Best Pokémon cards to grade
Ranked by expected profit per submission — every grade outcome weighted by how often the card actually receives it in the PSA population — after current grading fees. The PSA 10 best case is on every row, but it no longer decides the order: a card that gems one time in twenty is not a better bet than one that gems one time in three. Top pick: Charizard ex at an expected +$153.
Ranked by expected profit36 matching
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expected +$153 per submission: 28% of 99,517 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,425), and only a PSA 10 covers the $529 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $415 | $366 | $1,425 | $114 | +$896 | 28% | +$153 | 99,517 high |
| 2 | Expected +$63 per submission: 23.9% of 36,783 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($650), and only a PSA 10 covers the $200 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $94 | $116 | $650 | $106 | +$449 | 23.9% | +$63 | 36,783 high |
| 3 | Expected +$56 per submission: 27.5% of 31,655 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($580), and only a PSA 10 covers the $196 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $90 | $99 | $580 | $106 | +$384 | 27.5% | +$56 | 31,655 high |
| 4 | Expected +$53 per submission: 30.3% of 60,308 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($590), and only a PSA 10 covers the $254 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $148 | $158 | $590 | $106 | +$337 | 30.3% | +$53 | 60,308 high |
| 5 | Expected +$50 per submission: 30.8% of 16,823 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($432), and only a PSA 10 covers the $139 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $65 | $82 | $432 | $74 | +$293 | 30.8% | +$50 | 16,823 high |
| 6 | Expected +$45 per submission: 26.7% of 33,722 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($500), and only a PSA 10 covers the $170 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $95 | $114 | $500 | $75 | +$330 | 26.7% | +$45 | 33,722 high |
| 7 | Expected +$44 per submission: 24% of 31,424 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($500), and only a PSA 10 covers the $140 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $65 | $91 | $500 | $75 | +$360 | 24% | +$44 | 31,424 high |
| 8 | Expected +$27 per submission: 29.5% of 53,920 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($528), and only a PSA 10 covers the $225 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $120 | $106 | $528 | $105 | +$302 | 29.5% | +$27 | 53,920 high |
| 9 | Expected +$24 per submission: 30.9% of 14,667 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($325), and only a PSA 10 covers the $117 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $44 | $62 | $325 | $73 | +$208 | 30.9% | +$24 | 14,667 high |
| 10 | Expected +$17 per submission: 29.1% of 47,026 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($415), and only a PSA 10 covers the $176 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $102 | $103 | $415 | $74 | +$239 | 29.1% | +$17 | 47,026 high |
| 11 | Expected +$13 per submission: 25.3% of 26,171 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($400), and only a PSA 10 covers the $140 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $66 | $70 | $400 | $74 | +$260 | 25.3% | +$13 | 26,171 high |
| 12 | Expected +$9 per submission: 28.6% of 29,152 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($350), and only a PSA 10 covers the $149 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $76 | $85 | $350 | $73 | +$201 | 28.6% | +$9 | 29,152 high |
| 13 | Expected +$9 per submission: 39.5% of 8,762 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($229), and only a PSA 10 covers the $108 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $36 | $45 | $229 | $72 | +$121 | 39.5% | +$9 | 8,762 high |
| 14 | Expected +$8 per submission: 26.3% of 24,651 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($315), and only a PSA 10 covers the $118 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $45 | $62 | $315 | $73 | +$197 | 26.3% | +$8 | 24,651 high |
| 15 | Expected +$5 per submission: 29.3% of 38,166 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($341), and only a PSA 10 covers the $150 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $77 | $80 | $341 | $73 | +$190 | 29.3% | +$5 | 38,166 high |
| 16 | Expected loss −$9 per submission: 41.1% of 1,522 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($126), and only a PSA 10 covers the $79 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $8 | $35 | $126 | $71 | +$47 | 41.1% | −$9 | 1,522 high |
| 17 | Expected loss −$10 per submission: 38.4% of 1,615 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($125), and only a PSA 10 covers the $78 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $7 | $40 | $125 | $71 | +$46 | 38.4% | −$10 | 1,615 high |
| 18 | Expected loss −$11 per submission: 37.2% of 23,990 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($202), and only a PSA 10 covers the $118 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $46 | $53 | $202 | $72 | +$84 | 37.2% | −$11 | 23,990 high |
| 19 | Expected loss −$13 per submission: 30.3% of 15,305 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($250), and only a PSA 10 covers the $122 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $50 | $50 | $250 | $72 | +$128 | 30.3% | −$13 | 15,305 high |
| 20 | Expected loss −$15 per submission: 31.1% of 5,395 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($189), and only a PSA 10 covers the $91 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $19 | $27 | $189 | $72 | +$98 | 31.1% | −$15 | 5,395 high |
| 21 | Expected loss −$15 per submission: 37.2% of 9,448 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($157), and only a PSA 10 covers the $94 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $22 | $35 | $157 | $72 | +$63 | 37.2% | −$15 | 9,448 high |
| 22 | Expected loss −$19 per submission: 28.1% of 9,382 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($191), and only a PSA 10 covers the $97 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $25 | $37 | $191 | $72 | +$94 | 28.1% | −$19 | 9,382 high |
| 23 | Expected loss −$19 per submission: 30.8% of 5,944 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($145), and only a PSA 10 covers the $81 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $10 | $27 | $145 | $71 | +$63 | 30.8% | −$19 | 5,944 high |
