The equation
Grade a card when: (expected graded price) − (grading fee) − (shipping & insurance) − (risk of a lower grade) is comfortably above the raw price. If it's marginal, the safer move is to sell raw.
Work it out in four numbers
- 1Raw priceWhat the card sells for ungraded, in near-mint. PokeHive shows this on the card page.
- 2Graded compsRecent PSA 9 and PSA 10 sold prices for the exact card. Use the card page's PSA estimates as a starting point, then confirm against the linked eBay completed sales.
- 3Total costGrading tier fee + return shipping + insurance. A value/bulk tier plus postage is often £15–£25 per card; express tiers are far more.
- 4Your realistic gradeBe conservative. If the centring, corners, edges or surface aren't clearly Mint, assume a 9, not a 10. Run the Pre-Grader for the centring ceiling first.
Worked example
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Raw price | £40 |
| PSA 10 comp | £150 |
| PSA 9 comp | £55 |
| Grading + shipping | −20 |
| Net at PSA 10 | +£90 (worth it) |
| Net at PSA 9 | −£5 (small loss) |
So this card is a submit only if you're confident it grades 10. If it's a coin-flip between 9 and 10, the expected value is roughly (0.5 × £90) + (0.5 × −£5) = about +£43 — still positive, but now you're gambling. If PSA 9 also lost money and PSA 10 only netted £20, you'd sell raw.
Rules of thumb: modern bulk rares are rarely worth grading; mid-value holos need a confident Mint-or-better card; only true chase cards justify an express tier. Vintage cards carry the biggest PSA 10 premium but also the biggest downside if they come back a 7.
For what graders actually inspect and how the 1–10 scale is built, see “How does card grading work?”.