[Guides](https://cardinal-app.ai/guides/) # 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 The data ## 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. Side by side ## 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. What it costs ## 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](https://cardinal-app.ai/tools/grading-fees/). 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](https://cardinal-app.ai/pre-grading/) estimates the grade, and the Cardinal Call compares the companies for that card. Sources - PSA grading standards and services: [psacard.com/gradingstandards](https://www.psacard.com/gradingstandards), [psacard.com/support/faq](https://www.psacard.com/support/faq) - CGC grading scale: [cgccards.com](https://www.cgccards.com/card-grading/grading-scale/) - Beckett grading scale and labels: [beckett.com/grading](https://beckett.com/grading) - SGC grading scale: [gosgc.com](https://gosgc.com/card-grading/scale) - TAG scale and DIG report: [taggrading.com](https://taggrading.com/pages/scale) - Collectors' acquisitions: [collectors.com](https://collectors.com/company-announcement) ## Which company for your card? Scan it to see its predicted grade and which grading company pays best. Free on iPhone and Android. --- Get Cardinal, free: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/cardinal-tcg-scan-grade/id6810442266) · [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ai.cardinal.app)