The TRUTH about PSA GRADING Pokemon Cards in 2025!

👉PSA vs. CGC Gem Rates: • CGC vs. PSA Grading 20...
👉My eBay Store: www.ebay.com/s... (Affiliate Link)
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
THE TRUTH ABOUT PSA GRADING POKEMON CARDS IN 2025!
Grading your Pokemon cards is the best way to increase their value while also protecting them from potential damage. However, some have speculated that PSA is actively engaged in "population control" or the suppressing PSA 10's. Today, we'll explore some important distinctions and nuances of PSA grading in 2025.
Thanks for watching,
Pokemon Classics
*Music Provided by Game Chops: gamechops.com/...
*Produced by Mikel and Mastered by Dj CUTMAN
*Note: These are merely my observations and not to be taken as financial advice or investing strategy. Always do your research before making any purchases.
✅CARD PROTECTION (Affiliate Links)
◾UltraPro Sleeves (Amazon): amzn.to/3u0WWYY
◾UltraPro Toploaders (Amazon): amzn.to/4fOB0qh
◾BCW Toploaders (Amazon): amzn.to/4eQl9WN
◾Card Savers I (Amazon): amzn.to/3OAsPBG
◾UltraPro Pikachu Binder (Amazon): amzn.to/4g5fvB2
◾VaultX Binder (Amazon): amzn.to/4g5fvB2
◾VaultX 480 Binder (Amazon): amzn.to/3ST8knd
✅CARD STORAGE & DISPLAY (Affiliate Links)
◾Acrylic Easel Stands (Amazon): amzn.to/3pIHP82
◾Acrylic Risers (Amazon): amzn.to/31SVcWG
◾36 Card Display Case (Amazon): amzn.to/3UmTtih
◾Graded Guards (Amazon): amzn.to/4i4u4Hb
◾Jersey Display Case (Amazon): amzn.to/4bLeEms
◾Snorlax Plush (Amazon): amzn.to/4g9mclP
◾Mew Plush (Amazon): amzn.to/4fRop5C
◾Pikach/Eevee Plush (Amazon): amzn.to/3Y0MsZR
✅CARD BUSINESS ITEMS (Affiliate Links)
◾Monster Storage Box (Amazon):amzn.to/3W3KQff
◾Toploader Storage Box (Amazon): amzn.to/49cICjH
◾Graded Card Storage Box (Amazon): amzn.to/3ItmVyB
◾Dry Erase Labels (Amazon): amzn.to/43kLUwH
◾Colored Dividers (Amazon): amzn.to/43l8LZd
◾BCW Sorting Tray (Amazon): amzn.to/4bIB481
◾Perfect Fit PSA Sleeves (Amazon): amzn.to/3EE0mpn
◾Ultra Pro PSA Sleeves: amzn.to/3NUKqE2
◾250 Bubble Mailers: amzn.to/4gdJIOF
✅ELECTRONICS CARD BUSINESS (Affiliate Links)
◾Rollo Thermal Printer (Amazon): amzn.to/3Oyo7EK
◾Photography Light Box (Amazon): amzn.to/3gzm6L0
◾Rotating Display Stand (Amazon): amzn.to/4f9rf4Z
◾Neewer LED Light (Amazon): amzn.to/3ZrBHQC
◾Sony ZV-E10 Camera (Amazon): amzn.to/4cL58kW
◾Elgato Cam Link (Amazon): amzn.to/3zM9EB2
◾Elgato Prompter (Amazon): amzn.to/3Oycduo
◾Elgato Green Screen (Amazon): amzn.to/3Ln4RZk
#pokemoncards #PokemonNews #pokemon #pokemoninvesting #pokemonpsa #pokemontcg #pokemon2025 #psagrading

[@pokemon_classics]

👉How to Grade PSA Cards: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZLNlaKXbtGDZsk

[@Tarzney]

Honestly, if people are spending money on a "professional" to look at their cards to get an arbitrary rating that can be cracked open and sent back to the same grader and get a different rating, it's a flawed system and the only winners are the grading company. I wish people wouldn't treat these grading companies in such high regard.

[@kylemartin2487]

I know what you mean and I get what you’re saying, however it’s unfortunately not a meritocracy where only the best and wisest people are voted in after decades of card grading experience. It’s a business that anyone can start, but ultimately it’s up to us to decide who we put our trust & faith into, you know?

[@Ben-he4jx]

Time to go with AI. TAG grading

[@Squidmoto3]

Honestly, if people are spending money on a "professional" to look at their body to get an arbitrary recommendation that can differ from a doctor with the same degree, it's a flawed system and the only winner is the healthcare industry. Do you see how stupid your argument is? Two people coming to different conclusions doesn't mean either is wrong, and it doesn't mean the system is broken. It means the answers to complicated and nuanced things are not as simple and binary as you think. And these people are grading hundreds of cards a day. They're going to make errors, just like a doctor. You look at the 0.1% of cards with problems and point and laugh instead of looking at the 99.9% and saying nice job. People like you are the problem, not PSA. Granted, based on what you said you likely couldn't afford a good education, so you likely can't afford graded cards anyways in a hobby this expensive - so it's not even a problem that concerns you.

