How do I know if a card is worth grading?

Grading pays only if your honest chance of the high grade is above the break-even chance: (raw net + grading cost − other-outcome net) ÷ (high-grade net − other-outcome net), where net means the sale price after selling fees.

Where do the prices come from?

From verified sales on CardVolume: the 90-day median where at least 5 sales exist for that exact version and grade, otherwise the median of the last 5 verified sales. You can overwrite every number.

Tool

Is it worth grading?

Pick a card and version, or type your own prices. Raw, PSA 9 and PSA 10 prices come prefilled from verified sales. Enter what grading will cost you, and the calculator gives the chance of a PSA 10 you need for grading to beat selling raw.

Card (122 with verified raw or PSA 9 and PSA 10 prices)

Raw sale price (USD)

PSA 10 sale price

PSA 9 (other outcome) sale price

Your grading + shipping cost per card

Selling fee % (your platform)

Break-even chance of a PSA 10

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Enter a grading cost to calculate.

How the calculation works

Grading has two outcomes in this model: the high grade (PSA 10) or the other outcome (PSA 9). It pays only if your chance of the high grade is above:

break-even chance = (raw net + grading cost − PSA 9 net) ÷ (PSA 10 net − PSA 9 net)

"Net" is the sale price after your selling fee. If the result is above 100%, even a guaranteed 10 would not beat selling the card raw. If it is 0% or below, grading wins even when the card comes back a 9.

Example from our data: Gol.D.Roger OP09-118 · Emperors in the New World. Raw $4,235, PSA 9 $9,800, PSA 10 $18,300, with an assumed $25 grading cost and 13% selling fee: grading pays only if you believe the copy has better than a 0.0% chance of a 10. Prices as of Oct 20, 2026.

The calculator never guesses what grade your card will get, and a real submission can also come back an 8 or lower. Grading fees change; use your grading company's current price list. Read more in Grading: condition, uncertainty, and economics.