English vs Japanese Pokémon Cards: Which Grades Better?

Walk into any Pokémon card group online and someone will tell you Japanese cards are better quality. There's truth to that, but it's not the whole picture. Here's what actually matters when you're deciding between grading English or Japanese copies.

Print Quality Differences

Japanese Pokémon cards are printed by a different facility than English cards, and the quality control is noticeably tighter. The card stock tends to be smoother, the cuts are cleaner, and centring is generally better. Surface issues like print lines and ink spots are less common.

English cards are printed in larger quantities across multiple facilities. Quality varies between print runs. Some print runs produce cards that are nearly flawless. Others have widespread centring issues, surface texture problems, or edge roughness straight from the factory.

What this means for grading: Japanese cards, on average, have a higher chance of achieving a 10 simply because there are fewer factory defects to contend with.

But Value Is a Different Question

Here's where it gets interesting. English cards typically sell for more than their Japanese equivalents, both raw and graded. The English-speaking market is larger, and most Western collectors prefer English text they can read.

A Japanese PSA 10 alt art might sell for £100. The same card in English PSA 10 could sell for £250. Even though the Japanese version might have been easier to get to a 10, the English version is worth more after grading.

So the question becomes: which gives you a better return on your grading investment? If you can buy Japanese cards cheaply and grade them at a high rate, the lower purchase price might offset the lower sale price. But if you already own English copies, the higher graded value makes them the better choice to submit.

Centring Comparisons

Japanese cards tend to have better centring overall. English modern sets are hit and miss. Some sets (like Evolving Skies) are known for particularly bad centring in certain print runs. If you're chasing 10s, poor centring is one of the most common reasons cards get downgraded, and English cards are more likely to have this issue.

Which Should You Grade?

Grade whichever version you own and believe is in good condition. If you're buying specifically to grade, English cards have higher potential upside but require more careful selection. Japanese cards are more consistent but the market pays less for them.

For UK collectors, it's worth noting that buying Japanese cards often involves importing them, which adds cost and complexity. Grading English cards you've pulled from packs bought locally keeps things simpler.