[@Burritoslay3r]

@@Squidmoto3dawg ain’t no way you compared going to the doctor to grading cardboard 😂😂😂

[@Squidmoto3]

@@Burritoslay3r And there ain't no way you lack the elementary-level understanding that I'm comparing their logic in the two scenarios, not the scenarios themselves. They have flawed logic. That's my point. Stay broke.

[@trentp1993]

PSA (please Sumbit Again)

[@JaY_PLaY_YT]

💀😂 this facts

[@jtact5487]

Someone should do a video cracking a set of GM 10s and resubmit and see if they come back as 8s

[@rahx_collects]

Yeah but unless you have a shit ton of money nobody is going to risk it😂

[@jtact5487]

Have a content creator like Fake PokeRev or other annoying creator that has a sponsor do it. Not asking a channel that has 38 subscribers to use their rent money to destroy their collection. If pokemon channels were about not losing money every video would be 30 seconds long... say hello... show the product.. say don't open it you'll probably lose money ... say goodbye and like and subscribe

[@pokemon_classics]

The problem with that is sample size. It would need to be a large enough sample dispersed over months to ensure any sort of validity. Even then, that would only attest to the consistency of PSA, not confirm/dispel the "population control" theory.

[@pokemon_classics]

@@jtact5487 Someone should make a channel like that . . . it would probably explode!

[@jtact5487]

I get that, but it still should be relatively close unless they changed what they call a 10, and then you can call it whatever What would be worse. Cracking 100 PSA10s and having 95 come back as 8s being inconsistent or cracking 100 PSA 10s and having 95 be marked lower to keep the total of 10s down. Tomato, Tomato - lol, still an issue doesn't matter the reason. It's an issue. PSA needs more transparency and show grades. Not just roll the D10 Die blindly :)

[@BackwardsHat]

As someone who has personally handled 100s of PSA cards and seen 1000s more online, it is patently obvious to me that the older certs had much more lenient grading than new certs. I have seen countless 2XXX certs with PSA 10 grades that would be fortunate to get a PSA 8 today. I have very rarely seen a new cert that has grade better than it deserved. This is protectionism by old collectors to maintain the value of their old certs when it quite clear that their cards were judged by much more lax standards compared to the scrutiny of today's submissions.

[@pokemon_classics]

I have also handled thousands of cards, probably longer than you (I assume) . . . I've been grading since 2011. I have also seen and experienced plenty of over and under graded cards throughout those 14 years. I'd rather not appeal to authority, but rather look at data. Can you explain to me why the population reports for these cards are still increasing at roughly linear rates over the years? I agree that higher value cards experience greater scrutiny now that values have risen, but that's not population control and its definitely not an inside conspiracy . . . it's the inevitable result of greater financial liability. The standards are the same as ever . . . the scrutiny is greater.

[@BackwardsHat]

@pokemon_classics The scrutiny is greater, I agree. And I do not necessarily agree or disagree with the idea of "PSA 10 population protection" or whatever (I don't have enough evidence either way to make a claim regarding that). However, I cannot deny what my own eyes are seeing: old certs had much more lenient grading than new certs. And I have seen older collectors vehemently defend their own cards / PSA by confidently stating over and over again that the grading standards have not changed--which clearly is not the case. It is easy to conclude from all of this that older collectors are erroneously defending the sanctity of card grading in order to justify--to themselves and / or to others--that their old certs are just as valuable and / or just as legitimate as old certs. Many in the community have already acknowledged this, but it is tiring to see those at the head of the hobby who continue to falsely declare that this dynamic does not exist. Newer collectors are already at a disadvantage in that they are entering the hobby when it is peaking / near peak in price (and that disadvantage is of no fault of older collectors), but it's a huge double whammy for newer collectors that their graded cards must suffer more severe scrutiny than older collectors cards' did IN ADDITION TO (triple whammy) older collectors' unwavering ascertatiom that the grading standards have not changed at all and that defect-laden PSA 10 grades should be worth just as much as newer pristine 10s.

[@ngxcollectibles]

Try now… its back….

[@pokemon_classics]

@@BackwardsHat I think we agree that it was easier for over-grades to slip through before the heightened scrutiny of today (when their was less at-stake for PSA), but that's a different issue than population control. Over-grades are still widely observable today and are a bi-product of human error and subjectivity . . . not a change to the actual grading standards or a willful suppression of grades. You've created an argument that rejects actual data, and is therefore impossible to disprove. The population reports of these "Population Controlled" cards are still increasing, and increasing at proportionally similar rates as they have in the past. For example, one of the most difficult cards to grade: Slowking from Neo Genesis, took 10+ years to reach a Population of 10 . . . in the last two years it's increased to 17!

