PSA vs CGC: which grading company is worth it?
For resale value against CGC, PSA usually wins: across the 765 most valuable Pokémon cards in the Cardinal catalog, a CGC Gem Mint 10 typically sells for a fraction of a PSA 10 of the same card. CGC can still make sense — it offers a Pristine 10 above its Gem Mint 10, and a 9.5 grade PSA doesn't have. Here is how the five major graders compare, and what the price data shows.
Updated 2026-10-18 · Prices from the Cardinal catalog as of 2026-10-16
What a top grade from each company sells for.
For every card that has both prices, we divided one grade's price by another's and took the median. A figure of 50% means that, for a typical card, the first grade sells for half of the second.
| Comparison | Median | Middle half of cards | Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| CGC Gem Mint 10 vs PSA 10 | 21% | 11%–42% | 690 |
| BGS 9.5 vs PSA 10 | 17% | 7%–43% | 653 |
| BGS 10 Pristine vs PSA 10 (approximate) | 123% | 74%–141% | 483 |
| SGC 10 vs PSA 10 | 50% | 25%–60% | 483 |
| TAG 10 vs PSA 10 (approximate) | 96% | 65%–115% | 173 |
| CGC 9 vs PSA 9 | 49% | 31%–74% | 707 |
| BGS 9 vs PSA 9 | 53% | 30%–79% | 601 |
Two more numbers from the same cards: a PSA 10 typically sells for 6.2× the price of a PSA 9, and 20× the raw price.
How to read this. The cards are the most valuable English Pokémon cards in the Cardinal catalog, many of them vintage and early-2000s holos, so the gaps on cheaper modern cards may differ. "CGC 10" is CGC Gem Mint 10 (Pristine 10 is excluded); "BGS 10" is Pristine 10 (Black Label is excluded). All label eras are pooled, and a card's prices can come from different market sources at different grades — treat the BGS 10 and TAG lines as approximate.
How the graders differ.
| PSA | CGC | BGS (Beckett) | SGC | TAG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top grades | Gem Mint 10 | Pristine 10, Gem Mint 10 | Pristine 10 (Black Label when all four subgrades are 10), Gem Mint 9.5 | 10 Pristine, 10 Gem Mint | Pristine 10, Gem Mint 10 |
| 9.5 grade | No | Yes (Mint+) | Yes (Gem Mint) | Yes (Mint+) | No |
| Condition detail | One grade; written grader notes at higher service levels | One grade | Four subgrades on the label (optional at the base tier) | One grade | A 1000-point score and a digital report of each defect |
| Owned by | Collectors | Certified Collectibles Group | Collectors (acquisition agreed December 2025) | Collectors | TAG |
When PSA makes sense
When you plan to sell. On most cards a PSA 10 sells for well above a CGC or SGC 10 (see the table); only the much rarer BGS Pristine 10 tends to sell higher. PSA's population report and cert lookup are also what most buyers check.
When CGC makes sense
When you are keeping the card, or when it is likely to land between grades: CGC's 9.5 and Pristine 10 give a strong card somewhere to go that PSA doesn't. Check what that grade actually sells for on your card before choosing it for resale.
BGS, SGC and TAG
BGS is the choice if you want subgrades on the label — and the only route to a Black Label. An SGC 10 typically sells for 50% of a PSA 10 on these cards. TAG's defect report shows exactly why a card got its grade, which some collectors prefer for cards they keep.
Current fees and turnaround.
| Grading company | Fee per card | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| PSA | $59.99 | 90–100 business days |
| CGC ★ | $20.00 | 90 business days |
| SGC | $50.00 | 40+ business days |
| TAG | $59.95 | 45 business days |
Cheapest open tier for a single card (no membership) per company, as of 2026-10-19. All tiers. Companies change pricing and pause tiers without notice — several value tiers were paused through 2026. Check before you submit.
Which company pays best depends on the card and the grade your copy would get. Cardinal's pre-grade estimates the grade, and the Cardinal Call compares the companies for that card.
- PSA grading standards and services: psacard.com/gradingstandards, psacard.com/support/faq
- CGC grading scale: cgccards.com
- Beckett grading scale and labels: beckett.com/grading
- SGC grading scale: gosgc.com
- TAG scale and DIG report: taggrading.com
- Collectors' acquisitions: collectors.com
Which company for your card?
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