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Free Tool

Card Grading ROI Calculator

Should you actually send that card in? Enter your numbers and find out the expected profit — and the break-even — before you spend a cent. Works for PSA, SGC, and CGC.

Used only to build your eBay sold-comps link — not stored.

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Verdict
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Expected value after grading
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Total cost to grade
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If you sell raw today
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Expected extra profit from grading
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Break-even PSA 10 odds
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Check real sold comps on eBay

Don't guess your values — see what graded copies actually sold for. We may earn a commission from eBay links.

When grading actually pays off

Grading only makes sense when the jump from raw to graded value more than covers the fee, the round-trip shipping, and the risk that your card comes back a 9 (or lower) instead of a 10. The bigger the spread between the raw price and the PSA 10 price — and the cleaner the card — the more grading tips into profit.

Two things dominate the math. First, the grader you pick sets your floor — PSA's cheapest practical submission runs materially higher than SGC's or CGC's, which is what makes low-dollar grading hard to justify at PSA specifically. Second, the spread between a 9 and a 10 stays wide on premium rookies, so the "is it a true 10?" question matters more than ever. That's exactly what this calculator pins down: it weights the PSA 10 upside against the very real chance of a 9.

How to use it well

  • Get honest values. Don't eyeball it — hit "Check real sold comps on eBay" to see what raw, 9, and 10 copies of your exact card actually sold for recently.
  • Be honest about the grade odds. Centering, corners, edges, surface. A card with any visible flaw is long odds for a 10 — and the calculator punishes optimism, because a 9 often barely beats raw.
  • Include shipping both ways. It's easy to forget the return shipping and insurance; on a cheap card it can be the whole margin.

Grading costs at a glance

Economy/bulk tiers, before shipping. These are ballpark figures to start the calculation, not quotes — always confirm current pricing on each grader's own site, since fees move without notice:

  • PSA — economy in the region of $80/card.
  • SGC — economy around $25–$30/card.
  • CGC — economy around $18–$25/card.

SGC and CGC turn the budget end of grading into a much easier yes; PSA still tends to carry the biggest 10-grade premium on resale, which is why the spread — not just the fee — decides it. For how this plays out on Jokic cards specifically — which of his cards clear the bar and which don't — see should you grade your Jokic cards?, and check condition first with the card centering tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the grading ROI calculator work?
You enter what your card is worth raw (ungraded), what it would be worth as a PSA/SGC/CGC 10 and 9, the grading service fee, round-trip shipping, and your honest odds of each grade. The tool computes the expected value after grading, subtracts costs, and compares it to simply selling the card raw today — so you see the expected profit and the break-even before you spend anything.
Is it still worth grading cards in 2026?
It depends entirely on the spread between the raw and graded price and your odds of a high grade. PSA’s economy tier generally sits well above SGC’s and CGC’s, so the cheaper the card, the more the choice of grader decides whether grading clears its own cost. As a rough rule: grading tends to pay off when the PSA 10 price is at least 3–4× the raw price and the card is clean enough to have a real shot at a 10. This calculator gives you the actual number for your card — enter the fee each grader quotes you today.
What does it cost to grade a card with PSA, SGC, or CGC?
As a rough order of magnitude, economy/bulk tiers run around $25–$30 at SGC, $18–$25 at CGC, and closer to $80 at PSA, before shipping and insurance both ways. Faster service tiers cost more. Treat those as ballpark only and confirm current pricing on the grader’s own site — fees change without notice, and this tool lets you type in the exact fee you’ll pay.
How do I estimate my odds of a PSA 10?
Look at the card under good light for centering, sharp corners, clean edges, and a flawless surface. Modern cards in great shape might be a coin-flip or better for a 10; anything with visible wear is long odds. The most reliable gut-check is real sold data — use the “check sold comps on eBay” button to see what graded copies of your exact card actually sell for.