[@JaY_PLaY_YT]

​@@BackwardsHat I've submitted over 100 English 151 my PSA 10 rate is less than 10%. I've submitted over 100 Japanese 151 my PSA 10 rate is 99% with 1 single PSA 9. None of us grade enough to prove population control, but I do believe that people should be looking into the data behind PSA. Seems as if they specifically target higher value cards in an order as well. If anyone wants to review my cards or wants my submission data hit me up. I've about had enough of this being the "Standard" company to use.

[@arnold-moger]

I also think it's worth mentioning that Nat Turner, PSA's CEO, said in an interview that PSA's grading scale hasn't changed, but they are enforcing the it more accurately. So, I interpret that as PSA is grading more harshly now.

[@Classat12]

I think for many people, “pop control” is synonymous for “grading harsher.” PSA may not specifically be saying “give less 10s for these cards,” but if they are scrutinizing harder, the effective result is the same.

[@nezumiku6641]

While you did make me stop thinking population control has a high likelihood of taking place at PSA, the incentive they have for it is pretty obvious. Someone gets an undeservedly low grade, they may crack it and send it back: making PSA more money in grading fees. Additionally, one may argue since the price of a PSA card is affected by population, low pop cards holding a higher price makes them more desirable incentivizing more people to try to get them. Both are very realistic incentives for population control.

[@pokemon_classics]

However, PSA would receive more (guaranteed rather than hypothetical) money with the upcharges from grading Gem Mint 10's. It wouldn't even require any extra work on their end. There is a much stronger financial incentive to overgrade, especially high value cards.

[@nezumiku6641]

@@pokemon_classics Oh i forgot about that.

[@VVS1997]

@@pokemon_classicsYes initially PSA would get more money from upcharging due to giving out more 10s. But as time goes on and populations of 10s increase, the value decreases and therefore the less they can up charge. It would take time, but for the long haul it wouldn’t be desirable for them to give out more 10s

[@pokemon_classics]

@@VVS1997 Well, an upcharge (in most cases) would be 400% to 800% the original cost of grading ($15 to $75 or $129). Most PSA 9's aren't resubmitted 4-8 times . . . in fact, most aren't resubmitted at all, since 9's are still solid grades and it's an inconvenience and a risk to crack/regrade. The regrading motive is weak given the alternative . . .

[@WrekItRoush]

I only graded with PSA one time after cracking a 9 I bought out of the slab and resubmitting. Came back a 5.

[@shentobento1079]

prob damaged the card some way when freeing the card. a 5 is VERY different from a 9

[@WrekItRoush]

I guess I’ll know when it gets back from CGC.

[@DaveA441]

Let us know bro please

[@DeimosPC]

@@shentobento1079 Or they damaged the card. I've seen a shit ton of reviews on them damaging cards lately.

[@otter7194]

I'll leave a comment here to get notified about your result

[@Top10Pokemon]

Intro is S Tier

[@pokemon_classics]

Thanks, I saw this meme used somewhere with Pokémon (can’t remember where) and recreated it with vintage low population holos. So it wasn’t completely original.

[@xileets]

Personally, I've never liked grading. It's subjective, ultimately, whether you like it or not, BUT it does help ensure authenticity between parties that do not have any trust (random buyers and sellers online). I also don't really like my collection imprisoned in plastic, BUT it does help with selling, like I said, so...

[@xileets]

Also, I gotta say, Classics, You are just so dang logical - probly cuz you're a teacher - but it is SO refreshing! 🤩

[@pokemon_classics]

Binder collections are amazing! There really is no wrong way to collect.

[@sleevenocardbehind]

Well said. I feel the same way. I'm not a fan of grading but there is no way in hell I'm ever buying a raw 1st Edition Charizard

[@TCGPJames]

Is it possible that back in the day most people abused cards so hard that a PSA 10 could have been from a more worn card? I'm glad they're more strict on grading either way, makes getting a 10 truly a 10!

[@paul2604]

I think they grade more accurately now simply because they have better options for grading. In addition, incomprehensible or incorrect ratings only seem to occur more frequently with psa because they are also by far the largest company in grading. So they make up 3/4 of the ENTIRE market

[@EChondoHD]

Right now I have some cards I'd like to get graded, but having a hard time choosing who to go with. I have a GameStop Pro membership, so PSA would be the easiest, but I absolutely hate the fact that they'll potentially upcharge if the cards are more expensive than originally thought. I do like the look and feel of the CGC slabs, but Beckett seems to be the best of the best. I don't plan on selling my graded cards, but I would like an easy way to estimate their value and the only estimates I can really find are PSA but values differ between grading companies, for whatever reason. I may end up sending my bulk to CGC and my special cards to Beckett.

[@kylemills-xc4hn]

They all take money.

