Is Ekans worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Rocket · 56/82 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 56× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ekans sells for $101 against $1.82 raw: a $99.37 spread, 56× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.77) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.82
- PSA 10
- $101
- PSA 9
- $24.77
- Gem premium
- 56×
- 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 | $101 | +$74.37 | +$49.37 | −$50.63 |
| PSA 9 | $24.77 | −$2.05 | −$27.05 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $19.48 | −$7.34 | −$32.34 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $1.82 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% | $43.88 | −$7.95 |
| 50% | $62.98 | +$11.16 |
| 75% | $82.08 | +$30.27 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 35%. 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 | $101 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $31.00 | −$70.19 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $60.77 | $31.00 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $19.99 | $33.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $24.70 | $6.00 | $20.00 | — | $9.25 |
| 8.5 | $12.54 | $14.10 | $14.89 | $7.00 | $13.87 |
| 8 | $8.50 | $5.56 | — | $18.00 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $6.82 | — | — | $18.99 |
| 7 | $7.00 | $7.50 | — | $14.00 | — |
| 6.5 | — | $0.01 | $5.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $7.00 | $9.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $16.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $4.00 | — | — | — | — |
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 Ekans — FAQ
Is Ekans worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ekans sells for $101 against $1.82 raw: a $99.37 spread, 56× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.77) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Ekans worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ekans (Team Rocket 56/82) sells for about $101 versus $1.82 for a raw near-mint copy — a 56× premium as of Aug 19, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ekans?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $101, ahead of CGC 10 at $31.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ekans 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 Ekans break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ekans breaks even when it gems about 35% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.77).
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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