PSA 6 Represents an Excellent Value Tier for Collectible Pokémon Cards

As an avid Pokémon card collector and content creator myself, I definitely consider PSA 6 to be a "good" grade tier for collectible Pokémon cards that holds tremendous appeal. Graded PSA 6 Pokémon provide an affordable path to quality, protected examples of beloved monsters and trainers, whether your goal is investing, completing sets, or just recapturing childhood nostalgia.

Understanding How PSA 6 Fits Within the Grading Scale

For context, PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) utilizes a grading scale from 1-10 to reflect a card‘s condition, with 10 representing absolute mint state and 1 being poor. PSA broke down their scale into categories, with 6 falling under "Excellent":

So PSA 6 already signals a nice looking card, but what keeps it from reaching Mint grades? Potentially:

• Very minor corner blunting, edge fraying
• A light surface scratch or scuff only visible upon close inspection
• Slightly off-center borders or miscut edges
• Subtle fading or discoloration
• Tiny print dots or imperfection detectable under magnification
• Slight bending at a couple points

You can visualize the extent of wear from actual graded examples:

Minor corner wear and scuffs on holo, but strong eye appeal

So PSA 6 exhibits no major condition issues – just some light imperfections accrued through previous handling and play. This is where it diverges from Mint grade territory.

Population Rarity Between Grades

Out of over 40 million total cards PSA has graded, only 14.5% have achieved PSA 10. By contrast, well over 1 million have earned PSA 6 status, approximately 7% of PSA‘s graded card population.

You can observe the sharp drop-off toward pristine tiers in the populations of key issues:

So we can see PSA 6 examples are far more achievable for the majority of collectors out there.

Why Graded PSA 6 Pokémon Are So Appealing

There are definite financial and sentimental incentives for collectors to pursue PSA 6 specimens:

More Affordability

PSA 6 prices can be hundreds or thousands below their PSA 9 and 10 counterparts. For example a PSA 6 1st Edition Charizard recently sold for $2,300, whereas the last PSA 10 fetched over $50k!

Completing Graded Sets

Collectors attempting full PSA-graded sets will almost always have to settle for PSA 6 copies of certain ultra rare cards where PSA 7-10s may be non-existent or unattainable.

Strong Nostalgia

The minor wearing characterizing PSA 6 cards indicates they were actually enjoyed and handled, unlike pristine graded cards that went right from pack to protector. This can powerfully transport collectors back to childhood.

Light binder ring indentations visible on these PSA 6 WOTC holos

And condition is not the sole value determinant – popularity, scarcity, and special attributes like 1st edition stamps also weigh heavily. For example, an imperfect PSA 6 1st Edition Base Set Charizard still commands tremendous reverence and market value.

Recent Market Sales of Graded PSA 6 Pokémon Cards

These 2023 sales from major marketplaces demonstrate PSA 6 Pokémon continue enjoying strong collector demand:

• PSA 6 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard – $2,800 (Feb 2023, PWCC)
• PSA 6 Skyridge Crystal Ho-oh – $450 (Jan 2023, eBay)
• PSA 6 Roaring Skies Full Art Rayquaza – $215 (Dec 2022, eBay)
• PSA 6 Aquapolis Crystal Golem – $150 (Feb 2023, eBay)
• PSA 6 Team Rocket Dark Dragonite Holo – $140 (Jan 2023, eBay)

Now those amounts certainly pale compared to successor grade tiers. Recent examples:

• PSA 8 1st Ed. Charizard – $7,900
• PSA 9 Crystal Ho-oh – $3,200
• PSA 10 Hidden Fates Charizard – $900

But relatively, PSA 6s provide fantastic value given their higher populations and obtainability. Even modern "straight from pack to protector" submissions like the Full Art Rayquaza will fall short of perfection, lending strength to PSA 6 examples.

Why Graded PSA 6 is Preferred Over Raw

Raw Pokémon cards (ungraded with no protective casing) listed in similar Very Good-Excellent (VG-EX) condition as PSA 6 still sell for lower values than their graded counterparts.

Raw Crystal cards compared to PSA 6 examples

Buyers perceive greater risk purchasing raw cards whose authenticity and quality relies wholly on seller reputation and images. By contrast, PSA‘s well-known brand, certification, and holder provide increased buyer confidence, driving up prices. Modern cards in particular close this gap however as more sellers gain trusted grading expertise.

PSA 6 Delivers Better Value Than Crossover Grades

PSA reigns supreme as the most widely recognized and trusted authority in trading card grading. Thus, PSA 6 examples typically outpace cards graded 6 (or "Qualified") through alternatives like Beckett Grading Services (BGS), despite intended parity across companies. Simply put, PSA pedigree brings higher demand.

For the same Crystal Lugia example earlier:

• PSA 6 Recent Sale – $450
• BGS 6 Recent Sale – $150

Now collector preferences always vary. For vintage cards with significant condition variance like 1960s baseball, BGS holds tougher grading standards. But for modern product, PSA remains king of marketability.

Should You Pursue Raw, Graded, PSA, BGS? It Depends!

As both a collector and content creator, I‘m often asked what method of collecting offers "the best" option. Honestly it depends entirely on personal collecting goals:

Investing For Profit – Graded cards, particularly PSA and BGS examples, will generally yield the highest ROI and liquidity. Target newer sealed product or modern rookie cards.

Completing Sets – Raw can make the most sense for large sets where grading every common card is cost prohibitive. But utilize grading for condensing iconic chase cards from a set like Charizards!

Casual Enjoyment – Nothing beats cracking packs and pulling that chase card for a rush of nostalgia! Then store your hits carefully in binders to admire.

Competitive Play – Viable tournament decks require raw NM/M copies. But consider grading duplicate special cards like old school Charizards and sealed product for protection and future value.

The beauty of Pokémon collecting is that we all pursue different goals across a 25 year span of amazing artwork and innovations. Figure out your motivation and budget, then determine where raw cards, protective grading, PSA vs. BGS etc. best aligns!

As a well-respected PSA grade achievable for collectors of all means, PSA 6 hits the sweet spot between lower conditioned raw cards and prohibitive Mint 9 or Gem 10 examples. Signifying Excellent appeal and playability, PSA 6s display just enough character to reminisce about the past, while still presenting well.

For investors, PSA 6 offers affordable access to protected graded Pokémon. And for set builders, PSA 6 remains attractive as that elusive Charizard or Crystals realistically max out here.

So when both your budget and that nostalgic part of your soul crave an encapsulated taste of Pokémon glory, set your sights on PSA 6!