Is Dragonair worth grading?
Pokémon · Base · 18/102 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Dragonair sells for $450 against $178 raw: a $272 spread, 2.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($638) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $178
- PSA 10
- $450
- PSA 9
- $638
- Gem premium
- 2.5×
- 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 | $450 | +$247 | +$222 | +$122 |
| PSA 9 | $638 | +$435 | +$410 | +$310 |
| PSA 8 | $341 | +$138 | +$113 | +$13.26 |
Net = sale price − $178 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% | $591 | +$363 |
| 50% | $544 | +$316 |
| 75% | $497 | +$269 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $1,069 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| PSA 10 | $1,034 | −$34.63 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $144 | −$925 | 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 | BGS | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,034 | $253 | — | $144 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $128 | $84.00 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $232 | $63.64 | $650 | — | $74.74 | $84.98 |
| 8.5 | $25.00 | $74.57 | — | $9.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $120 | $55.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $23.10 | $123 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $66.99 | $100 | — | $13.00 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $42.00 | — | — | $24.99 | — |
| 6 | $31.56 | $18.96 | — | $115 | $11.00 | — |
| 5.5 | — | $130 | $10.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $25.07 | $24.80 | — | — | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | $149 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $21.97 | $6.99 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $18.00 | $89.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $13.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $70.93 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Base cards worth checking
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Grading Dragonair — FAQ
Is Dragonair worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dragonair sells for $450 against $178 raw: a $272 spread, 2.5× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($638) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Dragonair worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dragonair (Base 18/102) sells for about $450 versus $178 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2.5× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dragonair?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $1,069, ahead of PSA 10 at $1,034. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dragonair need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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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