enough to realistically gem. Cheap or well-played cards usually aren't.