GameStop’s graded cards are changing the game for Pokemon collectors

The graded card market looks like a complicated place on first glance.

There are myriad services, for instance, from PSA to Beckett to CGC and more. Then on top of grades from 1-10 are labels such as “gem mint” and “pristine.”

So if you’ve ever wondered where to start into slabs, consider GameStop of all places.

The world’s largest retail gaming and trade-in destination started both buying and selling PSA-graded cards earlier this year — and they’re listed at some of the best prices available.

Yes, the same shop that has sold you laughably short on used video games for decades is making an aggressive splash into a new corner of the Pokemon Trading Card Game market.

GameStop’s stock consists of PSA 8s, 9s and 10s. Most cards are modern, given they must carry PSA’s Lighthouse label introduced as a security measure in 2017.

The best part: GameStop’s Pro Member discount — available for $25 annually — grants a 15% discount if purchasing or a 15% bonus if trading in slabs.

On top of that, GameStop is already pricing cards under “market value.” For instance on Wednesday, a PSA 10 Miriam — a Special Illustration Rare from the Scarlet & Violet base set — showed three figures: a $95 market value, $90 sale price and $76.49 price tag for Pros.

PriceCharting.com lists Miriam at $94.86 in a PSA 10.

In recent days Evolving Skies’ Umbreon, Fusion Strike’s Gengar and a number of other top cards have passed through GameStop’s online store in PSA 10s all with similarly competitive prices, plus Pro discounts. The big cards tend to go fast, but it’s worth seeing if you can snipe one versus getting into an eBay bidding war.

GameStop’s entry to slabs could go similarly to TikTok Shop’s aggressive, coupon-laden introduction last year. The deals were enjoyed by many but eventually stopped.

Still, GameStop is months into this experiment without showing signs of killing the discounts. Plus, as a publicly traded company needing to reinvent itself, this could be a play to lure happy new customers through slabs now before marketing other products to them later.

To those have been taking advantage of this for months: Our apologies. The secret is getting out.