How to get cards graded for the Pokemon TCG

The Pokemon TCG remains one of the most popular (and profitable) trading card games in the world, with over 10 billion cards being sold in 2022 alone. Moreover, the popularity of many cards - either for their appeal in the meta or their rarity dating back to the game's early days - can be quite lucrative to trade and sell, with some individuals creating entire careers acquiring and selling rare cards.

From social media influencers to former NFL players, the Pokemon TCG market has drawn in countless people as a means of income by selling or auctioning off super-rare cards. However, an item's condition is as important as the item itself, leading to the grading system seen in countless trading/collectible card game communities.

But if fans want to sell a Pokemon TCG card, how can they grade it to ensure its quality?

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Grading cards in the Pokemon TCG

Some cards in the Pokemon TCG like Base Set Charizard fetch quite a price (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Not all cards in the Pokemon TCG are created equally, which is exactly part of the reason why many professional collectible-card-grading services exist. These companies examine an item to determine rarity, condition, and authenticity before returning it to the owner. The process does require a little bit of money, but a card's value has the potential to increase with official grading.

Unfortunately, due to the lucrative nature of the Pokemon TCG market, scammers are prevalent. This leads to individuals passing off forged cards or preparing fake grading processes, which makes the sale of ungraded (AKA raw) cards without a professional service quite risky. Fortunately, many of the most well-known grading companies have branched out into Pokemon over the years.

Since the early days of collecting baseball cards, even before Major League Baseball became what it is today, companies have existed that grade cards to determine their sale value. Given how expensive Pokemon TCG cards can get, it's only reasonable that they would extend their services.

Companies like PSA can grade Pokemon TCG cards for a nominal fee (Image via PSA)

Among the verified card grading services available, some of the best options in 2023 are as follows:

• Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA)
• Beckett Grading Services
• Card Grading Corporation (CGC)
• Sportscard Guarantee Corporation (SGC)
• Ace Grading
• Hybrid Grading Approach (HGA)
• Automated Grading Systems (AGS)

Meanwhile, the process of getting cards graded can be carried out roughly like this:

1. Begin by searching your Pokemon TCG cards online via sites like TCGPlayer or Pricecharting to determine how much they tend to sell price-wise.
2. Find one of the services you'd like to utilize and determine what the price is for a grading. Examine your cards for signs of wear or damage, as many services won't accept poor-quality items that are too worn. It's also important to ensure that the card isn't fake, as the service will determine this in the process and you will likely waste your money if it turns out to be a forgery.
3. Enter the service's submission portal and fill out all the necessary details and pay applicable fees. Most licensed companies will allow you to send either singles or a bulk collection of cards. You should receive some form of submission address at the end of the process.
4. Carefully package your cards and mail them to the address provided by the grading service.

A Rayquaza Gold Star holo on PSA's price listings (Image via PSA)

Getting a Pokemon TCG card graded can be a time-consuming process, but if fans are willing to wait, they can submit their cards for as low of a price point as roughly $15 USD. However, most services provide the option to pay more for an expedited process. All in all, without any rushed shipping, a grading process can typically take one to two months, though results vary depending on the company.

Eventually, the grading service will return the cards to the owner, complete with their official grade and a certification number to prove that the company in question is willing to verify the process if called upon. From here, owners can begin to navigate the selling process knowing that their cards are indeed certified and confirmed to be what they appear to be.

The certification process alone is capable of increasing a card's value, as it provides confidence between the buyer and the seller that the card in the transaction is a known quantity. It helps prevent scams, and that assurance is something that many Pokemon card buyers will pay a little extra for.