{
  "url": "https://www.moonstonehq.com/articles/the-psa-9-discount-curve",
  "slug": "the-psa-9-discount-curve",
  "title": "The PSA 9 Discount Curve: Vintage 9s Cost 18 Cents on the Dollar, Modern 9s Cost 38",
  "summary": "Across 78 cards with verified sold medians in both grades, a PSA 9 costs a median 31% of the PSA 10. But the era split is the real finding: WotC and EX-era 9s trade near 17 to 18 cents on the PSA 10 dollar while Sword & Shield era 9s cost 38. One of those discounts is mispriced.",
  "section": "Investment research",
  "published": "2026-08-26",
  "readMinutes": 7,
  "publisher": "moonstone",
  "findings": [],
  "tables": [
    {
      "title": "The steepest cliffs on the board",
      "columns": [
        "Card",
        "PSA 10",
        "PSA 9",
        "9 as % of 10"
      ],
      "rows": [
        {
          "Card": "[Zapdos](/card/g1-29), [Generations](/set/generations)",
          "PSA 10": "$2,800 (3 sales)",
          "PSA 9": "$150 (14 sales)",
          "9 as % of 10": "5.4%"
        },
        {
          "Card": "[Paradise Resort](/card/svp-150) (Worlds 2024), SVP Promos",
          "PSA 10": "$493 (17)",
          "PSA 9": "$36 (27)",
          "9 as % of 10": "7.3%"
        },
        {
          "Card": "[Riolu](/card/sv01-215), [Scarlet & Violet](/set/scarlet%20%26%20violet)",
          "PSA 10": "$350 (35)",
          "PSA 9": "$35 (86)",
          "9 as % of 10": "10.1%"
        },
        {
          "Card": "Charizard (Evolutions Prerelease), XY Promos",
          "PSA 10": "$6,999 (3)",
          "PSA 9": "$721 (26)",
          "9 as % of 10": "10.3%"
        },
        {
          "Card": "[Maushold](/card/sv02-226), [Paldea Evolved](/set/paldea%20evolved)",
          "PSA 10": "$700 (61)",
          "PSA 9": "$76 (124)",
          "9 as % of 10": "10.8%"
        },
        {
          "Card": "[Salamence ex](/card/ex16-96), [Power Keepers](/set/power%20keepers)",
          "PSA 10": "$4,200 (10)",
          "PSA 9": "$455 (26)",
          "9 as % of 10": "10.8%"
        },
        {
          "Card": "Charizard, SM Black Star Promos",
          "PSA 10": "$6,350 (4)",
          "PSA 9": "$720 (3)",
          "9 as % of 10": "11.3%"
        },
        {
          "Card": "[Sabrina's Gengar](/card/gym2-29), [Gym Challenge](/set/gym%20challenge)",
          "PSA 10": "$3,591 (6)",
          "PSA 9": "$413 (26)",
          "9 as % of 10": "11.5%"
        },
        {
          "Card": "[Arcanine ex](/card/ex12-83), Legend Maker",
          "PSA 10": "$6,888 (4)",
          "PSA 9": "$839 (17)",
          "9 as % of 10": "12.2%"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "charts": [
    {
      "title": "Median PSA 9 price as a share of the PSA 10, by era",
      "unit": "%",
      "note": "76 of the 78 verified pairs, August 2026; two sit in era windows too thin to print as a band",
      "points": [
        {
          "label": "EX era (2003-2007)",
          "value": 17.2,
          "basis": "10 pairs"
        },
        {
          "label": "WotC (1999-2003)",
          "value": 18,
          "basis": "6 pairs"
        },
        {
          "label": "BW/XY (2011-2017)",
          "value": 18,
          "basis": "8 pairs"
        },
        {
          "label": "Sun & Moon (2017-2019)",
          "value": 25.6,
          "basis": "10 pairs"
        },
        {
          "label": "SV/Mega (2023-2026)",
          "value": 33.6,
          "basis": "28 pairs"
        },
        {
          "label": "Sword & Shield (2020-2022)",
          "value": 37.7,
          "basis": "14 pairs"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sections": [
    "Why the cliff is a gem-rate story",
    "Which side is mispriced"
  ],
  "method": [
    "All 84 cards in moonstone's graded database holding a current verified sold median in both PSA 10 and PSA 9 with at least three sales per grade, as of August 26, 2026. Six pairs where the 9 median exceeded the 10 were excluded as thin-sample inversions and disclosed above. Medians come from eBay sold listings individually verified by our pipeline. Era assignment follows set release windows, and the era chart covers 76 of the 78 pairs: two sit in windows too thin to print as their own band and are excluded from that chart only, not from the 31% median. The steepest-cliffs table lists the nine steepest pairs; the Evolutions Prerelease Charizard row carries a PSA 10 median that had not refreshed since July 21, as does the SM Black Star Promos Charizard row. Sample counts shown per row. Not financial advice."
  ],
  "terms": "Figures are moonstone's own recorded measurements, dated as published. Quote them with the population stated beside them. The article at `url` is the human form of this file."
}