Is Tropius worth grading?
Pokémon · Plasma Blast · 5/101 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 531× premium in PSA 8
A PSA 8 Tropius sells for $159 against $0.30 raw: a $159 spread, 531× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.10) 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)
- $0.30
- PSA 8
- $159
- PSA 9
- $22.10
- Gem premium
- 531×
- 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 8 | $159 | +$134 | +$109 | +$8.95 |
| PSA 9 | $22.10 | −$3.20 | −$28.20 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $159 | +$134 | +$109 | +$8.95 |
Net = sale price − $0.30 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% | $56.39 | +$6.09 |
| 50% | $90.67 | +$40.38 |
| 75% | $125 | +$74.66 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 21%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC |
|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | — | $19.00 |
| 9 | $22.10 | $19.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $26.79 |
| 8 | $159 | $5.49 |
| 7.5 | — | $16.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Plasma Blast cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Tropius — FAQ
Is Tropius worth grading?
A PSA 8 Tropius sells for $159 against $0.30 raw: a $159 spread, 531× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($22.10) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Tropius break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Tropius breaks even when it gems about 21% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $22.10).
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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