What the PSA pop report is
PSA describes the Population Report as a tally of every card it has ever graded and encapsulated, broken down by set, player and grade. You can look up, for example, how many copies of one card PSA has graded NM-MT 8 and compare that with how many it has graded Gem Mint 10. PSA launched a search-based version in 2018 where you type the year, set and subject (for example "1960 Topps Carl Yastrzemski") and land on a real-time report for that card.
When we checked on October 18, 2026, PSA's pop report pages sent us to a PSA account sign-in screen before showing any counts. Individual certificate pages were still public, and each one shows the card's PSA Population and PSA Pop Higher.
How to read a row: grades, Pop Higher and qualifiers
A pop report row is one specific card: year, set, card number, subject and any variety. Across the row are counts for each grade, from Authentic up to Gem Mint 10, plus a total.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Pop (population) | How many copies PSA has graded at that exact grade |
| Pop Higher | How many copies PSA has graded above that grade |
| Total | All copies of that card PSA has graded and slabbed |
| Auth | Cards slabbed as authentic without a numeric grade |
| Qualifiers | Grades with a qualifier attached, such as MK for marks or writing |
| Variety | The label detail that separates versions of the same card, such as a printing variation or edition |
Here is a real example from a public PSA cert page. A 1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas "No Name on Front" in NM-MT 8 shows a PSA Population of 101 and a Pop Higher of 20. That means PSA has graded 101 copies of that exact card at an 8 and 20 copies higher than an 8. Pop Higher is the number buyers watch most, because it tells you how many copies sit above the one you're looking at.
Depending on the view, the report can show half-point grades and qualified grades separately from plain whole-number grades. Because the full report was behind a sign-in when we checked, read the column labels on the row in front of you rather than assuming a layout.
Using pop to judge PSA 10 scarcity and value
A low PSA 10 count can support a higher price, but only when the card is actually hard to get in a 10. PSA's own editors make this point. They describe a Gretzky rookie that took years of heavy submissions before PSA graded a single 10, which is real condition scarcity. They also describe a collector who paid about $500 for a "Pop 4" PSA 9 that was probably worth $10, because the card was low pop only since almost nobody bothered to submit it.
So ask two questions before you pay a premium for low pop.
- Is the total high? A card with 5,000 graded copies and 40 PSA 10s is a tough 10. A card with 12 graded copies and 2 PSA 10s just hasn't been tested.
- Do sold prices agree? Pop is supply. Price comes from demand. Check recent sales at each grade before deciding a low number makes a card valuable.
The gap between a PSA 10 and a PSA 9 is usually where the money is. Our PSA 10 vs PSA 9 guide covers how big that gap tends to be and why.
Pop vs print run
PSA states plainly that its population numbers do not represent all cards in existence, only the ones PSA has graded. Pokémon and most modern sports sets don't publish print runs, so the pop report is often the closest public number collectors have. It is still a count of what people chose to send in, and people mostly send their best copies. PSA notes that if every vintage card were graded, the low-grade counts would explode, not the high-grade ones.
For a modern card, a growing pop also means supply is still arriving. A brand-new chase card can see its PSA 10 count climb fast for months as people grade their pulls.
Japanese and variant matching
The pop report is only useful if you're reading the row for the exact card you own. These are the common ways people misread it.
- Language. Japanese and English Pokémon cards are listed under different sets. A Japanese promo and the English print of the same art are different rows.
- Card number and set. Reprints and alternate versions share names and artwork. Match the card number and the set name on your card to the row.
- Varieties. Holo, reverse holo, 1st Edition, shadowless, stamped promos and error versions are separate rows when PSA recognizes them. The cert example above lists "No Name on Front" as its variety.
- Late-recognized varieties. PSA has said it began recognizing some varieties within sets long after it started grading them, so older copies of a variety may sit in the base row.
If you're not sure which version you have, identify it first. Getting the variety wrong can make a common card look rare, or the other way around. Our Pokémon card value guide covers how to find the right version and price.
Gem rate and what it means for grading odds
Gem rate is the share of graded copies that came back a 10. You work it out from the row yourself.
Gem rate = PSA 10 count / total graded
If a card has 2,000 graded copies and 300 are PSA 10, the gem rate is 15%. If another card has 2,000 graded and 1,400 PSA 10s, the gem rate is 70%. The first card is tough to gem, so a 10 likely carries a big premium. The second card gems easily, so a 10 is common and a 9 may be hard to sell for much.
Gem rate is a useful starting point, but it is not your odds. The people who submitted those cards already picked their best copies, and many lesser copies were never sent. Your card's odds depend on its own centering, corners, edges and surface. Use the gem rate to set expectations, then check the card you're holding. The is my card worth grading calculator lets you test the math at a 9 and a 10.
Pop report limits: crack-outs, rejects and the login wall
- Rejected cards aren't counted. PSA says the numbers do not include cards rejected for alteration, restoration or questionable authenticity.
- Ungraded cards aren't counted. Most copies of most cards have never been graded.
- Crack-outs and resubmissions. Collectors sometimes break a card out of its slab and resubmit it hoping for a higher grade. PSA's articles that we found do not explain how those resubmissions affect the count, so treat a high-grade pop on a valuable card as an upper bound, not an exact headcount.
- Early data is less detailed. PSA has said it didn't note some backs and varieties in its early years, which can make old counts deceiving.
- The login wall. As of October 18, 2026, the full pop report asked us to sign in to a PSA account first. Cert pages, which show Population and Pop Higher for one slab, were public.
- It is PSA only. Copies graded by CGC, BGS, SGC or TAG don't appear. A card can be low pop at PSA and common at another grader.
The pop report tells you what already exists in a grade. It can't tell you what your card will get. For that, look at the card itself. Binder AI estimates a grade on the PSA, BGS or TAG scale from photos of the front and back, with centering, corners, edges and surface subgrades, and shows eBay sold prices and a graded value table so you can weigh the estimate against real sales. It's an estimate, not an official grade. The app is free to download, and grading is included in a subscription of $1.99/week, $3.99/month or $24.99/year on the website ($4.99/month or $29.99/year in the App Store).
Sources, checked October 18, 2026: PSA: Market Report, Population Perspective, PSA: Population Reports, What You Need to Know, PSA unveils search-based Population Report, PSA cert 06168077, PSA grading standards (qualifiers), PSA Population Report.
