Is your card worth grading?
A card is worth grading when what it is likely to sell for graded beats its raw value by more than the grading fee, shipping and the wait. Two things decide it: how far apart the card's raw and graded prices are, and which grade your copy is likely to get. Cardinal's pre-grade works out both from your phone.
What decides whether grading pays.
1. The gap between raw and graded prices
Grading costs the same whatever the card is worth, so it only pays when a high grade is worth much more than the raw card. Charizard Secret Wonders 3/132 sells for about $138 raw, $2,524 as a PSA 9 and $91,074 as a PSA 10. One grade point is the difference between $2,524 and $91,074. For many cards the gap between raw and a 10 is smaller than the fee and shipping, and those are better kept raw.
2. The grade your copy will get
A 10 and a 9 can be worth very different amounts, so the likely grade matters as much as the price. It comes down to four things:
- Centering — the most common reason a card misses a 10.
- Corners and edges — whitening and soft corners are often only visible under magnification.
- Surface — print lines, scratches and dents, especially on holo cards, show up at an angle.
3. The fee, the shipping and the wait
Fees differ by company and by tier, and turnaround runs from weeks to months. A grade that only just covers the fee is rarely worth the risk.
Cardinal's pre-grade reads centering, corners, edges and surface, combines the result with live prices at every grade for every company and their current fees, and tells you whether grading pays — and with whom.
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 October 19, 2026. All tiers. Companies change pricing and pause tiers without notice — check before you submit.
Worth grading, answered.
How do I know if my card is worth grading?
Compare what the card sells for at the grade it is likely to get with its raw value plus the grading fee and shipping. If the difference is small, keep it raw. Cardinal's pre-grade estimates the grade and does this comparison for every grading company.
What does it cost to grade a card with PSA?
PSA's cheapest open tier for a single card is $59.99 with a turnaround of 90–100 business days, as of October 19, 2026. Shipping and insurance both ways come on top.
Is a PSA 9 worth it?
It depends on the card. On many cards a 9 sells for a fraction of a 10, and on some for less than the raw card plus the fee — check the card's prices at each grade first.
Let the app do the math.
Scan the card, get the pre-grade and the verdict for every grading company. Free, no account.