GradeWorthy exists to answer one question honestly: should this card be graded, and what is it worth? Most collectors decide with a gut feeling and a screenshot of one eBay sale. We decided to do the arithmetic properly, once, and share it.
Where the numbers come from
- Card prices. TCGplayer market, low, mid and high prices and Cardmarket averages, collected every day through third-party APIs into our own database. Every product prints the exact date of the data it uses. TCGplayer's market price is its own estimate from recent completed sales, which makes it a better anchor than the lowest listing.
- Grading fees. Taken from PSA, CGC, TAG and Beckett's published price pages and checked every month. Where a tier is paused, we say so, because a paused cheap tier is the single biggest reason grading math changed in 2026.
- Selling fees. eBay, TCGplayer, Whatnot, Mercari and Fanatics Collect seller fee schedules, current at the date on the file and editable in every spreadsheet.
- Gem rates. We do not invent them. Our guides teach you to read a PSA population report, discount it for survivorship, and adjust for what you can see on your own card. Reference ranges are quoted with their sources.
How the Grading ROI method works
Expected net if graded = the probability of each grade × (what that grade sells for, minus selling fees, minus the grading cost per card). We compare that with selling the card raw today after the same selling fees, and subtract the time value of money tied up during the turnaround. If the expected gain is less than $10 or 10% of the raw price, we call it marginal, because the risk is not worth the reward.
Our calculators also solve the problem backwards: they tell you the gem rate you would need for grading to break even. If that number is higher than what you honestly believe about your card, the decision is made.
What we deliberately do not do
- We never reproduce card artwork or logos. Card names and set names are used only to identify what is being priced.
- We never say buy, hold or sell. Prices fall as well as rise, and we are not financial advisers.
- We do not pad products. If a table adds nothing to the decision, it is not in the file.
Updates
Data products are regenerated monthly from fresh snapshots and pushed free to everyone who bought them. Fee tables are updated the month a grading company changes its prices. Every file has a changelog.
Who runs this
GradeWorthy is an independent publisher based in the United States. The data pipeline, product generation and store operations are run largely by automated systems built and supervised by the founder; every product is checked by a person before it ships. Questions and corrections are welcome at info@gradeworthy.co.
GradeWorthy is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Pokémon Company, Nintendo, PSA, CGC, TAG, Beckett, eBay, TCGplayer or Cardmarket.