Comparison: How Much PSA Graded Cards Sell Compared to Other Grading Services

Cards graded by PSA generally sell for more than those graded by other services, but by how much? We'll look at some cards to get an idea of what certain cards sell for in which grades and if it matters across all grades.

Image Courtesy of PSA

It's well-known within the industry that PSA-graded cards sell for more than cards graded by other services. Sometimes, the difference can be drastic; other times, not so much. There are various factors why cards with the same grade from different graders sell for different prices.

The 8 Most Iconic Topps Rookie Cards From the 1970s

Some believe PSA delivers the most accurate grades, and others think it's PSA's brand that carries its weight in the secondary market. Below are a few well-known cards and what they sell for in certain grades by different card graders. All data is sourced from Card Ladder.

Iconic Cards: 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn Rookie #482

1. 1953 Topps Jackie Robinson #1

Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

3 Month Average Prices

PSA 5 (2 sales): $2,573

SGC 5 (3 sales): $2,262

PSA 4 (7 sales): $2,250

SGC 4 (5 sales): $1,505

Quick Analysis: With limited sales data, we see a slight difference between PSA and SGC 5s. With a bit more data, there is a much larger difference in the 4s. It's interesting to see how close PSA 4s have sold compared to PSA 5s. Data was scarce to compare Robinson sales in higher grades from different card graders.

2. 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57

Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

3 Month Average Sales

PSA 10 (3 sales): $178,000

BGS 9.5 (8 sales): $33,300

PSA 9 (24 sales): $17,500

BGS 9 (18 sales): $10,600

SGC 9 (1 sale): $9,999

PSA 6 (33 sales): $4,142

BGS 6 (7 sales): $3,751

SGC 6 (1 sale): $3,570

Quick Analysis: If you can afford it, there's an opportunity to buy BGS 9.5s to cross them over to a PSA 10. Both are Gem Mints, but PSA 10s outsell BGS 9.5s by nearly $150,000. The difference in prices shrinks as the grades get lower.

How To Get Sports Cards Graded For Cheap

3. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Star Rookie #1

1989 Upper Deck KEN GRIFFEY JR Star Rookie RC #1 / eBay.com

3 Month Average Sales

PSA 10 (63 sales): $2,414

SGC 10 (5 sales): $1,722

BGS 9.5 (24 sales): $691

PSA 9 (156 sales): $189

BGS 9 (37 sales): $159

Quick Analysis: PSA 10s outsell SGC 10s by nearly $700, and both have a higher premium than BGS 9.5s. Notice that the differences in prices decrease among the lower grades.

4. 1996 Topps Kobe Bryant #138

Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

3 Month Average Sales

BGS 10 (1 sale): $1,900

PSA 10 (86 sales): $736

SGC 10 (11 sales): $419

BGS 9.5 (28 sales): $305

SGC 9.5 (13 sales): $176

PSA 9 (222 sales): $121

BGS 9 (21 sales): $116

SGC 9 (26 sales): $91

Quick Analysis: The BGS 10 Pristine still carries a lot of weight in the industry. However, the BGS 9.5 has shown that it sells for much less than the PSA or SGC 10s. Curiously, there was little difference between a PSA 9 and a BGS 9, but the SGC 9 sold for less.

5. 2001 Topps Chrome Traded Ichiro Suzuki #T266

Image Courtesy of Card Ladder

3 Month Sales Average

PSA 10 (14 sales): $1,186

BGS 9.5 (4 sales): $479

PSA 9 (49 sales): $215

BGS 9 (2 sales): $138

Quick Analysis: PSA 10s sell for nearly 3 times as much as a BGS 9.5. Head-to-head, the PSA 9 outsells a BGS 9 by more than $70.

6. 2023 Prizm Victor Wembanyama #136

2023 Prizm Victor Wembanyama #136 / Image courtesy of CardLadder.com

3 Month Sales Average

PSA 10 (1,392 sales): $83

BGS 9.5 (17 sales): $60

PSA 9 (789 sales): $26

Quick Analysis: There are so many Wembanyama PSA 10s (nearly 25,000), it's a marvel that they sell for as much as $83.