Grade-or-hold decision
Should I Grade My Card?
Grading can add authentication, protection or sale confidence, but it does not automatically add profit. The raw card itself has value, and that opportunity cost belongs in the calculation.
This calculator compares the net graded path with selling raw. Sentimental value and collection goals can still justify grading even when the financial model says hold.
Dated CardRevive starting prices and planning assumptions
Assumptions reviewed 13 July 2026. PSA and BGS defaults use CardRevive's published middleman starting prices effective 11 July 2026. TAG uses an illustrative external planning placeholder because TAG is not a currently listed CardRevive middleman service. Every value remains editable: final fees, declared-value rules, eligibility, insurance, shipping, upcharges and turnaround can change. Replace every default with the confirmed service and shipping quote before deciding.
Verify current CardRevive middleman services and starting pricesCompany context for this decision
PSA
- Editable fee default
- A$172.00 AUD
- Illustrative turnaround
- 5–95+ days
- • CardRevive models PSA as a single overall 1–10 grade estimate, not an official result.
- • A straightforward overall grade can be easier to compare, while it provides less condition detail than a subgrade-oriented label.
- • The default fee is CardRevive's published middleman starting price; confirm the service level, declared-value rules, final fees and card eligibility before dispatch.
BGS
- Editable fee default
- A$55.00 AUD
- Illustrative turnaround
- 5–75+ days
- • CardRevive's BGS-style estimate separates centering, corners, edges and surface before deriving an overall estimate.
- • Condition detail can help explain why a card may not reach the next grade, but CardRevive cannot predict an official label.
- • The default fee is CardRevive's published middleman starting price; confirm label options, declared-value rules, final fees and card eligibility before dispatch.
TAG
- Editable fee default
- A$31.00 AUD
- Illustrative turnaround
- 2–45+ days
- • CardRevive presents a TAG-style estimate mapped from its own condition model; it is not TAG's proprietary photometric result.
- • TAG is not a currently listed CardRevive middleman service, so this editable fee is an illustrative external planning placeholder rather than a CardRevive price.
- • Compare the report and holder experience you want, rather than treating a numerical estimate as interchangeable across companies.
- • Check current supported cards, service features, shipping and eligibility directly before submission.
Count the raw card as an investment
Owning the card does not make it free. If it could sell raw today, giving up those proceeds is part of the grading decision. The calculator includes that value rather than showing only cash paid to the grader.
Run a downside grade
Image estimates cannot reveal every defect or guarantee an official result. Recalculate at least one grade below your likely outcome and reduce the expected sale value when comparable sales are thin.
- • Use completed sales, not unsold listings.
- • Include two-way insured shipping.
- • Separate financial value from sentimental reasons to protect the card.
Worked illustration
Example: when a price gap survives fees
The example includes the raw card value, grading and shipping—not just the difference between two headline sale prices.
- Starting value
- A$30.00 AUD
- Expected graded value
- A$120.00 AUD
- Service + shipping
- A$194.00 AUD
- Selling fee assumption
- 13.0%
Modeled result: sell. Break-even versus selling raw is A$252.99 AUD, and the modeled difference versus selling raw is -A$115.70 AUD. This is an illustration, not a forecast.
Anonymous calculator
Test the grade-or-sell decision
Enter a conservative likely grade and expected sale value. If the result only works with a perfect grade, run a lower-grade case before acting.
Planning assumptions only. Replace the company fee and turnaround with your current quote. All amounts are AUD.
The likely-grade and one-grade-lower sale values create a transparent local grade/value slope for the break-even-grade estimate. Replace both with sold evidence; card prices are not reliably linear.
Modeled next step
Sell
Under these assumptions, selling raw retains A$115.70 AUD more value than the graded path.
- Versus selling raw
- -A$115.70 AUD
- Estimated economic profit
- -A$119.60 AUD
- Break-even versus raw sale
- A$252.99 AUD
- Simple modeled ROI
- -53.4%
- Approx. break-even grade
- Above grade 10
PSA fee and 50-day turnaround are editable assumptions. Break-even versus raw sale includes the raw alternative's modeled selling fee.
- • The likely grade and future sale value are estimates, not guarantees.
- • Taxes, insurance, currency conversion by your payment provider, and unexpected service charges are not included.
- • The break-even grade uses your two sale values as a local A$30.00 AUD-per-grade slope. Real card prices can jump or flatten between grades, so verify sold listings at each grade.
Questions collectors ask
How valuable should a card be before grading?
There is no universal threshold. The break-even value depends on your raw value, total costs, fees and likely official grade.
Should I grade a card for protection even if profit is negative?
That can be reasonable for authentication, organization or sentimental protection, but it is a collecting decision rather than a modeled financial gain.
Does CardRevive inspect the physical card?
No. It analyzes submitted images. Hidden surface issues, alterations and other physical details can change an official result.
Estimate condition before paying a grader
Upload clear front and back images to build a more cautious likely-grade input for this calculator.
Start with this card