Grading can turn a valuable card into a far more valuable one. But the jump depends on the card, the grade and how many perfect copies exist.
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A grading company checks that a card is real, inspects its corners, edges, surface and centring, gives it a grade from 1 to 10 and seals it in a protective case. The best-known companies are PSA, BGS (Beckett), CGC and SGC. A BGS Black Label is a perfect 10 with top marks in every category.
The difference between raw, 9 and 10 can be huge:
| Card | Raw | PSA 9 | PSA 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charizard 1st Edition (Pokémon Base Set #4) | $10,100 | $30,910 | $334,575 |
| Blue-Eyes White Dragon (Yu-Gi-Oh! DDS-001) | $675 | $4,774 | $16,450 |
| Monkey.D.Luffy Manga (One Piece OP05-119) | $8,405 | $8,105 | $15,350 |
| Umbreon VMAX (Pokémon Evolving Skies #215) | $1,867 | $2,125 | $3,859 |
Market prices from U.C.M's price data on 11 October 2026. Prices change every day — scan a card in U.C.M for today's price.
Few copies survive in perfect condition, especially old cards. A 10 is rare, so buyers pay a premium for it, and the gap between a 9 and a 10 is often the biggest of all.
U.C.M shows each card's raw price next to its PSA, BGS, CGC and SGC prices where sales data exists, so you can decide before you grade.
It depends on the card. In U.C.M's data on 11 October 2026, a 1st Edition Base Set Charizard was about $10,100 raw and about $334,575 in PSA 10, while an Umbreon VMAX from Evolving Skies was about $1,867 raw and $3,859 in PSA 10.
They are different grading companies. All of them grade cards from 1 to 10 and seal them in a case; buyers often pay different prices for the same grade from different companies.
Grade a card when it is in excellent condition and its graded price is clearly higher than its raw price plus the grading fees, shipping and waiting time.
More collector guides: How to Check What a Pokémon Card Is Worth · Japanese vs English One Piece Cards · Card Variants Explained.
Card names and images belong to their owners. U.C.M is an independent app and is not affiliated with any card game publisher. Prices are market estimates, not offers to buy or sell.