[@technologyzach]

I’ve been having the same thoughts. I feel as if there is no objectively best place to grade. I’m going to choose bgs partially because they aren’t bias, they’re worth more, and their hq isn’t far from where I live so I can drop it off and have free shipping

[@pokemon_classics]

I use PSA primarily for collection consistency. CGC's slab is really nice (so is Beckett). If these are for your personal collection, than it's really just personal preference.

[@CagedRyno]

I’ve always felt that I got harsher grades during bull markets and higher grades during bear markets. Just my experience.

[@kevindargie]

THIS, the hype is so crazy right now and I can only imagine the amount of PSA submissions happening right now due to the amount of people jumping into collecting or just trying to gamble card pulls and get a really good grade. I definitely feel like work load would put a huge dent into the grading scrutiny. I would imagine that they have a standard on how long they look at a card and how to grade each one fairly, but can you imagine if all of a sudden they received 1000% work load with the same emount of people to grade cards with were still employed. I know some of the turnaround time are pretty far out right now, so that kind've gives me a hint at the market right now.

[@gsquared.collectibles8392]

Reminder - Wizards of the Coast contracted Cartamundi from Base Set through Skyridge, and they were absolutely notorious for inconsistency and flaws. In fact they still screw up Magic: the Gathering prints on a normal basis where Chinese Counterfeits legitimately look better than some of the official MTG cards from WOTC. Now that the Pokemon Company International owns Millennium Printing Group, who has printed the US Pokemon cards since 2015, its been a lot more consistent overall and somewhat easier to gem. The introduction of textured cards and changing foil patterns often messes with the calibration of these printers and why some modern cards are more abysmal looking than others. This is why the SIR Magikarp has such a low gem rate, despite being modern.

[@pokemon_classics]

That was my first point about modern vs. vintage and the streamlining of production and quality control. I don't think most people understand this.

[@VRule1]

One of my favorite Pokemon KZbin Channels! Keep up the great work and thank you for the great information!

[@sleevenocardbehind]

Extremly interesting comparisons with the Charizards and Umbreons there. I was actually very surprised with my last submission to PSA, scoring more 10s than I expected!

[@pokemon_classics]

My previous submission was also better than expected; this one was a little worse. There's always going to be some subjectivity from submission to submission, and it all seems to average out in time.

[@Blastboost86]

Happy New Year Buddy🎆. Great video as always 🙌🏼

[@rickyholmes5680]

Another great video classics! Information from people who are educated in the subject and who’ve been around the hobby for such a substantial amount of time is very important given how much misinformation does float around the community. Keep em comin✨ the work you put in deserves a lot of exposure

[@pokemon_classics]

Thanks, I really appreciate your support!

[@kingturk]

What would be interesting as well as to grade similar condition cards with both companies and seeing how they come back, as well as the theory that grouping cards together with varying conditions may hurt your chance at PSA tens

[@katiepower15]

I avoid grading cards and it is a lot less stressful and expensive!

[@ryankim553]

Great vid! Just had a few questions for you as you are an expert on a grading! 1. I am planning on submitting 60 cards to PSA soon. One of my concerns is that if I send all 60 cards at once, the grader might rush through them or be stricter due to the volume, especially if they find the upcharge process inconvenient. To avoid potentially landing with a stricter grader, I'm also considering splitting the submission into two batches of 30 cards. Have you had experience submitting a large bulk like this before? How were their grades? 2. About half of these 60 cards would be worth over $200 each if graded as PSA 10, while the other half are worth less than $200. I'm debating whether to send them all together under the bulk grading tier regardless of their value, or to separate them by value and send them under different grading tiers. Considering that I want these to be sequential, should I just send them out with the lowest bulk tier and have PSA upcharge me later on? 3. Lastly, when submitting for grading, do you all put their estimated value to $200 to qualify for the bulk tier? Thank you and I would greatly appreciate your reply! :)

[@pokemon_classics]

To your first point, I've had experiences with harsher graders and easier graders . . . it's impossible to predict. Dividing out a submission can mitigate some of the risk. I've never found it necessary; I just accept the results I'm given and move on. In terms of the service level, PSA is usually flexible on the card values. If they aren't substantially over the $200 value, it's probably fine to submit them together under the bulk rate. If they are high value cards, you really should submit at a higher service level and ensure their values are fully insured in case of loss of damage. I've never experienced any issues with loss or damage personally, but I know several people who have under-declared cards and had shipments damaged or stolen and lost massive sums of money. Don't put yourself in that position.

[@ryankim553]

@@pokemon_classics I greatly appreciate your thorough reply!!!

[@GaspardLeTetard]

Im not good at math but if the supply of gem cards is rising but the rate of 10s is linear over the years, doesn't that equal to a stricter grading process ?

[@susanhaendel7094]

So which company would you recommend going with to grade early 2000's cards (mostly 2005-2008) for resale not for collecting?

[@purenstinct]

A good way to test this, which I and others have done is to resubmit cards that were previously submit then mark the percentages of the changes between companies.

