TCG Card Grading ROI Calculator

Compare selling a trading card raw now against grading it first, to see whether grading is worth the cost for your TCG card.

Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate based on the figures and grading costs entered. Actual grading fees vary significantly by service, turnaround tier, and declared value, and graded outcomes are never guaranteed. This tool is for informational purposes only and not financial advice.

TCG card values

Currency

Current raw trading card value (sell ungraded)

Estimated value once your TCG card is graded Your best estimate of what the card sells for at the grade you expect to receive.

Grading costs

Grading service Fills a typical economy/bulk-tier cost — actual pricing depends on turnaround speed and declared value, so adjust to match your submission.

Grading cost

Return shipping / insurance

Selling costs

Marketplace Applied to both scenarios below, since you’d pay selling fees either way.

Platform fee (%)

Flat fee per sale

Results

Extra profit from grading

$0.00

Net proceeds if sold raw now:

$0.00

Net proceeds if graded then sold:

$0.00

Total grading cost:

$0.00

ROI on grading spend:

0.00%

Graded card: where the money goes

Grading + shipping $0.00

Selling fees $0.00

Net proceeds $0.00

How the calculator works

This tool compares two paths for the same TCG card — selling it raw right now, versus paying to grade it first and selling the graded copy — so you can see which one leaves you with more money.

Net proceeds if sold raw: Your raw value minus marketplace selling fees.
Net proceeds if graded: Your estimated graded value, minus grading cost, return shipping/insurance, and marketplace selling fees.
Total grading cost: Grading fee plus return shipping and insurance — what you’re risking to attempt the upgrade.
ROI on grading spend: The extra profit from grading, shown as a percentage of what grading actually cost you.

Example: a trading card worth $80 raw is graded for $25 plus $10 return shipping, and comes back worth an estimated $200. After eBay fees (13.6% + $0.40) on the sale, grading nets about $137 versus $69 selling raw — an extra $68 profit for $35 spent, roughly a 194% return on the grading cost.