Is Dark Alakazam worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Rocket · 18/82 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Dark Alakazam sells for $495 against $32.27 raw: a $463 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($151) 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)
- $32.27
- PSA 10
- $495
- PSA 9
- $151
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 | $495 | +$438 | +$413 | +$313 |
| PSA 9 | $151 | +$93.75 | +$68.75 | −$31.25 |
| PSA 8 | $84.80 | +$27.53 | +$2.53 | −$97.47 |
Net = sale price − $32.27 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% | $237 | +$155 |
| 50% | $323 | +$241 |
| 75% | $409 | +$327 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $495 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $221 | −$274 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $65.00 | −$430 | 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 | $174 | $20.00 | — | $65.00 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $97.00 | $149 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $94.74 | $40.00 | $34.00 | — | — | $60.00 |
| 8.5 | $25.00 | $41.86 | — | $19.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $55.01 | $38.15 | — | $35.00 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $28.94 | — | — | $35.00 | — |
| 7 | $28.42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $20.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $10.54 | — | — | $6.00 | $15.50 | — |
| 5.5 | — | $12.00 | $18.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $16.40 | $39.20 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $18.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $15.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $26.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Team Rocket cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Dark Alakazam — FAQ
Is Dark Alakazam worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dark Alakazam sells for $495 against $32.27 raw: a $463 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($151) 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 Dark Alakazam worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dark Alakazam (Team Rocket 18/82) sells for about $495 versus $32.27 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dark Alakazam?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $495, ahead of CGC 10 at $221. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dark Alakazam 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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