Should you grade Mantyke #189?
Paradox Rift · 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
$33.21
PSA 10
$192.50
Gem rate
40.4%
PSA pop
2,649
The math
Breakeven sale price (raw price + PSA fee)
$33.21 + $25 = $58.21
You need to sell the slabbed card for at least this much to break even.
Projected PSA 10 uplift
($192.50 − $33.21 − $25) ÷ $33.21 × 100 = +404%
If you grade this card AND it returns PSA 10, this is your gross return on grading.
Expected value (uplift × gem rate)
404% × 40.4% = +163.3%
The real number. Adjusts for the fact that not every submission grades PSA 10.
Net PSA 10 proceeds after marketplace fees
eBay: $159.19 · TCGplayer: $169.47
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.
For collectors
Got more cards? See ROI on your whole collection.
Paste your CSV from Collectr, Dragon Shield, or TCGplayer. Get a GRADE / CONSIDER / HOLD-RAW verdict for every card — free, no signup to preview.
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Full Mantyke #189 page →See methodology for how we source data and calculate ROI.