The Grading Obsession

Every collector has that moment: you pull a card that looks crisp, shiny, and ready for a throne room. The first thought? “If I grade this, it’ll be worth a fortune!” Slow down, Professor Oak. Grading isn’t free, and nine times out of ten, it doesn’t magically triple the card’s value. In fact, most submissions turn into an expensive way to learn about off-centering.

How Grading Actually Works

The big names—PSA, BGS, CGC—take your raw card, inspect it with the attention of a jeweler and the pessimism of a tax auditor, and then slab it with a grade on a scale of 1 to 10. Fees range from about $15–30 per card depending on service level, plus shipping both ways. Suddenly your $20 experiment costs $50 before you even see a slab. And if that card comes back a 9 instead of a 10? Congratulations, you just donated profit margin to the grading company.

When Grading is a Total Waste of Money

Let’s get this part out of the way: most modern bulk rares, V cards, and non-chase holos are not worth grading. Ever. Grading doesn’t make a $2 card into a $100 card. Even if you hit a 10, the market doesn’t care. You just created a very expensive paperweight.

Grading is also pointless if the card has visible flaws: whitening, scratches, or that one corner your dog “lightly sampled.” Slabbing a beat-up card doesn’t make it collectible—it just makes the flaws permanent.

The Rare Times Grading is Smart

There are a few scenarios where grading actually makes sense:

• High-value modern chase cards like alternate-art Charizards, Umbreons, or Lugia V. If the raw card is already $200+, grading can protect it and potentially bump value if it gets a 10.
• Vintage holos from Base, Jungle, or Fossil. Even at lower grades, these have nostalgic demand and look great in slabs.
• Population-limited promos or cards with unique distribution, where buyers want assurance they’re authentic.

Outside of those categories, grading is mostly a flex. Fun for display, bad for ROI.

ROI: The Real Math

The math is brutal. Let’s say you grade a $50 card. Add $25 in grading and $10 in shipping. Now you’re at $85 all-in. If it comes back a 9, you might sell it for $70–80. You just lost money. If it comes back a 10, you could sell it for $150–200, which is great—but PSA doesn’t hand out 10s like candy. It’s closer to rolling dice at a Vegas table.

This is why grading should always be a calculated play. If you want to think through the math on ROI, it’s helpful to compare against other cost-heavy decisions like grading Pokémon cards strictly for ROI.

PSA vs BGS vs CGC

Collectors love to debate grading companies like they’re sports teams:

• PSA is the Yankees—expensive, established, and still the brand most buyers trust.
• BGS is the picky uncle, offering subgrades and a “Black Label” that can spike value if you somehow pull off perfection.
• CGC started in comics, moved into cards, and is gaining traction as a budget-friendly alternative. Some buyers love it, others treat it like the discount aisle.

The smart move is knowing your audience. If you’re grading for resale, PSA is usually the safest bet because buyers are familiar with it. If you’re grading for your own collection, pick whichever slab looks prettiest on your shelf.

When Grading Becomes a Scam

It’s not that grading companies are intentionally shady—it’s that hype convinces people to send in cards that never should’ve been graded in the first place. Entire businesses thrive on collectors who send $5 cards to grading services, only to learn the market doesn’t care about their PSA 9 Galarian Stunfisk.

The scam isn’t in the grading companies; it’s in the psychology. People think grading automatically multiplies value. It doesn’t. It only amplifies cards that already have value or scarcity.

Smart Alternatives to Grading

If your goal is protection, skip grading and invest in quality sleeves, top loaders, or binders. You’ll spend a few bucks instead of $30. And if your goal is flipping, you’re usually better off targeting raw singles that are already undervalued. For example, many collectors find that alternate art Pokémon cards carry strong long-term value raw, without the grading tax.

If your focus is learning the hobby instead of gambling, you’re better off reading up on Japanese vs English Pokémon releases and figuring out where collector demand actually comes from. That knowledge will make you more money than chasing slabs.

The Collector’s Exception

There’s one last reason grading might make sense: personal enjoyment. If you love slabs, want uniformity in your display, or just enjoy the chase of “gem mint,” then go ahead. It’s your collection. Not every choice has to be about ROI. Just don’t confuse “fun” with “profit.”

Final Thoughts

Grading isn’t inherently bad. It’s just overhyped. For most TCG cards, slabbing is a waste of money that locks you into a cardboard prison with no upside. But for rare, vintage, or chase-level hits, it can protect your card and amplify its market value. Know the difference, do the math, and stop sending $2 cards to PSA like it’s a donation drive.