Is Water Energy worth grading?
Pokémon · Base Set 2 · 130/130 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Water Energy sell for $19.07, only $18.66 above the $0.41 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.75) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $0.41
- PSA 10
- $19.07
- PSA 9
- $12.75
- Gem premium
- 47×
- As of
- Sep 27, 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 | $19.07 | −$6.34 | −$31.34 | −$131 |
| PSA 9 | $12.75 | −$12.66 | −$37.66 | −$138 |
| PSA 8 | $17.01 | −$8.40 | −$33.40 | −$133 |
Net = sale price − $0.41 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% | $14.33 | −$36.08 |
| 50% | $15.91 | −$34.50 |
| 75% | $17.49 | −$32.92 |
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 | $19.07 | best | 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.
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Other Base Set 2 cards worth checking
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Grading Water Energy — FAQ
Is Water Energy worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Water Energy sell for $19.07, only $18.66 above the $0.41 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.75) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Water Energy worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Water Energy (Base Set 2 130/130) sells for about $19.07 versus $0.41 for a raw near-mint copy — a 47× premium as of Sep 27, 2026.
What centering does Water Energy 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.
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