# Understanding Raw vs Graded Pokémon Card Values: A Complete Guide
When you’re buying or selling Pokémon cards, one of the biggest questions you’ll face is whether to purchase raw cards or graded ones. The price difference can be substantial, and understanding how to evaluate these values is crucial if you want to make smart decisions with your money. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about comparing raw and graded card prices.
## What Are Raw and Graded Cards?
A raw card is simply an ungraded Pokémon card in its natural state. It hasn’t been professionally evaluated or placed in a protective slab. When you pull a card from a booster pack or buy one from a seller, it’s raw. Graded cards, on the other hand, have been sent to a professional grading company like PSA, where experts examine the card’s condition and assign it a numerical grade. The card is then sealed in a protective case called a slab. The most common grades you’ll see are PSA 9 and PSA 10, with 10 being a gem mint condition card.
## The Basic Rules for Grading Economics
Before you decide whether to grade a card or buy it already graded, you need to understand the fundamental economics of the grading process. The first rule is straightforward: a card should be worth at least $25 in raw condition before you even consider grading it. If a card is worth less than $25 raw, the cost of grading will eat up any potential profit.[1]
The second rule involves what’s called a multiplier. If your card is in the $25 to $60 range raw, you want it to be worth at least four times that amount when graded in PSA 10 condition. So a $25 raw card should be worth at least $100 in PSA 10 to make grading worthwhile. If your card is worth $60 to $70 raw, you’re looking for roughly a 3x multiplier in PSA 10 condition.[1] This means a $60 card should ideally be worth around $180 or more in PSA 10 to justify the grading cost.
For cards worth over $100 raw, the multiplier tightens even further. You don’t need as dramatic a price jump because the card already has significant value.[1]
## Why These Rules Matter
The reason these rules exist is simple: grading costs money. When you send a card to PSA, you’re paying a service fee that can range from around $20 to $80 or more depending on the turnaround time you select. If you’re paying $20 to grade a card and it only goes up $15 in value, you’ve actually lost money on the transaction. This is why so many people make mistakes when deciding what to grade.
## Real-World Price Comparisons
The market data tells an interesting story. When you look at actual sales data for Pokémon cards, you’ll often find that raw prices and PSA 9 prices are surprisingly similar. In many cases, buying a card that’s already graded in PSA 9 condition is actually cheaper than buying it raw and then paying to have it graded.[2]
This seems counterintuitive at first. You’d think a graded card would always cost more. But here’s what’s actually happening: when a card is graded, there’s no guarantee it will come back as a PSA 10. It might come back as a PSA 9, or even lower. So if you’re buying a raw card for $58 and paying $20 to grade it, you’re spending $78 total with no guarantee of what grade you’ll receive. Meanwhile, you could simply buy that same card already graded in PSA 9 for around $58 to $70, knowing exactly what you’re getting.[2]
For Charizard cards specifically, which are among the most popular and valuable Pokémon cards, the price differences vary widely. Some raw Charizards are priced around $260, while their PSA 9 counterparts might be priced around $320 or higher. However, other Charizard cards show raw prices and PSA 9 prices that are nearly identical, making it pointless to grade them.[3]
## How to Actually Check These Values
To properly compare raw and graded values, you need access to real market data. The most reliable way to do this is to check recent sales data on platforms that track Pokémon card prices. You want to look at actual completed sales, not just asking prices, because asking prices don’t always reflect what people are actually paying.
When you’re researching a specific card, search for it in both raw and graded conditions. Look at multiple recent sales to get an average price for each condition. Don’t rely on a single listing because prices can vary significantly based on the seller and the exact condition of the card.
One tool that collectors use is Market Movers, which provides detailed sales data and price trends for graded cards.[1] This kind of data is invaluable because it shows you not just current prices but also how many sales have occurred at each price point. If a card has only sold three times in PSA 9 condition but twelve times raw, that tells you something important about market demand.
## The PSA 10 Trap
Here’s where many people make their biggest mistake: they assume that getting a PSA 10 automatically means profit. This is simply not true. Just because a card is worth $189 in PSA 10 doesn’t mean you should grade your raw copy that’s worth $100. You have to factor in the grading cost, and more importantly, you have to accept that your card might not come back as a PSA 10. It could come back as a PSA 9, which might only be worth $79.[1]
This is why the multiplier rules exist. They’re designed to protect you from this exact scenario. If you’re only making money when a card comes back as a PSA 10, you’re taking on unnecessary risk. The smart approach is to only grade cards where you’d still make money even if they came back as a PSA 9.
## When Grading Actually Makes Sense
Grading does make sense in certain situations. If you have a card that’s worth $100 raw and you’re confident it will grade as a PSA 10 worth $300 or more, then grading could be profitable. If you’re a serious collector who wants to preserve your cards in protective slabs, grading makes sense regardless of the financial calculation. If you’re buying cards for your personal collection and don’t care about resale value, then whether you buy raw or graded is purely a matter of preference and budget.
## When Grading Doesn’t Make Sense
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