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Best Sandstorm Cards to Grade

The Sandstorm 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: Typhlosion ex at an expected +$1,355.

Worth grading30
With a gem-rate sample30100%
Positive expected value29
Median gem rate9.6%
PSA fees as of2026-09-26

Ranked by expected profit 30

Sandstorm cards worth grading, ranked by expected grading profit
#CardRawPSA 9PSA 10CostBest caseGem rateExpectedSample
1Typhlosion exTyphlosion exSandstorm #99 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$1,355 per submission: 5% of 1,992 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($19,200), and a PSA 9 ($2,500) still clears the $1,461 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$250$2,500$19,200$1,211+$17,7395%+$1,3551,992
high
2Raichu exRaichu exSandstorm #98 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$1,056 per submission: 5.4% of 1,947 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($14,590), and a PSA 9 ($3,000) still clears the $1,656 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$491$3,000$14,590$1,165+$12,9355.4%+$1,0561,947
high
3JolteonJolteonSandstorm #6 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$1,009 per submission: 5.5% of 650 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($16,200), and a PSA 9 ($745) still clears the $1,340 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$159$745$16,200$1,181+$14,8605.5%+$1,009650
high
4Gardevoir exGardevoir exSandstorm #96 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$998 per submission: 3.9% of 1,682 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($22,000), and a PSA 9 ($899) still clears the $1,434 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$195$899$22,000$1,239+$20,5663.9%+$9981,682
high
5ZangooseZangooseSandstorm #14 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$785 per submission: 5.7% of 228 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($15,200), and a PSA 9 ($227) still clears the $1,216 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$45$227$15,200$1,171+$13,9845.7%+$785228
high
6FlareonFlareonSandstorm #5 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$778 per submission: 8.7% of 630 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($9,808), and a PSA 9 ($430) still clears the $897 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$180$430$9,808$717+$8,9118.7%+$778630
high
7Wailord exWailord exSandstorm #100 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$693 per submission: 3.6% of 1,519 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($13,433), and a PSA 9 ($1,625) still clears the $1,337 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$184$1,625$13,433$1,153+$12,0973.6%+$6931,519
high
8LudicoloLudicoloSandstorm #7 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$671 per submission: 12.1% of 265 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($6,100), and a PSA 9 ($308) still clears the $745 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$65$308$6,100$680+$5,35512.1%+$671265
high
9SableyeSableyeSandstorm #10 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$608 per submission: 5% of 383 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($7,100), and a PSA 9 ($975) still clears the $819 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$129$975$7,100$690+$6,2815%+$608383
high
10Aggron exAggron exSandstorm #95 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$482 per submission: 5.3% of 1,378 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($7,000), and a PSA 9 ($750) still clears the $806 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$117$750$7,000$689+$6,1945.3%+$4821,378
high
11SeviperSeviperSandstorm #11 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$457 per submission: 14.3% of 252 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,300), and a PSA 9 ($275) still clears the $436 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$34$275$3,300$402+$2,86414.3%+$457252
high
12MawileMawileSandstorm #9 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$436 per submission: 17.1% of 251 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,150), and a PSA 9 ($175) still clears the $466 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$65$175$3,150$401+$2,68517.1%+$436251
high
13DusclopsDusclopsSandstorm #4 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$398 per submission: 15.7% of 235 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,050), and a PSA 9 ($150) still clears the $435 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$35$150$3,050$400+$2,61615.7%+$398235
high
14PikachuPikachuSandstorm #72 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$373 per submission: 29.3% of 375 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,200), and a PSA 9 ($300) still clears the $127 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$15$300$1,200$112+$1,07329.3%+$373375
high
15Kabutops exKabutops exSandstorm #97 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$267 per submission: 6.8% of 1,506 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($2,500), and a PSA 9 ($694) still clears the $349 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$105$694$2,500$244+$2,1516.8%+$2671,506
high
16Aerodactyl exAerodactyl exSandstorm #94 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$255 per submission: 6.2% of 1,691 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($4,000), and a PSA 9 ($644) still clears the $659 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$250$644$4,000$409+$3,3416.2%+$2551,691
high
17CacturneCacturneSandstorm #2 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$242 per submission: 9.6% of 240 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($3,000), and a PSA 9 ($170) still clears the $435 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$36$170$3,000$399+$2,5659.6%+$242240
high
18PsyduckPsyduckSandstorm #73 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$197 per submission: 20.2% of 109 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,450), and only a PSA 10 covers the $132 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample.
$18$11$1,450$114+$1,31820.2%+$197109
high
19UmbreonUmbreonSandstorm #24 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$171 per submission: 11% of 688 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,684), and a PSA 9 ($255) still clears the $280 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$44$255$1,684$236+$1,40511%+$171688
high
20SolrockSolrockSandstorm #13 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$111 per submission: 6.6% of 244 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,770), and a PSA 9 ($176) still clears the $267 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$30$176$1,770$237+$1,5036.6%+$111244
high
21EspeonEspeonSandstorm #16 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$107 per submission: 16.4% of 354 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($910), and a PSA 9 ($110) still clears the $109 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$20$110$910$89+$80116.4%+$107354
high
22ShiftryShiftrySandstorm #12 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$106 per submission: 9.1% of 243 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,718), and a PSA 9 ($133) still clears the $265 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$29$133$1,718$236+$1,4539.1%+$106243
high
23CradilyCradilySandstorm #3 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$105 per submission: 17.3% of 387 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($809), and a PSA 9 ($132) still clears the $101 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$13$132$809$88+$70817.3%+$105387
high
24LunatoneLunatoneSandstorm #8 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$103 per submission: 7.4% of 269 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,590), and a PSA 9 ($213) still clears the $275 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$40$213$1,590$235+$1,3157.4%+$103269
high
25ArcanineArcanineSandstorm #15 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$79 per submission: 17.2% of 273 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($675), and a PSA 9 ($110) still clears the $98 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$11$110$675$87+$57817.2%+$79273
high
26ArmaldoArmaldoSandstorm #1 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$71 per submission: 5.3% of 489 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($1,770), and a PSA 9 ($175) still clears the $252 you have in it. Confidence high on that sample.
$15$175$1,770$237+$1,5185.3%+$71489
high
27VaporeonVaporeonSandstorm #25 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$42 per submission: 21.5% of 265 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($400), and only a PSA 10 covers the $104 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample.
$20$99$400$84+$29621.5%+$42265
high
28PichuPichuSandstorm #20 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$24 per submission: 17.3% of 179 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($405), and only a PSA 10 covers the $94 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample.
$10$74$405$84+$31117.3%+$24179
high
29QuilavaQuilavaSandstorm #51 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected +$4 per submission: 35% of 40 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($174), and only a PSA 10 covers the $88 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence medium on that sample.
$6$51$174$82+$8735%+$440
medium
30EeveeEeveeSandstorm #63 · Vintage (1999–2003)
Expected loss −$44 per submission: 25% of 280 graded copies came back PSA 10 ($101), and only a PSA 10 covers the $89 you have in it — a 9 loses money. Confidence high on that sample.
$8$48$101$81+$1225%−$44280
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 Sandstorm ranking

