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 $20.86, only $20.54 above the $0.32 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.77) 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)
- $0.32
- PSA 10
- $20.86
- PSA 9
- $10.77
- Gem premium
- 65×
- 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 | $20.86 | −$4.46 | −$29.46 | −$129 |
| PSA 9 | $10.77 | −$14.55 | −$39.55 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $16.33 | −$8.99 | −$33.99 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $0.32 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% | $13.29 | −$37.03 |
| 50% | $15.81 | −$34.51 |
| 75% | $18.34 | −$31.98 |
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 | $20.86 | 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.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $20.86 | — |
| 9 | $10.77 | — |
| 8 | $16.33 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $2.00 |
| 7 | $68.79 | — |
| 6 | $11.50 | — |
| 4 | — | $250 |
| 1 | — | $29.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Base Set 2 cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Water Energy — FAQ
Is Water Energy worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Water Energy sell for $20.86, only $20.54 above the $0.32 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($10.77) 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 $20.86 versus $0.32 for a raw near-mint copy — a 65× premium as of Aug 10, 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.
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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