Should you grade Lucario & Melmetal-GX #224?
Unbroken Bonds · grading ROI analysis
Expected value is strongly positive — the gem rate is high enough to justify the PSA fee even accounting for sub-10 outcomes.
Ungraded
$60.94
PSA 10
$189.75
Gem rate
52.7%
PSA pop
916
The math
Breakeven sale price (raw price + PSA fee)
$60.94 + $25 = $85.94
You need to sell the slabbed card for at least this much to break even.
Projected PSA 10 uplift
($189.75 − $60.94 − $25) ÷ $60.94 × 100 = +170%
If you grade this card AND it returns PSA 10, this is your gross return on grading.
Expected value (uplift × gem rate)
170% × 52.7% = +89.8%
The real number. Adjusts for the fact that not every submission grades PSA 10.
Net PSA 10 proceeds after marketplace fees
eBay: $156.81 · TCGplayer: $167.00
After 13.25% eBay (or 10.25% TCGplayer) fee + per-order fee + ship. Subtract PSA grading fee ($25) + any PSA shipping for true profit. See methodology.
What this calculator doesn't show
- Shipping costs. PSA shipping (in + out) typically adds $5–$15 per submission.
- Selling fees. eBay takes ~13% of gross; TCGplayer ~10%. Subtract from PSA 10 price for net proceeds.
- Holding cost. 30–60 day PSA turnaround means your capital is tied up.
- Sub-grade outcomes. A PSA 9 might still beat ungraded price, but a PSA 8 often doesn't. We model only the binary PSA-10-or-bust outcome — be more conservative for borderline cards.
- Market volatility. PSA 10 prices can swing 20%+ on news cycles. Today's calculated uplift is a snapshot.
Want the full picture — pop report, price ladder, 30-day trend, and related cards?
Full Lucario & Melmetal-GX #224 page →See methodology for full details on how we source data and calculate ROI.