PSA 9 vs PSA 10 for modern Pokémon cards

On PSA's scale a MINT 9 and a GEM-MT 10 are one step apart, but the market often prices them like two different items. This page puts PSA's published definitions for the two grades next to each other, shows where a card typically misses the 10, and compares PSA 9 and PSA 10 values for four Sword & Shield and Scarlet & Violet era cards. Values were read on October 16, 2026.

The two grades side by side

PSA's grade definitions contain no separate rules for trading-card games, so a Pokémon card is held to the same wording as a baseball card. Its wording for the top two grades, as reproduced on GameStop's PSA grading page:

Two things follow from that wording. First, a 9 is defined by a limit of one minor flaw: a card with slightly off-white borders can still be a 9, but the definition leaves no room for a second flaw on top. Second, a 10 is not literally flawless; PSA's own lingo calls Gem Mint “a card that is virtually perfect.” Over both sits the grader's judgment. PSA's grading standards say graders may make a judgment call based on the strength or weakness of a card's eye appeal, and that a small centering variance may be permitted on occasion for the same reason. The PSA grading scale covers the grades below 9.

Where modern cards miss the 10

1. Centering

PSA's lingo calls centering “one of the most important factors in determining a card's grade or condition,” and it is the one gap you can measure before you submit. The window between the grades is 5 points on the front (55/45 against 60/40) and 15 points on the back (75/25 against 90/10). A card whose front measures 58/42 has already missed a 10 on the numbers but still fits a 9. When a card meets a grade in every other way but its centering falls short, PSA can add the OC (off-center) qualifier instead of lowering the number; PSA's lingo defines OC as centering that “falls below the minimum standard for the grade.” Measure both sides with the centering calculator.

1. Front at 55/45: the wider side border is 55% of the two side borders together. PSA allows about this much for a GEM-MT 10.
2. Front at 60/40: about the most PSA allows for a MINT 9. A card that falls between the two drawings can still be a 9 but, on the numbers, not a 10.
3. Front band: 10 up to about 55/45, 9 up to about 60/40 — a 5-point window.
4. Back band: 10 up to about 75/25, 9 up to 90/10 — a 15-point window, so the back is far more forgiving.

2. Holo and full-art surfaces

CGC's guide to Pokémon rarity symbols sets out where the foil sits: on a holo card only the Pokémon's art box has the holographic shine, a reverse holo has foil everywhere except the art box, and full art cards are completely holographic. The same guide warns that scratches on the holofoil and blemishes across the surface “will lower the value of any card.” On a full art card, then, the entire face is surface where a scratch or a print line can show. Under PSA's definitions a 10 tolerates only a slight printing imperfection that doesn't hurt the card's appeal, a 9 may carry one minor printing imperfection, and significant print flaws can earn the PD qualifier, which PSA's lingo describes as print flaws that cause a card “to fall below the minimum standard for the grade.”

3. Corners and edges

The 10 definition asks for four perfectly sharp corners, and the 9's list of acceptable flaws does not include corner wear. Soft corners and white flecks along an edge show most clearly on a dark back border. The card condition glossary defines whitening, chipping and the other edge terms.

The price gap on four modern cards

The table uses SLABS card pages on getslabs.io, read on October 16, 2026. On all four pages the PSA 10 value is labelled as PSA's estimate, while the PSA 9 and ungraded values come from PriceCharting and carry the dates shown. SLABS says each value is an average of the last three PSA-only sales, PriceCharting's chart value or PSA's estimate, as noted on each card, and its PSA 10 populations come from PSA's census. To check the estimates, the last column gives the range of the recent PSA 10 sales listed on each page.

Three things stand out in this snapshot:

• The 10 carried the premium. A PSA 10 was valued at 1.7 to 3.2 times a PSA 9 on these four cards, even though each has more than 15,000 PSA 10s in the PSA count shown.
• The 9 sat close to raw. The PSA 9 value was about 5% above the ungraded value for Rayquaza, about 28% above for Umbreon and about 35% above for Venusaur. For Giratina the PSA 9 value ($263) was below the ungraded value ($279).
• Gaps vary card by card. A cllct comparison of PSA 10 and PSA 9 prices, built on Market Movers data, found the same pattern on some ultra-modern sports cards, which it says sell raw for about the same as PSA 9s, and far wider 10-to-9 gaps on condition-sensitive cards. One of its examples, the 1986 Topps Jerry Rice rookie, showed a ratio of 38.70.

These are snapshots: the PSA 10 figures are estimates, the PSA 9 figures are a few days older, and every number moves. Compare like with like — the same card number and the same variant, since a full art and a regular card of the same Pokémon are different cards — and always check the date. Population counts change daily too; our guide to reading population reports explains what they leave out.

Before you send a modern card hoping for a 10

1. Measure centering front and back. Worse than about 55/45 on the front or 75/25 on the back, and a 10 is off the table on the published numbers.
2. Tilt the surface under one light. Look across the foil for scratches and print lines, especially on full art cards.
3. Check all four corners and the back edges for softness and whitening.
4. Count the flaws. One minor print imperfection, slightly off-white borders or a very slight wax stain on the back still fits a 9; two flaws do not.
5. Price both outcomes. Look up dated PSA 10, PSA 9 and ungraded values for the exact card and variant, then add the fee for your service level from PSA fees and turnaround. When the PSA 9 value is close to the raw value, the return on grading rests almost entirely on the 10.
6. Already holding a 9 you think is a 10? PSA's Review service lets you send a card in its current PSA holder for a possible higher grade. PSA says there is no risk of losing the original label and grade if the card does not upgrade, and the cert number stays the same.