[@pokemon_classics]

Inconsistency and population control are not the same. There will always be inconsistency when relying on subjective opinions of a third party grader, especially with a low sample size. No one is arguing that PSA or any grading company is 100% consistent; they are generally within a reasonable margin of error (+/-1 on the scale). Law of averages, however . . . the more cards submitted and the larger the number of submissions over greater periods of time the closer to average those submissions become. Drawing conclusions from anecdotal evidence is not statistically sound.

[@leemacdonald6533]

PSA just pick a number out of a hat

[@Ctdcollectibles]

Hahaha for sure

[@pokemon_classics]

That’s a bit hyperbolic. There is obviously some subjectivity, but the grades are generally close (small margin of error).

[@Dr.Magikarp]

great video as usual

[@TheForemanCollections]

I have about 20 full art cards, from clauncher and quaxly, to charizard ex, and chi-yu all between 60-130$ values at a ten. Would you recommend submitting these? Ive estimated it will cost 300-350$ to grade, but if they dont get tens ive wasted all the time and money chasing and storing these.

[@PeterJansen89]

I found the Neo Umbreon in my old binder. Thinking about grading it 😄 i hope it gets a 7+ at least 🙏

[@pokemon_classics]

I hope so too! One of my all-time favorites!

[@Bad888Max]

Why do they upcharge to get money from people or to use it for shipping and insurance?

[@rubenclash228]

i have a dark charizard 1st psa 9 with a printlines, i mean psa can be strict or not but depends on the person grading it, the main problem of grading is the high degree of subjectivity

[@ThePokeSlab]

im ngl I gotta ask does this factor in the fact that vintage is not only older so it had a smaller fan base at the time to collect them but also the fact that it had a smaller quantity of print?? im just saying i feel like that alone would explain why you can find more modern gem 10's, plus due to people finding it more lucrative, and companies like beckett and psa being more well known, i feel it would be obvious that modern would have more gem 10's idk though just food for thought

[@stelliosskouloudis703]

what these grading companies did was taking every jackass that was buying cards two dollars raw value and then if they got the card graded and got a PSA 10 it was worth $60.00 which gave brith to OVER INFLATION OF PRICES!!! Grading companies should only be used for VERY HIGH value collections. And the reason why they have so many cards to grade at the end of the month is because everyone is trying to turn their two dollar trading cards into PSA 10 so they can sell them for 100 bucks.

[@TheForemanCollections]

I grew up collecting all different things, but just recently started to open some modern Pokemon cards, I really chase full art / SIR cards. I am studying to get some graded to get the investment protected, but these videos and cost has me really nervous. Spend the money to buy packs, finally get a hit, spend 15-18$ to grade, and have a chance the card be worth less than the grading cost... With modern only a ten has value, based on the cards I have.

[@pokemon_classics]

Familiarize yourself with grading standards (especially centering and edges), it's not hard to identify strong PSA 10 candidates from mint copies that have no chance of grading a PSA 10. Centering issues are common and something most inexperienced collectors don't consider when sending cards in. Pack fresh usually grades PSA 8, 9, or 10.

[@elvistcg]

Great video, quality content

[@ThePokédexCollective]

You sound like Teddy Bulbasaur... We call him... Hes a watch guy... Nothing to do with pokemon... Hes a good guy... Youre a good guy. Subd 😊

[@samersalama6275]

This was a really good explanation. I can prograde modern really well but vintage is a different beast.

[@David36661]

The truth is people are naive (stupid) about grading companies GRADING COMPANIES ARE A BUSINESS. A BUSINESS they aren’t gonna give bunch of 10s ESPECIALLY if someone sending in TONS of higher end cards KNOWING they got MONEY AND they WANT a 10. They know they’ll keep coming back . Cuz THEYRE A BUSINESS Truly blows my mind people believe they’re a “true integrity business*” no. Also ESPECIALLY with old rare sports cards, grading companies WONT give a high grade on a super low pop crazy crazy expensive card cuz they either are in the market and KNOW it’ll lower the cost You’ll be NAIVE to not think a GRADING CARD COMPANY doesn’t have cards themselves! They’ve control the market! They aren’t gonna get 10s on potential lower their own card value

[@luke45879]

It's not just about exposure/storage that is leading to low Gem rates. Pack fresh vintage still don't have high Gem rates - its about quality control (and sky high Gem Mint standards for vintage set by PSA)

[@pokemon_classics]

The print production quality was much worse in Pokemon early days . . . some sets worse then others.

[@funnyclips720]

Psa was known as more lax in comparison to beckett. A black label 10 beckett is more esteemed than a psa gem mt 10. Im happy PSA finally is being more strict. Good. Makes me wonder if graders are being bribed as well by bigger names in the game 😮 One question though.. where did you find this population data?

[@nikeswoosh7575]

Truth. I think one thing people may miss with Vintage that PSA probably considers is the colour saturation and brilliance esp on the back. Older vintage cards can often look minty but lack that glossy colour saturation that likely they lost over time. A white waxy look probably lowers the grade.

