Best Great Encounters Cards to Grade
The Great Encounters 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: Palkia LV.X at an expected +$5,821.
Ranked by expected profit 24
| # | Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 | Cost | Best case | Gem rate | Expected | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Palkia LV.XGreat Encounters #106 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$5,821 per submission: 3.5% of 375 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($108,000), and a PSA 9 ($7,500) still clears the $6,349 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $250 | $7,500 | $108,000 | $6,099 | +$101,651 | 3.5% | +$5,821 | 375 high |
| 2 |  Dialga LV.XGreat Encounters #105 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$3,277 per submission: 3.7% of 401 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($66,000), and a PSA 9 ($4,680) still clears the $4,016 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $337 | $4,680 | $66,000 | $3,679 | +$61,984 | 3.7% | +$3,277 | 401 high |
| 3 |  Cresselia LV.XGreat Encounters #103 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$3,265 per submission: 4.4% of 869 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($70,287), and a PSA 9 ($1,350) still clears the $3,773 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $51 | $1,350 | $70,287 | $3,722 | +$66,514 | 4.4% | +$3,265 | 869 high |
| 4 |  Darkrai LV.XGreat Encounters #104 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$3,127 per submission: 3.3% of 1,251 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($80,000), and a PSA 9 ($3,933) still clears the $3,973 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $154 | $3,933 | $80,000 | $3,819 | +$76,027 | 3.3% | +$3,127 | 1,251 high |
| 5 |  CresseliaGreat Encounters #2 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$2,115 per submission: 17.9% of 252 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($9,000), and a PSA 9 ($1,500) still clears the $731 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $22 | $1,500 | $9,000 | $709 | +$8,269 | 17.9% | +$2,115 | 252 high |
| 6 |  DialgaGreat Encounters #16 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$1,755 per submission: 10.5% of 19 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($18,300), and a PSA 9 ($188) still clears the $1,212 you have in it. Confidence low on that sample. | $10 | $188 | $18,300 | $1,202 | +$17,088 | 10.5% | +$1,755 | 19 low |
| 7 |  DarkraiGreat Encounters #4 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$1,675 per submission: 20.5% of 430 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($8,500), and a PSA 9 ($399) still clears the $745 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $41 | $399 | $8,500 | $704 | +$7,755 | 20.5% | +$1,675 | 430 high |
| 8 |  DarkraiGreat Encounters #3 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$1,280 per submission: 24.8% of 331 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($5,500), and a PSA 9 ($399) still clears the $717 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $43 | $399 | $5,500 | $674 | +$4,783 | 24.8% | +$1,280 | 331 high |
| 9 |  BlazikenGreat Encounters #1 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$1,087 per submission: 23% of 326 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($5,250), and a PSA 9 ($251) still clears the $692 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $251 | $5,250 | $672 | +$4,559 | 23% | +$1,087 | 326 high |
| 10 |  SwampertGreat Encounters #9 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$1,067 per submission: 30.7% of 303 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,720), and a PSA 9 ($304) still clears the $429 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $23 | $304 | $3,720 | $406 | +$3,290 | 30.7% | +$1,067 | 303 high |
| 11 |  TangrowthGreat Encounters #10 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$983 per submission: 37.3% of 118 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,000), and a PSA 9 ($150) still clears the $406 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $7 | $150 | $3,000 | $399 | +$2,595 | 37.3% | +$983 | 118 high |
| 12 |  SceptileGreat Encounters #8 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$776 per submission: 25.3% of 324 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,120), and a PSA 9 ($385) still clears the $430 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $30 | $385 | $3,120 | $400 | +$2,690 | 25.3% | +$776 | 324 high |
| 13 |  TogekissGreat Encounters #11 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$609 per submission: 14.5% of 221 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($4,500), and a PSA 9 ($220) still clears the $439 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $25 | $220 | $4,500 | $414 | +$4,062 | 14.5% | +$609 | 221 high |
