{
  "slug": "card-grading-roi",
  "title": "Card Grading ROI Calculator",
  "heading": "Card Grading ROI Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/card-grading-roi",
  "summary": "Is it worth paying to grade that card?",
  "description": "Grading fees, shipping, and turnaround only pay off if the graded comp clears the raw price by enough. This shows expected profit weighted by grade odds.",
  "formula": null,
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=card-grading-roi",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "raw",
      "label": "Raw card value",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 60,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "gem",
      "label": "Gem-mint (10) comp",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 420,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "nine",
      "label": "Grade 9 comp",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 140,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "gemOdds",
      "label": "Odds of a 10",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 20,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "nineOdds",
      "label": "Odds of a 9",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "fee",
      "label": "Grading fee + shipping",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 32,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "profit",
      "label": "Expected profit",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "ev",
      "label": "Expected graded value",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "roi",
      "label": "ROI",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "verdict",
      "label": "Verdict",
      "format": "raw",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Raw card value: 60 $",
      "Gem-mint (10) comp: 420 $",
      "Grade 9 comp: 140 $",
      "Odds of a 10: 20 %",
      "Odds of a 9: 45 %",
      "Grading fee + shipping: 32 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Expected profit: $73.90",
      "Expected graded value: $165.90",
      "ROI: 80.3%",
      "Verdict: Worth grading"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter raw card value ($).",
      "Enter gem-mint (10) comp ($).",
      "Enter grade 9 comp ($).",
      "Enter odds of a 10 (%).",
      "Enter odds of a 9 (%).",
      "Enter grading fee + shipping ($).",
      "Read your expected profit on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "raw": 36,
        "gem": 250,
        "nine": 85,
        "gemOdds": 10,
        "nineOdds": 25,
        "fee": 19
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "raw": 60,
        "gem": 420,
        "nine": 140,
        "gemOdds": 20,
        "nineOdds": 45,
        "fee": 32
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "raw": 96,
        "gem": 670,
        "nine": 225,
        "gemOdds": 30,
        "nineOdds": 70,
        "fee": 51
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the card grading roi calculator work?",
      "a": "Grading fees, shipping, and turnaround only pay off if the graded comp clears the raw price by enough. This shows expected profit weighted by grade odds."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "6 values: raw card value, gem-mint (10) comp, grade 9 comp, odds of a 10, odds of a 9, and grading fee + shipping. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the expected profit result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/reseller-profit",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ebay-fee"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Card Grading ROI Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/card-grading-roi)"
}