[@pokemon_classics]

That's a good point, especially for cards stored in binders. Certain types of binders remove the surface gloss with pressure and time.

[@kevindargie]

Opened the Venusaur Ex SIR from 151 yesterday, pretty upset, cause even though the card was surrounded by the energy/code card and the other cards, the top dead center of the card looks like it got a drop of water on it and separated the card layers and created a little bit of bubbling at the top, otherwise the entire card looks DAMN NEAR PERFECT, SO UPSET!!! However... 3 packs later I pulled a mint (looks perfect in every way, center, no scratches, no dots, back looks amazing) CHARIZARD EX SIR from the same set lol... guess it makes up for it.. stil upset though I love Venusaur

[@ngxcollectibles]

Pop control on modern. I can agree on vintage maybe but i had 19 modern cards return PSA6 through 9. Mind you, i pre check extensively and meticoulosly before sending in for grading. I could possibly agree with some PSA9s (its honestly possible) but, PSA6s on fresh pulled cards pre checked front and back, and SIRs, its purely pop control or a disgruntled grader a poor QC. Which one is it? 19 out of 40 came back psa9 or lower. I dont send anything in thats less than a possible 10. I can go on for days but PSA email back and forth proves that you, the customer, Dont matter and if you want a Re evaluation of the grade, you have to PAY.

[@oahtnoob]

I always say it just depends on who you get thats grading. And it could be the same person but different version. Maybe they had a bad day, fight with wife or girlfriend, or even got drunk the day before they came in to work lol. I had cards that were nearly identical in criteria but 2 or more difference scores. Some 10s that don't even look 10 while 8s and 9s look better sometimes 😂🤷

[@ngxcollectibles]

@ thats why QC is there, to not do their QC checks. 💀

[@oahtnoob]

@ngxcollectibles There will always be a human error element. Maybe AI or a program application that specializes in grading criteria? But currently I don't think market will trend that way

[@pokemon_classics]

@@ngxcollectibles I'll be honest, I doubt PSA does much (if any) quality control on a grader's scores. I suspect their QC is more about ensuring the labels are correct and that the cards aren't encapsulated backwards or upside-down. Just my speculation.

[@flookaraz]

Wow. the differences in rates between grading companies depending on the set's manufacturing issues is eye opening. I think I might crack some of my PSA slabs over this....

[@kursna]

I've been aware of this since I was 14, 29 now, and psa has always been notorious for inconsistency. Bgc has always been the gold standard of what grading should be, psa is just the mainstream brand

[@justinbuck1957]

Loved the explanation! I think what you’re saying is very logical and reasonable.

[@MatthewMartinez-Villa-z2y]

You should do a video on market manipulation. Cards are being put on ebay at absurd amounts and always end wih 1 bid. I can't buy modern or vintage because everyone wants to manipulate the market for their collection to be worth the most.

[@Bad888Max]

I believe every baseset Charizard should be graded therefore low grades. But still something is fishy about getting good grades for pack fresh cards.

[@ketchemallcards]

I have the same experience. Been getting 9s regraded to 8s.

[@MarcRWWFC]

That intro 😂 😂 😂 😂

[@Ocelot35]

Front edge silvering is nice. You should pay more for cards that have an even distribution of it.

[@stelliosskouloudis703]

These grading companies just want your money and we’ve seen an countless amount of times where people resubmit and get a higher grade as a collector if I bought a card knowing that it used to be an eight and now it’s a 10 I would be very pissed off

[@NEOmemo101]

Goes back to when logan paul bought grade 9 from someone and they magical changed to 10 it's a scam

[@ModKult]

i’ve watched previous arguments regarding population control, and I really like this one. my original perspective was from sports cards, but this argument makes sense, and seems far less conspiratorial. not that it is conspiratorial lol-especially when you mention that high value cards have higher stakes-that cleared things up for me. great argument, thank you PC!

[@GigaChadow]

This thumbnail should get an award 👍👍

[@pokemon_classics]

Thanks . . . I felt it reflects the current perception people have of PSA.

[@ngxcollectibles]

Pop control is real with modern. Their gamestop businesd has made It harder for paying members. Back to CGC to chase pristines.

[@gabeo9474]

So, you're definitely right that population control doesn't exist, but I don't think that higher value cards get special attention either, at least not for Pokemon. I say this because according to my analysis the most difficult GM in First Edition Base Set is actually Chansey, not Charizard. This was true before the 'VID, since the 'VID, and overall. Not only that, but Charizard has actually been the eighth easiest holo to GM since the 'VID. For shadowless, it was Machamp that was hardest to GM before the 'VID and Hitmonchan since. What's crazy is that most shadowless holos are harder to GM than 1st Edition. Now for Unlimited it's a different story, and I think this is what has gotten people all worked up. The Charizard is and always has been the toughest holo in the set to GM by about double. I think this is most likely because people are much less likely to send in a lot of the other Unlimited holos unless they are basically flawless while the Charizard would likely get send regardless of condition.

