How to use Card Grading Helper

What it does

Enter four numbers: the ungraded sale price, the price at your target grade, the price one grade lower, and the total cost of grading. The tool turns them into one break-even percentage. If you think the card hits the target more often than that, grading is the better bet.

Nothing in the result is made up. It is plain arithmetic on your numbers, so the same input always gives the same answer.

What it cannot do

• It does not predict the grade. It never looks at a photo or judges condition.
• It does not tell you card prices. All three prices come from you.
• It does not judge whether a card is fake.
• It splits outcomes in two. A card can land on many grades. Here it is either your target or the lower one, so cards with big price gaps between grades can differ from the result.
• It ignores loss, damage and delays. Add some allowance to the fee if you want that covered.

Reading the percentage

A result of 40% means that if four of ten cards hit the target grade, you end up even. Your own estimate above that favors grading. Below it, sell the card as it is.

Above 100% means even a sure hit at the target grade loses money. That usually means the fee is too big for the card. A very low result means grading pays off in most cases.

Where to get the numbers

Use prices that cards actually sold for, not asking prices. Sellers ask for more than buyers pay. If you cannot find a price for the lower grade, enter the ungraded price. That keeps the result on the cautious side.

For the fee, add grading, shipping both ways, insurance and any agent charge. The grading fee alone understates the cost.

The Korean fee table

The home page lists Korean graders with fees in won and the date each was checked. It is only useful if you send from Korea. Fees change, so read the grader's notice before you pay. The Korean pages also hold a centering table, written in Korean.