Is your card worth grading? Grading isn’t cheap, and most cards don’t come back a 10. This calculator tells you whether grading a card is likely to make or lose you money, based on what it cost you, your honest odds of each grade, and what each grade sells for.
How the calculator works
It uses the three steps from how to select cards for grading:
- Add up your total cost: what you paid for the card, the grading fee, and shipping and insurance both ways.
- For each grade, multiply your odds of getting it by what that grade sells for, and add them up. That’s the expected value. If you’d sell on eBay, knock off the selling fees.
- Compare the two. If the expected value is comfortably higher than your cost, grading probably pays. If it’s lower, you’d expect to lose money on average.
The example already filled in is the one from that guide: a card with a 75% chance of a PSA 10 worth $450 has an expected value of $375. That 75% assumes a card that looks flawless under a loupe. For most cards, start nearer 40%.
How to estimate your odds
This is the hard part, and the part people are most optimistic about. Look at the card under a bright light, front and back, before you guess:
- Centering: a PSA 10 needs about 55/45 or better on the front. If one border is clearly wider than the other, a 10 is unlikely.
- Corners and edges: any white fraying, a soft corner or a chip usually rules out a 10. PSA’s standards put fraying at an 8.
- Surface: tilt the card under a light. A single scratch, print line or dimple can cost you the 10.
For a reality check: according to GemRate, PSA gave a 10 to about 43% of the cards it graded in the first half of 2025, and those were cards people chose to send in. For sports cards, across all the grading companies, it was 34%. So unless your card is flawless under the light, keep your odds for a 10 at or below those figures. If you find one small flaw, put most of your odds on a 9 or 8. The PSA grading scale explained covers what each grade allows.
What the result means
- Worth grading: expected profit is at least 15% of what the card will cost you, which leaves room for your odds being a bit off.
- Close call: you’d expect to make a little, but less than 15% of your cost, so a small error in your odds could turn it into a loss. Grade it if you’re confident in the card, or if you want it slabbed anyway.
- Not worth grading to sell: you’d expect to lose money. That doesn’t mean don’t grade it; if you’re keeping the card, protection and authentication can be worth the fee on their own.
“Chance you lose money” is the total of your odds for the grades that would sell for less than your cost. Even a card that’s worth grading on average can have a real chance of coming back as a loss, so look at both numbers.
FAQ
How much does it cost to get a card graded?
As of September 2026, the cheapest open tiers are $17 a card at CGC (bulk, 25 cards minimum, cards worth up to $500), $50 at SGC and $59.99 at PSA, plus shipping both ways. Prices change often, so check before you submit. Our guide to the grading companies compares them.
Should I grade a card I’m keeping?
That’s a personal call. A slab protects the card and proves it’s genuine, which matters more the more the card is worth. The calculator’s verdict is about selling, so ignore it if you’re never going to sell.
Where do I find what each grade sells for?
Look up recent sold prices, not asking prices, on 130point or eBay’s sold listings, for the exact card and grade. What are comps? explains how.
Ready to submit? Follow the full step-by-step guide to grading your cards.