PSA 9 or PSA 10: the right choice depends on your collection and budget. PSA 10 is Gem Mint, the highest grade on the PSA scale. PSA 9, known as Mint, is still an excellent grade. If you mainly want a particular illustration, also consider the exact card, language and total price: the grade alone is not enough to decide.
What is the difference between PSA 9 and PSA 10?
| Criterion | PSA 9 | PSA 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Grade name | Mint | Gem Mint |
| Assessed condition | An almost perfect card with a minor flaw allowed under PSA criteria. | A virtually perfect card meeting the most demanding criteria on the PSA scale. |
| Your priority | An option to compare if you want a specific card in very good condition. | A suitable choice if you want to build a collection with PSA’s highest grade. |
| Budget | Less expensive than grade 10. | Check whether the extra cost for grade 10 matches your priority. |
The difference can be difficult to judge from a photo. The PSA guide explains that a card graded 9 may have a minor printing imperfection or a slight centering issue. The official standards also specify that a 10 does not rule out every printing imperfection: a slight imperfection may be allowed if it does not impair the card’s overall appeal. “PSA 10” therefore does not mean “absolute perfection from every angle”.
Two questions to help you choose your card
1. Does the card or the grade appeal to you first?
If you want to collect your favourite illustrations of a Pokémon, a PSA 9 card may suit your plans. If your aim is a set made up entirely of PSA 10 cards, the grade is part of your collecting criteria: a 9 will not meet the same goal, even if the illustration is identical.
2. How much do you want to spend on this purchase?
Set your total budget, then compare prices. If PSA 10 is beyond that budget, you can wait, look for another card you like or consider a different grade. The number on the holder should not make you forget what you wanted to collect.
How can you compare prices accurately?
Start with the exact card reference, then distinguish asking prices from completed sales. PSA recommends looking for completed sales that match the card’s characteristics and grade. For your purchase, also check when those sales took place and any charges that apply to your order.
Avoid deciding based on a rule such as “a PSA 10 is always worth three times a PSA 9”. Compare the prices of copies of the specific card you are looking for. A condition grade is neither a fixed market value nor a promise of future price increases.
At Minty Card, our selection focuses on Japanese Pokémon cards graded PSA 10. You can sort it by price, then check each product page for the card reference and availability. This lets you choose an illustration within your budget while keeping the grade you want.
What should you check on an already graded card?
- The card reference: make sure the name, number, set and language match what you are looking for.
- The grade: distinguish the PSA grade from the card’s rarity. AR and SAR are not condition grades.
- The certification: enter the unique number on the label into the official PSA certification verification tool, then compare the information with your card. PSA states that a valid number alone is not enough to authenticate an item offered by a seller.
Certification numbers are masked in Minty Card images to protect our customers’ privacy. You can verify the number on the copy you receive after delivery. It is different from the card’s number within its set.
Your questions before choosing
Is a PSA 9 a bad card?
No. It corresponds to the Mint grade, very high on the PSA scale. Its appeal to you depends on the card you want and how much the grade matters in your collection.
Is a card fresh from a booster pack necessarily PSA 10?
No. PSA’s criteria assess the card’s condition, including printing and centering. A new card has not yet received that assessment, so where it came from does not guarantee a grade.
Does Minty Card offer a card grading service?
Our collection features Japanese cards already graded PSA 10. Buying a card from this collection is not a grading service for a card you already own.
Find a card that suits your collection
Looking for a Japanese illustration already graded at the top of the PSA scale? Explore our Japanese Pokémon PSA 10 cards. For a question about a specific card or an image, you can also contact us.
Sources consulted on 27 September 2026: PSA grading standards, getting started guide and certification verification tool, linked in this article.