[@pokemon_classics]

In general, I suspect that 1st Edition Base holos would receive greater scrutiny than random non-holos from other sets. However, you’re right about the cards you mentioned and the common denominator amongst the lowest population cards is large, light holofoil areas that are more susceptible to surface scratches.

[@gabeo9474]

@pokemon_classics You totally nailed it with that one. Zapdos, Poliwrath, Alakazam, Gyarados (and Venusaur out of the big three) are the easiest, and they are all darker and/or smaller surface area holos. So, would you say this is a result of the grader not being able to see fine scratches and/or light print lines as easily on dark holos? My theory on the ever-increasing stringency for vintage cards is that with the absolute flood of modern cards being sent in, which are virtually all GM, the graders perception has expanded to accommodate cards that were manufactured via significantly improved printing processes and with much better quality control. In the interest of consistency over time, it seems like they should take this into consideration and make slight adjustments to the grading standards according to the set so that vintage cards aren't basically competing out of their league.

[@pokemon_classics]

@@gabeo9474 The darker holofoil backgrounds conceal print-lines . . . if you take a magnifying glass and high-intensity light source print-lines can sometimes be found on these cards, but they are much harder to identify.

[@tokaplanospito1341]

man, this is logical, no? how many of the cards from back 2000s are in good shape to be 10s candidates?

[@Krazy_Kal]

I’m pretty sure it’s the fact vintage cards are vintage… at 20+ year old most have been either trashed lost in storage or played/worn… you also have to take into fact a lot more people are in this hobby than early 2000’s therefore there has to be more cards since the community is bigger. Gradin companies are not working against y’all… they’re regular joes with a 9-5

[@dml1765]

This makes me want to try submitting extremely low value raw near mint cards (with rediculously high PSA10 prices) just to see how many come back 10's.

[@cannadaddoit7460]

Like what

[@swoopthescripter7771]

i had 4 pristine cp6 zards but some how they came back damaged so weird right

[@ZentzProductions]

My buddy just opened a 1st Ed Fossil box and submitted all the Holos. All came back a 9 or 8. No 10s.

[@pokemon_classics]

That's not unheard of . . . often is there is a production issue (like poor centering) it is often present throughout all of the packs. Some of the Fossil holos are pretty easy to grade though (Magneton, Muk, Here Comes Team Rocket), so unless there is a centering issue or another "cut-related" issue (corner or edge fraying), then that is unusual.

[@IANDURBECK]

Sadly PSA does indeed rig their gradings. Fresh packs don't make a card a perfect 10, but I've seen and analyzed what they graded as 10 and 8 and unfortunately, the 8 acutally was on a better condition overall. Welp, but what did we expect? Grading gives them money. And the scarcer the 10 is, the more expensive, which means more attempts to get that 10. Which means... more money. It goes deeper than this but this is the high level of it

[@pokemon_classics]

By that logic, PSA would be incentivized to give more 10's . . . they would earn significantly more money through upcharges than they make from resubmissions, especially without any extra overhead (materials, labor, packaging, etc).

[@Bad888Max]

They opening Japan facility. Lets se will they be stricter.

[@samtaha3764]

That intro lmaoooooooo

[@josecabrera2899]

I resubmitted my calyrex vmax alt art because it got a 9 the first time and I don’t know how the card was mint af. Anyways second time it came back a 10 lol I’m happy now but yeah a 9 to a 10 I don’t understand their grading sometimes.

[@computersandgaming6664]

It was a pre-determined event set by PSA to pickpocket more money from you because they knew you were gonna send it back. It's all a Polly!

[@Icantthinkofanameman]

Not sure about cgc but I assume its the same but bgs doesnt give average as the final grade. Its something like 0.5-1 grades higher than the lowest subgrade

[@briand7381]

I cracked a BGS 9.5 charmander base perfect card and sent to psa to test. It came back as a psa 7. They do not like vintage

[@sovereignblastoise6767]

I submitted 6 cards all 6 are coming back as 10s

[@itsDbob]

3:33 omg u mean cards that are 25 years old have a less likely chance to get a PSA 10 then a 1 year old card 😅😅😂😂😂

[@MattsPokeMart]

Bwahahaha the intro!

[@JLL12345]

Could the way in which the cards are graded have changed over the last decade? For example, higher resolution scans and the assistance of computer software pointing out errors that may have otherwise been missed by a human. I have no idea; I’m thinking aloud.

[@pokemon_classics]

To the best of my knowledge, PSA is still relying exclusively on human graders. I could be mistaken though.

[@Ramxenoc]

Imma need that intro song linked asap

[@pokemon_classics]

I have the music linked in the description.

[@Ramxenoc]

@pokemon_classics what was the song name. After being lazy for a sec I checked but didn't wanna play each song until I figured it out

[@pokemon_classics]

@@Ramxenoc I'm not sure which one was which. There is a whole Pokemon-themed album . . . it's free (as long as it's credited).

