Best Base Cards to Grade
The Base 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 at an expected +$293.
Ranked by expected profit 30
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expected +$293 per submission: 3.6% of 18,774 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,043), and a PSA 9 ($1,348) still clears the $277 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $38 | $1,348 | $2,043 | $239 | +$1,766 | 3.6% | +$293 | 18,774 high |
| 2 | Expected +$285 per submission: 0.5% of 101,139 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($29,995), and a PSA 9 ($3,291) still clears the $3,094 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $775 | $3,291 | $29,995 | $2,319 | +$26,901 | 0.5% | +$285 | 101,139 high |
| 3 | Expected +$278 per submission: 1.3% of 45,513 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($19,500), and a PSA 9 ($1,356) still clears the $1,364 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $150 | $1,356 | $19,500 | $1,214 | +$18,136 | 1.3% | +$278 | 45,513 high |
| 4 | Expected +$213 per submission: 3.8% of 14,999 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,125), and a PSA 9 ($736) still clears the $144 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $33 | $736 | $1,125 | $111 | +$981 | 3.8% | +$213 | 14,999 high |
| 5 | Expected +$199 per submission: 20.4% of 941 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,275), and only a PSA 10 covers the $122 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $9 | $75 | $1,275 | $113 | +$1,154 | 20.4% | +$199 | 941 high |
| 6 | Expected +$118 per submission: 0.2% of 7,548 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($13,800), and a PSA 9 ($1,247) still clears the $1,190 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $33 | $1,247 | $13,800 | $1,157 | +$12,610 | 0.2% | +$118 | 7,548 high |
| 7 | Expected +$106 per submission: 2.2% of 24,481 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,611), and a PSA 9 ($550) still clears the $445 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $50 | $550 | $2,611 | $395 | +$2,166 | 2.2% | +$106 | 24,481 high |
| 8 | Expected +$86 per submission: 2% of 30,089 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($4,457), and a PSA 9 ($418) still clears the $484 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $70 | $418 | $4,457 | $414 | +$3,973 | 2% | +$86 | 30,089 high |
| 9 | Expected +$69 per submission: 0.9% of 15,836 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($9,760), and a PSA 9 ($365) still clears the $752 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $35 | $365 | $9,760 | $717 | +$9,008 | 0.9% | +$69 | 15,836 high |
| 10 | Expected +$62 per submission: 2.3% of 20,731 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,350), and a PSA 9 ($380) still clears the $270 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $27 | $380 | $2,350 | $243 | +$2,081 | 2.3% | +$62 | 20,731 high |
| 11 | Expected +$59 per submission: 0.8% of 50,300 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($7,549), and a PSA 9 ($940) still clears the $894 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $200 | $940 | $7,549 | $694 | +$6,655 | 0.8% | +$59 | 50,300 high |
| 12 | Expected +$37 per submission: 2.3% of 19,817 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,558), and a PSA 9 ($330) still clears the $465 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $70 | $330 | $2,558 | $395 | +$2,094 | 2.3% | +$37 | 19,817 high |
| 13 | Expected +$27 per submission: 20.8% of 849 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($276), and a PSA 9 ($130) still clears the $90 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $7 | $130 | $276 | $83 | +$186 | 20.8% | +$27 | 849 high |
| 14 | Expected +$24 per submission: 12.8% of 2,444 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($525), and a PSA 9 ($120) still clears the $100 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $15 | $120 | $525 | $85 | +$424 | 12.8% | +$24 | 2,444 high |
| 15 | Expected +$22 per submission: 1.5% of 16,742 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,999), and a PSA 9 ($275) still clears the $474 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $65 | $275 | $3,999 | $409 | +$3,525 | 1.5% | +$22 | 16,742 high |
| 16 | Expected +$16 per submission: 19.8% of 1,215 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($299), and a PSA 9 ($108) still clears the $94 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $11 | $108 | $299 | $83 | +$205 | 19.8% | +$16 | 1,215 high |
| 17 | Expected +$10 per submission: 21.7% of 913 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($291), and only a PSA 10 covers the $90 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $7 | $75 | $291 | $83 | +$201 | 21.7% | +$10 | 913 high |
| 18 | Expected +$6 per submission: 9.9% of 7,570 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($650), and only a PSA 10 covers the $92 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $6 | $85 | $650 | $86 | +$558 | 9.9% | +$6 | 7,570 high |
| 19 | Expected +$5 per submission: 18.5% of 1,676 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($326), and only a PSA 10 covers the $91 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $8 | $67 | $326 | $83 | +$235 | 18.5% | +$5 | 1,676 high |
| 20 | Expected +$0 per submission: 2.4% of 15,667 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,400), and a PSA 9 ($198) still clears the $154 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $40 | $198 | $1,400 | $114 | +$1,246 | 2.4% | +$0 | 15,667 high |
| 21 | Expected loss −$3 per submission: 21.3% of 689 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($172), and a PSA 9 ($102) still clears the $90 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $8 | $102 | $172 | $82 | +$82 | 21.3% | −$3 | 689 high |
| 22 | Expected loss −$11 per submission: 1.5% of 12,886 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,200), and a PSA 9 ($180) still clears the $270 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $29 | $180 | $2,200 | $241 | +$1,930 | 1.5% | −$11 | 12,886 high |
| 23 | Expected loss −$14 per submission: 16.4% of 1,463 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($276), and only a PSA 10 covers the $95 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $12 | $70 | $276 | $83 | +$181 | 16.4% | −$14 | 1,463 high |
| 24 | Expected loss −$18 per submission: 17.4% of 1,490 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($264), and only a PSA 10 covers the $89 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $6 | $53 | $264 | $83 | +$175 | 17.4% | −$18 | 1,490 high |
| 25 | Expected loss −$25 per submission: 9.6% of 249 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($390), and only a PSA 10 covers the $90 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $6 | $80 | $390 | $84 | +$299 | 9.6% | −$25 | 249 high |
| 26 | Expected loss −$38 per submission: 32.6% of 910 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($99), and only a PSA 10 covers the $91 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $10 | $40 | $99 | $81 | +$8 | 32.6% | −$38 | 910 high |
| 27 | Expected loss −$40 per submission: 33.9% of 1,037 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($105), and only a PSA 10 covers the $94 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $13 | $35 | $105 | $81 | +$11 | 33.9% | −$40 | 1,037 high |
| 28 | Expected loss −$42 per submission: 30.6% of 1,295 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($110), and only a PSA 10 covers the $88 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $7 | $25 | $110 | $81 | +$22 | 30.6% | −$42 | 1,295 high |
| 29 | Expected loss −$47 per submission: 25.8% of 760 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($116), and only a PSA 10 covers the $101 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $39 | $116 | $81 | +$15 | 25.8% | −$47 | 760 high |
| 30 | Expected loss −$63 per submission: 29% of 1,435 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($116), and only a PSA 10 covers the $111 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample. | $30 | $22 | $116 | $81 | +$5 | 29% | −$63 | 1,435 high |
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 Base ranking
Every Base card listed here clears one bar: its PSA 10 price beats its raw price by more than the cost of grading it. 30 cards from the set pass. 30 of them (100%) have a gem-rate sample of at least ten graded copies in the population reports, and 19 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 Base, gems 3.6% of the time across 18,774 graded copies: +$293 is what a long run of submissions would average, $1,766 is what one lucky copy returns.
The median gem rate across the sampled Base cards is 9.9%. 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, 18 still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, 12 need a 10 to break even and 10 lose money on expectation. 30 rest on a hundred or more graded copies.
Before you submit a Base 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 Base card list, or see how gem-mint premiums run across the whole catalogue on the PSA premium index.