Pokémon remains the clearest example of the value gap created by grading difficulty. A PSA 10 for many modern Pokémon cards can be worth 5–20x more than a Near Mint raw copy. Why? Because Pokémon print quality has been inconsistent , especially during boom years. Centering issues, edge whitening, surface scratches—many cards come straight out of packs already disqualified from PSA 10 eligibility. I recently sent in a large batch of Pokémon cards for grading and was surprised, even a bit shocked, at how few 10s were returned. Achieving a PSA 10 in Pokémon isn’t just difficult—it’s becoming increasingly rare.
On the other hand, One Piece TCG tells a completely different story. Bandai’s print quality is exceptional. Centering is consistent, surfaces are clean, and edge wear is minimal. Part of this may be because One Piece print demand, while growing rapidly, still isn’t forcing printers to operate at the nonstop, overloaded pace seen in Pokémon production. With cleaner cards entering PSA’s system, One Piece has a much higher PSA 10 gem rate , meaning collectors often see more 10s than 9s in submissions.
But this leads to a new question: How does a high gem rate affect long-term PSA 10 value in One Piece? If thousands of cards grade PSA 10 with ease, the premium for a 10 won’t be nearly as dramatic as Pokémon’s. A PSA 10 One Piece card might be worth 1.5x or 3x the raw value, compared to Pokémon’s massive multipliers. This isn’t necessarily bad—it simply means the grading scale and rarity premium will be shaped differently in this TCG. The market will reward scarcity, low populations, and early-set print differences rather than just the label alone.
Going into 2026, collectors need to adapt their grading strategy. Pokémon will continue to reward the chase for 10s because of low gem rates and high demand; scarcity drives the premium. One Piece, however, rewards character popularity , set importance , and artwork desirability more than the number on the label, since 10s are more common. Understanding the difference between these ecosystems will help collectors make smarter decisions—and avoid disappointment—when sending cards in for grading. The world of PSA 10s isn’t one-size-fits-all anymore, and the sooner collectors adjust, the better their long-term gains will be.