Should You Grade Modern Pokémon Cards?

Modern Pokémon cards, broadly defined as anything from Sun and Moon onwards, are printed in quantities that would make vintage collectors' heads spin. Millions of packs produced per set. Tens of thousands of copies of even the rarest pulls. So is there any point in grading them?

The High Population Problem

PSA has graded over 50,000 copies of some modern chase cards. When the graded population of a card is that high, the premium for a graded copy shrinks because supply is abundant. A PSA 10 of a card with 20,000 other PSA 10s isn't exactly rare.

This is the core argument against grading modern cards. With so many copies available, graded or not, the scarcity premium that drives up prices for vintage graded cards simply doesn't exist in the same way.

But It's Not That Simple

Even with high populations, there's still a meaningful price gap between raw and graded for popular modern cards. The reason isn't scarcity. It's convenience and trust. A buyer scrolling through eBay listings doesn't want to inspect every photo and worry about hidden damage. A graded card with a clear label and a verified condition grade is simply easier to buy with confidence.

That convenience premium means graded modern cards consistently sell for more than their raw equivalents, even when populations are high. The premium might be 50% to 200% rather than the 500%+ you'd see on rare vintage grades, but it's there.

The UK Grading Advantage

This is where UK grading companies have an interesting edge. Their populations are tiny compared to PSA. A card with 30,000 PSA 10s might have only 50 to 100 graded copies from a UK company. For collectors who prefer supporting local businesses or who value lower pop counts, this can be appealing.

Which Modern Cards Are Worth Grading?

Focus on the chase cards from each set. Alternate arts, special art rares, secret rares of popular Pokémon. Don't bother grading regular V cards, standard holos, or common full arts unless there's something specifically desirable about them.

The test is the same as always: check raw price, check graded price, calculate whether the premium covers the grading cost plus some profit. If yes, submit it. If no, keep it raw.