Population Report

A population report, or pop report, is a grading company's running count of how many copies of a card it has graded at each grade level. Collectors use it to judge how scarce a particular grade really is for a given card, which is a key input into what a high grade is worth.

The important thing about a pop report is that it is a living number. It grows over time as more cards are submitted and graded, so it should be treated as the current source of truth rather than a fixed figure to memorize. A card with very few examples at the top grade is condition-scarce even if the card itself is common. Checking the current pop report before paying a premium for a top grade is a basic piece of collector diligence.