Graded slab prices and their evidence
A graded card is not a raw card with a multiplier on top. Grader, grade, printing and population all move the price independently, and the only reliable answer comes from sales of that exact slab.
Updated
Prepared with AI assistance. Source links distinguish marketplace and grading guidance from COMPED’s own pricing method.
Why must slab prices match the grading company?
- The same grade from different companies trades at different prices, and that gap moves over time.
- Population matters: a low-pop 10 on a vintage card behaves nothing like a modern high-pop 10.
- Vintage editions compound the problem — a PSA 10 Shadowless card is a different market from Unlimited.
- Listings are frequently mislabelled, so unfiltered sold data mixes grades, graders and printings together.
- Trophy-tier cards sell rarely and often at auction, so an average of a whole year is meaningless.
How COMPED builds a number
- UK sold data first. Completed eBay UK sales in GBP are the primary evidence. If a card is thinly traded, the search widens to global sold data rather than falling back to a guess.
- Exact printing only. Set, number, language, finish and edition must match — 1st Edition, Shadowless, 4th print and Unlimited are priced as separate cards, as are reverse holos and regional printings.
- Outliers scrubbed. Digby drops damaged copies, lots, proxies, mislabelled graded sales and single freak results before the weighted comp is calculated.
- Condition-anchored. Vintage raw cards are anchored to realistic played grades rather than pretending every copy is Near Mint; modern cards anchor to NM.
- Community-verified. Vendors and collectors confirm prices in the Price Trainer, and that consensus nudges the headline comp on cards where sales are sparse.
- Uncertainty is shown, not hidden. When there is not enough comparable evidence, COMPED says so and shows a range with the sale count behind it.
How does COMPED handle slab evidence?
- Strict matching on card, set, number, printing, grading company and grade before a sale counts as a comp.
- Available sold evidence is checked for mismatched grades, graders and sets. Coverage is incomplete and remains under improvement.
- A quick grade estimate may appear while a lookup continues; it is not a verified sale price.
- GBP conversion so a UK buyer or seller sees the number they will actually transact in.
- Grade-specific chips in search and on the card page, so you can compare grades side by side.
How should I use a slab comp before buying or grading?
Slab and sealed pricing are not yet as well covered as singles. A missing quote or an estimate should not be used as a firm buy-in price. Check the underlying sales for the exact grader, grade and printing before committing money.
A graded Pokémon card decision needs the exact grader, grade and printing. A buyer should compare recent suitable sales rather than a record price. A seller should inspect the recent cluster before choosing a listing range. A collector considering grading should compare the raw value, plausible grade outcomes and total costs; no price quote guarantees the grade a company will assign.
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Common questions
- Are a PSA 10 and a CGC 10 worth the same?
- No. Grader, label type and market perception move the price. COMPED separates company and grade lookups, but direct sale coverage varies; an estimate is not a verified comp.
- Why do slab prices load separately?
- Grade-specific evidence needs a separate lookup. COMPED may show a labelled estimate while it continues, or no quote when evidence is unavailable. This does not hold up the raw-card search.
- How are high-value trophy slabs priced?
- By auction and marketplace sales for that exact card, grade and printing. On six-figure cards a handful of public results is the entire market, so the comp is presented with its evidence rather than as a tidy average.
- Should I grade my card?
- Compare the raw comp against verified comps for the grade you realistically expect, then subtract grading and postage costs. If the gap does not clear those costs with room to spare, grading is a gamble rather than an upgrade.
- Why is a slab sometimes unpriced?
- Low population, missing sales, provider limits or a failed exact match can leave a slab unpriced. Slab coverage is still being improved; no quote is safer than a misleading exact figure.
- Why don't you estimate a slab price from the raw card?
- Raw-to-grade multipliers are not stable across eras, sets or graders. Grade estimates can help orient a lookup, but they are labelled and should not replace verified sales for a buy or sell decision.
- Why are vintage slabs the hardest of all to comp?
- The population is tiny, sales are years apart and one auction result can define the market. Those comps are shown with their evidence and dates attached so you can judge how current they are.
Which sources explain sales and condition?
TCGplayer’s Market Price explanation describes recent completed transactions on its marketplace. Those sales describe that marketplace, not a guaranteed UK selling price. Use the same printing and condition before comparing a marketplace reference with a GBP comp.
PSA’s official grading standards describe the condition requirements for PSA grades. A raw card is not automatically a PSA 10, and prices from different grades are not interchangeable. These standards explain condition; they do not establish the value of a particular card.
For raw singles, TCGplayer’s condition overview distinguishes Near Mint, Lightly Played, Moderately Played, Heavily Played and Damaged. Check surfaces, edges and corners rather than relying on a seller’s headline.