Worked example (assumptions you can change)
The card costs and sells raw for $100. Assumed graded sale prices are multiples of raw: 10 = 2.8×, 9 = 1.4×, 8 = 0.9×, 7 or lower = 0.6×, with grade odds of 30% / 42% / 20% / 8%. These are illustrative, not market data: replace them with sold comps and your own read of the card.
| Grade | Odds | Sells for | eBay fee | Profit after all costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 30% | $280.00 | $37.50 | $107.50 |
| 9 | 42% | $140.00 | $18.95 | -$13.95 |
| 8 | 20% | $90.00 | $12.33 | -$57.33 |
| 7 or lower | 8% | $60.00 | $8.35 | -$83.35 |
All-in cost: $100.00 card + $20.00 CGC fee (Economy (90 working days)) + $10 round-trip shipping = $130.00. Odds-weighted profit = $8.26; selling raw nets -$18.65. To beat selling raw, the chance of a 10 must be about 11% with the other grades keeping their relative odds.
Cheapest eligible tier at each grader
| Grader | Tier | Fee | Break-even sale | Expected profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC | Economy (90 working days) | $20.00 | $156.08 | $8.26 |
| SGC | Standard, up to $1,500 (40+ days) | $50.00 | $190.66 | -$21.74 |
| PSA | Standard (90-100 business days) | $59.99 | $202.18 | -$31.73 |
| BGS | Express (15 business days) | $79.95 | $225.19 | -$51.69 |
Assumptions: $5 shipping to the grader and $5 back per card, $5 shipping to the buyer, standard eBay trading-card fees (13.25% + $0.40 per order, $0.30 at $10 or less), no sales tax. Fees checked October 14, 2026. Change any of these in the calculator.
What differs for baseball cards
Baseball spans vintage, junk-wax-era and modern chrome cards. Junk-wax cards (late 1980s to early 1990s) were printed in huge numbers, so a 10 is common and the premium is small except for key rookies. Older cards often sell for more with any grade because of authentication, see the vintage guide.
Grader acceptance and category rules change: confirm on the grader’s own site (PSA · SGC · BGS · CGC). Fees checked October 14, 2026.
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