[@grantlawrence4600]

Is the grading done by AI? No? Then there is going to be error and bias no matter what. The employee could be having a bad day. Throws out a lower grade. It's too subjective. AI is the future here. It is the ONLY way to go forward with transparency.

[@computersandgaming6664]

Grading is done by the PSA employees putting on blindfolds.

[@Doors067]

I use sgc ive always gotten what i expect and if you check ebay comps some cards sell close to psa values and some are literally half off so i can buy some steals too

[@pokemon_classics]

Fun fact, PSA owns SGC. Having said that, SGC is great . . . nice slabs and often a great value!

[@Azuciea]

bro it hasnt even been 2025 for 24 hours yet 😂

[@jakejudy5455]

Yeah. Got a 9 and and an 8.5 on my two 151 charizards..

[@trent_E]

New Jersey office is much better with the grades. They don’t grade as harsh as the Southern California office.

[@pokemon_classics]

I heard more people claim the opposite. 🤷‍♂️

[@davidy87]

The whole grading market is a scam

[@NinjaStroll]

Binder folks where you at

[@pokemon_classics]

Binders are great! Very accessible and easy to simply appreciate!

[@Elite4GamingZ]

It's not moonbreon 🤦 people are so cringe and just make everything they say after saying that irrelevant. If you want people to take you seriously lose the cringe.

[@pokemon_classics]

I don't think I understand your point. Can you clarify?

[@purenstinct]

average was 6/10 cards received diff grades. pretty crazy

[@S2K_World]

I opened my graded company in London.. s2K grades

[@saulgonzalez6408]

If you dont get tens than it's not worth the PSA submission

[@KetchumAllCollectibles]

Consistently Inconsistent

[@pokemon_classics]

Are you sure they aren't inconsistently consistent?

[@wickedmajestic8100]

If it’s really worth it grade it 3 times 3 different places

[@rahx_collects]

Agreed!!

[@pokeymonster]

Cardmarket EU says this Old cards The process of grading of old cards is in no way different from that of grading new cards. No allowance is made for the card being old. A 20 years old card has to adhere to the same criteria as a 2 days old card.

[@pokeymonster]

Also: Happy new year

[@pokemon_classics]

@@pokeymonster Happy New Year to you too!

[@shogunspear9739]

it has been a single fucking day

[@dennisoconnor1194]

Yea maybe those were all 8s. I feel that PSA has been very fair

[@pokemon_classics]

I think they were a bit hard on this particular submissions. I expected more 9's, but there is always some subjectivity from submission to submission. The grades were within a reasonable margin of error . . . I'm not going to complain or lose sleep over it.

[@Ellionator]

Talk about corocoro mew pop O.o

[@theendofmyropemydude]

This is why i buy 9's 😂

[@TheNachris720]

Oh no. You have an "e four" account. laughing inside.

[@pokemon_classics]

What's wrong with eFour?

[@EveryThingPokemonUnboxing]

I have some Amazing PSA Grade Reveal videos.

[@erebusl]

Personal opinion from the graders is the weakest link.

[@naturesepyon]

As grading techniques and technology improve over time, vintage will continually grade lower when resubmitted. The natural degradation of the card over time, sun exposure, human errors when cracking, etc. Also there are plenty of IG users who demonstrate how to "clean" (alter in most cases). Vintage cards, and post about how there submissions have gone undetected by PSA. As technology improves, and creams, solves, and chemicals become more easily detectable a lot of these PSA 10s may actually regrade as "Authentic Altered". Making the PSA 10 population even lower, but also requiring a resubmission guarantee for most high end resales. This will have a trickle down effect on PSA 9's and 8's as well.

[@pokemon_classics]

I've often wondered if grading companies will ever map cards' patterns/damage using AI scans to prevent cracking and resubmitting. I'm not sure they will ever care enough to, but theoretically they could . . .

[@WrekItRoush]

@@pokemon_classics I feel like that would negatively impact the bottom line. People resubmitting cards has to be extremely lucrative. I wonder how the pop reports would be impacted if all the cracked slabs were taken out?

[@naturesepyon]

@@WrekItRoush You know what else impacts the bottom line, in theory, being able to prove the card is altered via some sort of scan (while still encapsulated) and proving it was altered and demanding the PSA guarentee of Fair Market Value.

[@naturesepyon]

@@pokemon_classics TAG has implemented mapping, the surface of every card is like a finger print. I know of at least once instance of a hockey card being cracked & resubmitted and TAG contacting the person saying what the heck is this about.

[@jw1313]

What’s the best grading company for vintage? BGS?

[@tony21084]

Cgc is the way to go

[@qlcrane8019]

Cgc? They literally just got outed today to grading tons of fake cards. Protoype beta cards that people paid up to 60k were printed in 2024 and CGC is just mass crading the fakes like no tomorrow

[@CopingContinuous]

Grading is a scam