Once you have entered this realm of TCG card gaming the next best thing to do is getting your card graded. If you want to know what your TCG card holdings are really worth in the market, you must find how much does it cost to get a Pokemon Card graded by PSA, BGS and SGC. So let’s take you deep in the topic and guide you How Much Does It Cost to Get a Pokemon Card Graded?
Why should you get your TCG card graded? and Well, getting a TCG (Trading Card Game) card graded can have several advantages which can certainly raise your game, especially if you have valuable or rare cards. Here are some top reasons why you should go for getting your TCG cards graded:
- Is your Pokemon Card Real: The foremost benefit of acquiring grading services is to authenticate if the card you own is real. This is particularly important for rare and valuable cards, as the TCG market is full of counterfeit or altered cards.
- What is your Pokemon Card Worth: Getting grading services gives your cards an qualitative and quantifiable assessment of the card’s quality. With the right grading services, your cards’ grading really means alot to potential buyers and ultimately helps in increasing the value of your TCG cards. Graded cards are often more attractive to buyers and collectors because they offer a transparent assessment of the card’s condition. This can make it easier to sell or trade your card, and you may also be able to sell it at a higher price.
- Value Enhancement and Insurance: Once you get your cards graded, the added benefit you get is your card gets encased/ sealed or these services provide you with a protective holder for your cards. Once protected from physical wear and tear your Pokemon Card automatically attracts more value, thus making it easier to insure because their condition and value are well-documented. This can provide peace of mind if you own valuable cards and want to protect your investment.
- Evaluation of TCG: Evaluation by authentic Card Grading services is of utmost value as they assign TCG cards with a grade based on factors such as physical condition and card value including centering, corners, edges, and surface. These graded evaluations attract potential buyers as they now have a clear idea of the card’s condition, which can significantly impact its value.
How much does it cost to get cards Graded?
The advantages mentioned above do come with a price as they should, with the services and grading they offer. So the most important question remains “How much does it cost to get cards Graded”? It’s important to note that grading services have a certain fee for their services. Therefore, it’s important to research the specific card, its potential value, and the grading service’s fees before deciding to get a TCG card graded as all cards are not worth spending money on especially expensive grading services.
Selection of the TCG Card Grading Service Provider
So once you have decided to go for grading services, selecting the right company will determine the fee schedule and the time it takes for the service. Every company has its own set of rules, procedures, and fee structure. Lastly the cost will also depend on its type, the speed / time with which you want it graded and various other factors as well.
How much does it cost to get a Baseball card Graded
While card games date back to the early 1300s, collectible cards and associated games started at the start of the 20th century with baseball cards being the most loved collectible item for kids and baseball fans.
Suddenly, these collectible cards were not just a game but were scaled to a level that they were being treated as stocks. They were now being traded, thus the name changed from collectible card game (CCG) to being called a trading card game (TCG).
So naturally, as famous as Pokemon is, Baseball cards are still hot favorites and grading services like PSA (professional Sports Authenticators) charge a hefty amount of 25 to 30 USD per card for baseball cards lovers.
Top Pokemon TCG Card Grading Companies
If you really think you have a worthy Pokémon card collection, you should consult the best Card Grading Companies to know their actual value and preserve their physical state. So when you want to actually trade or sell your cards, you have a clear idea of what to expect online with buyer bids.
In the following article we will discuss some of the best professional services out there available for your Pokémon card grading needs. Here are our top picks:
Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA)
When we talk about TCG card grading services, PSA is considered a benchmark. Simply put PSA is the best in the business with tons of provided services to millions of satisfied users.
Naturally, it’s the most commonly used service for TCG card grading. PSA grades on a scale of 1–10, where 1 is the worst and 10 is perfect mint condition. PSA will evaluate your cards on factors including but not limited to marks, misprints, defects, or damage.
Rates of their services depend largely on the value of the card itself. So any card under a value of 500 USD is charged a $25 fee. However, time is a major factor in cost of service charges. The routine time for getting a card graded is 2-3 weeks, which if requested to be reduced, may take the service charges as high as $75 per card.
Above been said however, bulk card services are also available at PSA in which users have the option of getting 20 plus cards evaluated at a time thus reducing the cost per card significantly.
Beckett Collectibles
Though second on our list, Beckett has been termed as one of the best grading services by collectors, so it’s extremely reputable. Beckett also uses a 1–10 scale, with 10 being the best possible condition.
Beckett is much more affordable than its competitor previously mentioned with the grading cost per card ranging from 20-22 USD and bulk options costing even lower reducing cost per card a further 3-4 USD.
CGC Cards
Another great service provider for TCG cards grading is CGC Cards. The company offers professional authentication and grading for Pokémon cards. Needless to say this company, too, evaluates and grades your cards on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest quality.
The company is no cheaper than the former two competitors, charging a fee of 25 to 30 USD for normal cards and up to 70 USD for cards worth more than $1000. The company also charges an extra fee for extra services such as checking corners, centered designs, edges, and surface quality.
Since all the above mentioned companies are the best in what they have to offer, it’s basically up to you what you prefer when you opt for any of them. Though the fee of all professional services are similar, there are some major differences in all of them such as additional services, after sales services, customer satisfaction and time taken for getting the work done. So good luck on choosing the best option for yourself!
Checklist of Pokémon TCG Card grading
Once you have selected the right company you must know the next steps involved in getting the job done swiftly. Here’s a quick checklist of things to do after selecting the company of choice.
- Sort out your cards and segregate neat, unharmed valuable cards to be graded.
- Select cards which you think are worth spending money on. That means you should put the common routine cards aside. This includes all duplicate cards as well. Lastly, sideline damaged or misprinted cards as they usually have a very low value.
- Once segregation is done, ship your cards to the grading service.
There are two ways to do this. One way is to submit your cards online with the grading service you are using and list all the cards that you’re sending in.
Pack your cards, stack them, and secure them between 2 pieces of cardboard so your cards don’t get damaged. Put your cards in a box with the packing label and some bubble wrap before sending your cards out.
The second way is to approach your local hobby shops and check if they can ship Pokémon cards to grading services for you.
How Pokémon TCG Cards are Graded
Once they are at the company warehouses, the first thing the grading services do is to check if your cards are authentic.
In case the company suspects the card is fake or tampered with, then those cards will not receive a grade.
Once they pass the initial inspection, evaluation of the cards is done and finally grading is marked on the cards on a scale of 1-10 usually. Since the cost will depend on the company, it’s hard to say precisely how much it will cost you per card. Based on the company’s websites, you can expect to pay a minimum of $20 per card and as high as $10,000 depending merely on the value of the card itself.
Conclusion
When you have a special Pokémon card that you want to get graded, you need to know how much it’s worth. To find this out, you need to know what it’s graded as in the market and finally you need to consider the cost of TCG card grading services. The cost per card will depend on the company you choose and its requirements, not to mention the additional services you are requesting also.
The three leading grading companies are PSA, Beckett Collectibles, and CGC. PSA is considered the best grading company on the market because it has been around the longest and has the most recognized grading system.
Lastly, before sending your cards in for grading, you need to find out the declared value. This is the most important factor in the whole grading process and ultimately determining it’s cost as the declared value will decide the final cost you will have to bear for getting your Pokémon cards graded.
We wish you all the very best with your need for getting to know your Cards’ worth and we hope that this article has helped you in getting to know the cost you will have to pay for getting these services.
