Is ホエルオーex worth grading?
Pokémon · 砂漠のきせき · 021/053 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of ホエルオーex sell for $1,239, only $0.00 above the $18,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($158) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $18,000
- PSA 10
- $1,239
- PSA 9
- $158
- Gem premium
- 0.1×
- As of
- Aug 10, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $1,239 | −$16,786 | −$16,811 | −$16,911 |
| PSA 9 | $158 | −$17,867 | −$17,892 | −$17,992 |
| PSA 8 | $109 | −$17,916 | −$17,941 | −$18,041 |
Net = sale price − $18,000 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $429 | −$17,621 |
| 50% | $699 | −$17,351 |
| 75% | $969 | −$17,081 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $1,239 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $125 | −$1,114 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $440 | $125 |
| 9.5 | — | $117 |
| 9 | $79.51 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $99.58 |
| 8 | $89.00 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $14.00 |
| 7 | $54.76 | — |
| 6 | $47.42 | — |
| 5 | $15.00 | — |
| 4 | $29.00 | — |
| 2 | $60.00 | — |
| 1 | — | $21.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Full set checklist →Grading ホエルオーex — FAQ
Is ホエルオーex worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of ホエルオーex sell for $1,239, only $0.00 above the $18,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($158) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 ホエルオーex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 ホエルオーex (砂漠のきせき 021/053) sells for about $1,239 versus $18,000 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for ホエルオーex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,239, ahead of CGC 10 at $125. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does ホエルオーex need for a PSA 10?
PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
Is your Pokémon card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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