When Not to Grade Your Sports Cards: 5 Times You’re Better Off Saving Your Money
In the sports card world, grading is often seen as the golden ticket to maximizing your collection’s value. After all, a high-grade slab can send a card's market value soaring. But here’s the truth most grading companies won’t tell you: grading is not always worth it.
In fact, there are several scenarios where grading your cards is not just unnecessary—it’s a waste of time and money.
Here’s when you should not send your sports cards in for grading.
1. The Card Has Obvious Damage or Wear
Grading companies like PSA, BGS, and SGC are brutally honest. If your card has creases, surface scratches, edge dings, off-centering, or whitening, don’t expect a miracle. Even vintage cards with historical significance can take a hit in resale value if they return with a low grade (like PSA 2 or 3).
Why not grade?
Grading fees + shipping + wait times = wasted effort when buyers can just assess the raw card’s flaws for themselves.
Tip: Sell raw with clear, high-quality photos and a detailed condition description.
2. The Card's Value Won’t Justify the Grading Cost
Basic grading fees typically start around $20–30 per card (and can go much higher for express services or high-value cards). If your card’s raw value is under $50, grading often doesn’t add enough value to cover the costs—especially for modern cards.
Example: Grading a $10 base rookie card is like putting $100 rims on a $500 car—it’s just not a smart investment.
Tip: Reserve grading for cards that would be worth at least $100+ after grading, assuming they return with a decent grade (PSA 9 or 10).
3. You’re Not Planning to Sell or Flip the Card
Grading is primarily for resale or long-term investment purposes. If you're simply collecting for fun or sentiment—and don’t mind minor condition issues—there’s no urgent need to grade.
Why not grade?
If you're not aiming for resale, you're just spending money to put a number on a card you already love.
Tip: Use soft sleeves and top loaders or magnetic one-touch cases for safe, attractive storage without the grading cost.
4. It’s a Common Modern Base Card
Modern base cards—especially from mass-produced sets—rarely justify the grading cost unless they’re of superstar rookies and have near-perfect centering and surface. Even then, the market is often flooded with PSA 9s and 10s.
Example: A PSA 10 2021 Donruss base card of a non-star player may only sell for $20–25. You just broke even or lost money after fees.
Tip: Focus on grading low-population parallels, serial-numbered cards, or autos instead.
5. Turnaround Time Matters and You're on a Deadline
Grading can take weeks (or even months), depending on service level and backlog. If you're aiming to sell your card during peak season—like playoffs or a breakout performance—waiting for grading might cause you to miss the window.
Why not grade?
Sometimes it’s smarter to strike while the iron is hot with a clean raw card than to wait for a slab.
Tip: Use trusted platforms to sell raw cards quickly and capitalize on momentum.
Final Thoughts: Grading Isn’t Always the Answer
Grading has its place in the hobby, especially for rare, valuable, or investment-level cards. But it’s not a blanket solution—and sometimes, it’s flat-out counterproductive.
Ask yourself:
Is this card likely to grade well?
Will it be worth significantly more after grading?
Am I trying to sell now or hold long-term?
Is this card rare, low-pop, or historically significant?
If the answer is “no” to most of those… it’s probably best to keep it raw.
Need help deciding which cards are worth grading?
At The Heritage Hockey Vault, we help collectors and families sort through their collections and identify grading-worthy cards before you spend a dime. Contact us for a no-pressure evaluation.