Every Sandstorm 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 29 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 Typhlosion ex from Sandstorm, gems 5% of the time across 1,992 graded copies: +$1,355 is what a long run of submissions would average, $17,739 is what one lucky copy returns.

The median gem rate across the sampled Sandstorm cards is 9.6%. 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, 25 still cover raw price plus fee at PSA 9, 5 need a 10 to break even and 1 loses money on expectation. 29 rest on a hundred or more graded copies.

Before you submit a Sandstorm 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 Sandstorm card list, or see how gem-mint premiums run across the whole catalogue on the PSA premium index.

Sandstorm grading questions

Which Sandstorm card is the best to grade?
On current numbers the Typhlosion ex (Sandstorm #99): 5% of 1,992 graded copies came back PSA 10, an expected profit of $1,355 per submission after the $1,211 grading cost, against a best case of $17,739 if it gems.
How many Sandstorm cards are worth grading?
29 keep a positive expected value after the fee, out of the 30 with a gem-rate sample of at least ten graded copies. 30 cards on this page have a PSA 10 price that beats the raw price by more than the grading fee.
What gem rate do Sandstorm cards get at PSA?
The median across the 30 sampled Sandstorm cards is 9.6%, so about one in 10 of the copies collectors chose to submit came back PSA 10. The strongest rate with a sample of thirty or more is the Quilava (Sandstorm #51) at 35% of 40.
Does the Sandstorm ranking apply to CGC or Beckett?
Not directly. The cost column is PSA's fee as of 2026-09-26 and the graded columns are PSA slab prices; the gem-rate sample falls back to CGC's population only when PSA has fewer than ten copies. A CGC or Beckett submission has its own fee and resale price.