| 24 | Expected loss −$19 per submission: 36% of 3,759 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($138), and only a PSA 10 covers the $86 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $15 | $30 | $138 | $71 | +$51 | 36% | −$19 | 3,759 high |
| 25 | Expected loss −$20 per submission: 33.3% of 9,321 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($149), and only a PSA 10 covers the $91 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $34 | $149 | $71 | +$58 | 33.3% | −$20 | 9,321 high |
| 26 | Expected loss −$22 per submission: 28.1% of 5,269 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($165), and only a PSA 10 covers the $89 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $17 | $30 | $165 | $72 | +$77 | 28.1% | −$22 | 5,269 high |
| 27 | Expected loss −$24 per submission: 32% of 4,805 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($144), and only a PSA 10 covers the $87 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $16 | $27 | $144 | $71 | +$57 | 32% | −$24 | 4,805 high |
| 28 | Expected loss −$24 per submission: 37.7% of 6,708 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($130), and only a PSA 10 covers the $87 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $16 | $25 | $130 | $71 | +$43 | 37.7% | −$24 | 6,708 high |
| 29 | Expected loss −$25 per submission: 34.8% of 5,862 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($135), and only a PSA 10 covers the $86 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $15 | $22 | $135 | $71 | +$49 | 34.8% | −$25 | 5,862 high |
| 30 | Expected loss −$27 per submission: 35.4% of 1,371 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($114), and only a PSA 10 covers the $78 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $7 | $19 | $114 | $71 | +$35 | 35.4% | −$27 | 1,371 high |
| 31 | Expected loss −$27 per submission: 39.1% of 1,609 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($100), and only a PSA 10 covers the $80 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $9 | $25 | $100 | $71 | +$20 | 39.1% | −$27 | 1,609 high |
| 32 | Expected loss −$28 per submission: 38.3% of 3,636 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($100), and only a PSA 10 covers the $83 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $12 | $30 | $100 | $71 | +$17 | 38.3% | −$28 | 3,636 high |
| 33 | Expected loss −$29 per submission: 38.2% of 4,053 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($95), and only a PSA 10 covers the $83 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $12 | $30 | $95 | $71 | +$12 | 38.2% | −$29 | 4,053 high |
| 34 | Expected loss −$32 per submission: 26.8% of 12,759 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($150), and only a PSA 10 covers the $89 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $18 | $25 | $150 | $71 | +$60 | 26.8% | −$32 | 12,759 high |
| 35 | Expected loss −$32 per submission: 26.9% of 1,856 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($110), and only a PSA 10 covers the $77 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $6 | $21 | $110 | $71 | +$33 | 26.9% | −$32 | 1,856 high |
| 36 | Expected loss −$37 per submission: 27.8% of 17,327 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($100), and only a PSA 10 covers the $90 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $19 | $40 | $100 | $71 | +$10 | 27.8% | −$37 | 17,327 high |
Best case only — no gem-rate evidence 2
Fewer than 10 graded copies in the PSA and CGC population reports, so nothing can be said about how often these gem. They clear the cost if they do — that is all the numbers support.
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | $31 | — | $278 | $73 | +$174 | — | — | none <10 | |
| 38 | $8 | — | $126 | $71 | +$47 | — | — | none <10 |
How the ranking works — and where it can mislead
Expected profit = (gem rate × PSA 10) + (PSA 9 rate × PSA 9) + (sub-9 rate × the card's own sub-9 prices) − raw price − grading cost. Best case is the PSA 10 leg alone. Grading cost is the PSA tier fee for the graded value plus roughly $20 round-trip shipping, at fees as of 2026-08-26; the paused PSA Value tier is excluded and membership is not included.
Population selection bias. Gem rates are the share of the graded population at PSA 10 (PSA population report; CGC's when PSA has fewer than 10 copies). That population is self-selected: collectors grade their cleanest copies, and near misses get cracked and resubmitted, so it overstates what a random raw copy would achieve. Read a gem rate as an upper bound, and read it against its sample — confidence is high from 100, medium from 30, low from 10 graded copies; under 10, the card is shown as best-case only rather than ranked.
Prices. Raw is CardTrack's blended near-mint price for the exact printing; PSA 9 and PSA 10 come from the card's graded price ladder, with a PSA 9 estimated at 0.4× the 10 when the ladder has no 9. Where the ladder has no price for a lower grade, that leg is valued at raw. None of this is a sold price for your copy — it is a model of what the market has paid, and grading outcomes are not guaranteed.
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 whose expected graded value — PSA 10, PSA 9 and lower grades each weighted by how often that card actually receives them — beats the raw price plus the grading fee. Right now that is led by Charizard ex (151) at an expected +$153 per submission.
How is expected grading profit calculated?
Expected value = (gem rate × PSA 10 price) + (PSA 9 rate × PSA 9 price) + (sub-9 rate × the card's own sub-9 prices) − raw price − grading cost. Rates come from the PSA population report (CGC when PSA has fewer than 10 copies); the grading cost is the PSA tier fee for the graded value plus roughly $20 round-trip shipping, at fees as of 2026-08-26.
Why is a card with a huge PSA 10 price not at the top?
Because a PSA 10 price only matters as often as the card gems. A card with fewer than 10 graded copies has no measurable gem rate, so it is listed separately as best-case only rather than ranked above cards with evidence.
Are gem rates reliable?
They are the share of the graded population at PSA 10, and that population is self-selected: people grade their cleanest copies and crack-and-resubmit near misses. Treat the gem rate as an upper bound for a random raw copy, and weight the sample size — the confidence label on each row reflects it.