We are confident that many of you collectors out there will be interested to find out how to grade Pokémon cards, and that is exactly what we plan to cover in this latest guide.
Here, we focus on whether it is wise to grade your Pokémon cards, the steps required to establish which ones will make the cut, and even shine a light on some of the most sought-after grails from within the niche. By the end, you should have all the tools required to decide whether your collection is worth sending off.
First things first, not all trading cards are worth grading. Would it be nice to find a Pokémon god pack – absolutely, but the chances are incredibly slim. Unless you do stumble across one of these packs (where all cards are IRs and SIRs), you’ll find that most packs are made up of 1 energy, a selection of commons, a reverse holo, holo and/or ex, and the potential for a full art – and not all of these cards are worth grading.
Those of you familiar with graded trading cards will be well aware that the most value comes from IRs, SIRs, full arts, and vintage holos. However, that doesn’t mean that only valuable cards should be considered for grading. After all, collecting is as much about your experience and enjoyment as it is for outright resale value.
If you are interested in a graded collection, then you could also consider the following:
Then, once you have established the kind of collection you want to pursue, you need to focus on how the cards look. When you send off a card, you’ll receive a grade between 1 and 10. As you would expect, certain areas will boost your potential grade or significantly lower it. This table covers the four main areas that will be considered as we continue reviewing potential Pokémon grades.
This is a great starting point. Here, you will be looking at how evenly your card is distributed. If you’re unsure about the process of printing cards, you’ll find that huge sheets are put through machines that cut hundreds at a time, so it is unsurprising that some may not be fully aligned. A perfectly central card will score you a 10.
Your corners are another critical part of the grading process. If you have ever purchased cards online, we suspect you will find a front and back photo, as well as close-ups of the corners. Naturally, this area gets hit the hardest during pack openings and transit, and you won’t want to see any whitening for a perfect 10.
Just like corners, your edges can take a beating during the opening of your cards, transit, and if they’re not fully protected. Again, this is a huge contributor to your final grade, so pay attention to damage and whitening.
Surface is crucial, especially when reviewing Pokémon cards. Vintage holos have some fantastic swirls, and we don’t want to see any scratches on those full arts. A 10 means things are kept clean without any blemishes, ink blots, or clear damage.
Now you have a better understanding of whether it could be worth grading your cards, we want to talk you through the process.
Purchase your packs. On paper, a simple part of the process – but it is getting incredibly difficult to get your hands on packs directly. Expect limits to be put in place or for you to join a virtual queue
Open your packs. Next, you’ll want to open your packs to see what you have. Any hits? Any Pokémon that suit your current collection? Then it is on to step three.
Check the main areas. Review the centering of your card, check for surface scratches, denting, ink blots, and any whitening
Choose your grading company: Select the grading company and postage tier you prefer. PSA and BGS lead the way in terms of resale value, but ACE has some fun graphic labels, and other lower-end grading companies are much cheaper.
Package and send. After you’ve made your picks, you’ll need to pay, print off your card slip, and get things ready. Sleeves and top loaders should come as standard; however, you’ll also want bubble wrap, a sturdy box, tape, and to track your parcel to keep things safe.
Wait for your graded cards. Finally, the waiting game. Once submitted, you can often track the process through the site, but that is as far as you will find out. Time to pray to Arceus, and hope the Pokémon gods are with you.
Up next, we want to showcase a collection of the most valuable graded slabs in the hobby. These are considered some of the most sought-after and come with a pretty hefty price tag attached.
| Card | Set | Grading Company | Grade | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pikachu Illustrator | Promo card | PSA | 10 | $16,492,000 |
| Charizard (No rarity) | Japanese Base Set | PSA | 10 | $1,700,000 |
| No.1 Trophy Pikachu | First Tournament Gold | PSA | 8 | $982,100 |
| Charizard (Logan Paul Break) | First Edition Base Set | PSA | 10 | $954,808 |
| Kangaskan 1998 | Parent/Child Tournament card | CGC | 10 | $640,507 |
We understand that you may not want to run the risk of submitting your own collection. After all, grading is a little subjective, and it is easy to feel like you have a 9 or 10 in your hands without the right equipment. As touched upon, there are tools out there to help, but the final decision is always in the hands of your chosen grading company. With this, many look at alternatives, so we want to provide you with a quick snapshot of other ways for you to own graded Pokémon cards today.
So, there you have it – just about all you need to know about grading your Pokémon cards. As you can see, there is a fair amount that goes into this process, and a fair few checks you need to perform before you ever consider sending your Pokémon cards off. We suggest thinking what kind of graded collection you are looking to piece together or whether you want to simply grade cards as a way to boost value and resell.
From here, we then suggest checking out the corners, edges, centering, and surface scratches, as this will determine whether you leave with a 10 or not. Should you not wish to send off your own collection, you can also purchase graded slabs directly or look to purchase packs at a card break site. The latter holds no guarantees, but higher-tiered packs can provide you with the chance to walk away with a graded Pokémon card without the added stress or lengthy wait times.
Check out the banners on this page to see how you can get started on your experience in grading Pokémon cards today.
Yes. You will find some physical and online tools to help you with your grading, but the final grade is very much in the hands of the grading company that you select.
No. To get hold of graded slabs, you do not have to send off your own collection. Instead, many check out the best card break platforms, head to card shows, or check out shops that sell Pokémon cards in person or online.
No. It will always cost money to grade your Pokémon cards, but you can make things a little more cost-effective by choosing a slower turnaround time or submitting in bulk.
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