Is Dark Blastoise worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Rocket · 3/82 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Dark Blastoise sells for $6,747 against $456 raw: a $6,291 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,321) 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)
- $456
- PSA 10
- $6,747
- PSA 9
- $1,321
- Gem premium
- 15×
- As of
- Aug 19, 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 | $6,747 | +$6,266 | +$6,241 | +$6,141 |
| PSA 9 | $1,321 | +$841 | +$816 | +$716 |
| PSA 8 | $651 | +$170 | +$145 | +$45.02 |
Net = sale price − $456 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% | $2,678 | +$2,172 |
| 50% | $4,034 | +$3,528 |
| 75% | $5,390 | +$4,885 |
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 | $6,747 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $2,402 | −$4,344 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $2,300 | −$4,447 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
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 | $3,361 | $872 | — | — | $2,300 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $298 | $740 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $511 | $309 | $327 | $335 | $481 | $540 |
| 8.5 | $179 | $210 | $233 | $102 | $330 | — |
| 8 | $328 | $189 | $233 | $106 | — | $201 |
| 7.5 | $350 | $95.35 | $85.00 | — | $155 | — |
| 7 | $196 | $127 | $47.00 | $250 | $180 | $186 |
| 6.5 | — | $109 | $65.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $143 | $127 | $58.74 | $78.91 | $269 | $187 |
| 5.5 | $145 | $68.84 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $128 | $54.58 | $60.00 | — | — | $94.07 |
| 4.5 | — | $45.45 | — | — | $71.00 | — |
| 4 | $118 | $68.54 | $27.52 | — | — | $95.39 |
| 3.5 | $20.00 | $31.24 | $29.00 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $97.16 | $43.76 | — | $40.00 | — | — |
| 2 | $52.39 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $148 | — | — | $57.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Team Rocket cards worth checking
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Grading Dark Blastoise — FAQ
Is Dark Blastoise worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dark Blastoise sells for $6,747 against $456 raw: a $6,291 spread, 15× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,321) 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 Blastoise worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dark Blastoise (Team Rocket 3/82) sells for about $6,747 versus $456 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Aug 19, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dark Blastoise?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $6,747, ahead of CGC 10 at $2,402. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dark Blastoise 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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