| 14 |  RotomGreat Encounters #7 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$603 per submission: 25% of 184 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,500), and a PSA 9 ($247) still clears the $264 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $20 | $247 | $2,500 | $244 | +$2,236 | 25% | +$603 | 184 high |
| 15 |  PachirisuGreat Encounters #5 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$496 per submission: 22.6% of 212 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,200), and a PSA 9 ($245) still clears the $258 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $17 | $245 | $2,200 | $241 | +$1,943 | 22.6% | +$496 | 212 high |
| 16 |  Porygon-ZGreat Encounters #6 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected +$257 per submission: 22.6% of 195 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,200), and a PSA 9 ($150) still clears the $121 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $9 | $150 | $1,200 | $112 | +$1,079 | 22.6% | +$257 | 195 high |
| 17 |  MawileGreat Encounters #24 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected loss −$20 per submission: 42.9% of 56 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($149), and only a PSA 10 covers the $87 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence medium on that sample. | $6 | $5 | $149 | $81 | +$61 | 42.9% | −$20 | 56 medium |
| 18 |  LaprasGreat Encounters #21 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected loss −$27 per submission: 9.1% of 11 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($294), and only a PSA 10 covers the $93 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence low on that sample. | $10 | $82 | $294 | $83 | +$201 | 9.1% | −$27 | 11 low |
| 19 |  Rare CandyGreat Encounters #102 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected loss −$29 per submission: 33.3% of 24 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($139), and only a PSA 10 covers the $88 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence low on that sample. | $7 | $49 | $139 | $81 | +$51 | 33.3% | −$29 | 24 low |
| 20 |  SlowpokeGreat Encounters #82 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected loss −$44 per submission: 20% of 10 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($155), and only a PSA 10 covers the $91 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence low on that sample. | $9 | $20 | $155 | $82 | +$65 | 20% | −$44 | 10 low |
| 21 | ![Unown [H]](https://cardtrack.com/img/cards/pokemon/dp4-29/small){kind=small} Unown [H]Great Encounters #29 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected loss −$52 per submission: 4.3% of 116 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($246), and a PSA 9 ($99) still clears the $93 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample. | $11 | $99 | $246 | $82 | +$153 | 4.3% | −$52 | 116 high |
| 22 |  LatiosGreat Encounters #23 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected loss −$64 per submission: 5.3% of 19 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($117), and only a PSA 10 covers the $86 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence low on that sample. | $5 | $40 | $117 | $81 | +$31 | 5.3% | −$64 | 19 low |
| 23 | ![Unown [G]](https://cardtrack.com/img/cards/pokemon/dp4-57/small){kind=small} Unown [G]Great Encounters #57 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected loss −$68 per submission: 11.8% of 34 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($114), and only a PSA 10 covers the $89 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence medium on that sample. | $8 | $14 | $114 | $81 | +$25 | 11.8% | −$68 | 34 medium |
| 24 |  LatiasGreat Encounters #22 · Classic (2004–2010)Expected loss −$69 per submission: 0% of 27 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($100), and only a PSA 10 covers the $88 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence low on that sample. | $7 | $25 | $100 | $81 | +$12 | 0% | −$69 | 27 low |
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 Great Encounters ranking
Every Great Encounters card listed here clears one bar: its PSA 10 price beats its raw price by more than the cost of grading it. 24 cards from the set pass. 24 of them (100%) have a gem-rate sample of at least ten graded copies in the population reports, and 16 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 Palkia LV.X from Great Encounters, gems 3.5% of the time across 375 graded copies: +$5,821 is what a long run of submissions would average, $101,651 is what one lucky copy returns.
The median gem rate across the sampled Great Encounters cards is 20%. Roughly one submitted copy in 5 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 24 ranked cards, 17 still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, 7 need a 10 to break even and 8 lose money on expectation. 16 rest on a hundred or more graded copies.
Before you submit a Great Encounters 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 Great Encounters card list, or see how gem-mint premiums run across the whole catalogue on the PSA premium index.