Is it worth grading?
Compare selling a card raw with grading it first: grading fees, shipping and eBay fees in, and the odds of a gem grade you need to come out ahead.
Checked September 29, 2026
Grading costs you, on average
−$23.80
Selling it raw nets more at these numbers. Grading breaks even if you'd get the gem grade 66% of the time.
- Sell raw, after eBay fees
- $33.93
- Sell graded, expected, after eBay fees
- $78.12
- PSA grading fee
- −$59.99
- Shipping to the grader
- −$8.00
Assumes a lower grade sells at the one-grade-lower price; a much lower grade would do worse.
The one number that decides it
Grading pays when the jump from raw to a gem grade is big and you're likely to get it. The calculator weighs the gem price by your odds of getting it, assumes the rest come back one grade lower, and subtracts the grading fee, your share of shipping, and eBay's fees on both sales.
Be strict with the odds. Look at the card under light: centering, corners, edges and the surface. Modern chrome and Prizm cards often have print lines and edge chipping straight from the pack. A card that looks perfect to the eye still misses a 10 most of the time.
When grading usually doesn't pay
- The raw card is worth less than the grading fee plus shipping.
- The gem grade is worth less than about three times the raw price.
- The card is common in high grades (check the grader's population report).
Questions sellers ask
- How much does it cost to grade a card?
- In late 2026, from about $15 at CGC's bulk tier to $59.99 at PSA's Standard tier, with faster service costing more. See the grading cost comparison for every tier.
- What's a good rule of thumb for grading?
- Grade when the gem-grade price is several times the raw price and the card is clean enough that you'd bet on a high grade. Otherwise sell it raw.
- Does this include eBay fees?
- Yes. Both the raw sale and the graded sale are shown after eBay's trading card fees, assuming a typical 7% sales tax.