Nearly 8 in 10 Pokémon 30th Celebration Cards Are Grading PSA 10

Pokémon’s 30th Celebration is producing exceptionally strong grading results at PSA, with nearly eight out of every 10 cards graded from the set receiving a PSA 10. PSA shared a new grading snapshot for the anniversary release, reporting a 78.5% Gem Mint rate for Pokémon 30th Celebration. That puts the set comfortably ahead of several other major 2026 English-language Pokémon releases and gives collectors an early look at how the cards are performing once they reach PSA’s grading room.

According to PSA, strong centering is one of the biggest reasons behind the high Gem Mint rate. Graders are seeing good centering overall, while edge quality has also been strong, with only minimal back-edge chipping observed. Surface issues have generally been limited to minor roller marks, another factor helping a large percentage of submitted cards reach PSA 10.

There is one defect collectors should watch for, particularly on cards from the Classic Collection. PSA says some examples have small pinches or indentations along their vertical edges, with Lugia specifically identified as a card where the issue has been seen. Depending on how severe the defect is, PSA says affected cards have received grades ranging from PSA 5 through PSA 8.

That makes the defect especially important for collectors sorting through cards for potential grading submissions. A card may otherwise appear clean in terms of centering, edges and surface quality but still receive a significantly lower grade if one of those vertical-edge indentations is present.

The overall numbers, however, remain unusually strong. PSA reported a 78.5% Gem Rate for 30th Celebration, compared with 63.2% for Ascended Heroes, 62.7% for Perfect Order, 61.7% for Chaos Rising and 53.5% for Pitch Black. That gives 30th Celebration a sizable advantage over the other 2026 English Pokémon releases included in PSA’s comparison. Its Gem Rate is over 15 percentage points higher than Ascended Heroes, the next-highest set in the snapshot, and 25 percentage points above Pitch Black.

With a 78% Gem Rate, Pokémon 30th Celebration currently stands well above the other 2026 English Pokémon sets PSA included in its comparison. While those percentages can change as more cards are submitted and graded, PSA’s current snapshot shows an anniversary set that is grading exceptionally well so far.