Is Dragonair worth grading?
Pokémon · Base Set 2 · 22/130 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Dragonair sells for $133 against $10.00 raw: a $123 spread, 13× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.65) 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)
- $10.00
- PSA 10
- $133
- PSA 9
- $52.65
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $133 | +$98.05 | +$73.05 | −$26.95 |
| PSA 9 | $52.65 | +$17.65 | −$7.35 | −$107 |
| PSA 8 | $16.04 | −$18.96 | −$43.96 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $10.00 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% | $72.75 | +$12.75 |
| 50% | $92.85 | +$32.85 |
| 75% | $113 | +$52.95 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 9%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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 | $133 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $69.99 | −$63.06 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $133 | $69.99 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $29.88 | — |
| 9 | $52.65 | $25.46 | — |
| 8.5 | — | — | $24.00 |
| 8 | $16.04 | $13.03 | — |
| 7 | $23.09 | $20.93 | — |
| 6.5 | — | $16.00 | — |
| 6 | $14.89 | — | — |
| 5 | $7.50 | — | — |
| 4 | $11.99 | — | — |
| 3 | $8.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Base Set 2 cards worth checking
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Grading Dragonair — FAQ
Is Dragonair worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dragonair sells for $133 against $10.00 raw: a $123 spread, 13× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.65) 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 Set 2 22/130) sells for about $133 versus $10.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dragonair?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $133, ahead of CGC 10 at $69.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dragonair 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.
What gem rate makes grading Dragonair break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dragonair breaks even when it gems about 9% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $52.65).
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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