Is Empoleon worth grading?
Pokémon · Dark Explorers · 29/108 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Empoleon sells for $128 against $9.92 raw: a $118 spread, 13× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($59.70) 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)
- $9.92
- PSA 10
- $128
- PSA 9
- $59.70
- 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 | $128 | +$92.89 | +$67.89 | −$32.11 |
| PSA 9 | $59.70 | +$24.78 | −$0.22 | −$100 |
| PSA 8 | $10.70 | −$24.22 | −$49.22 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $9.92 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% | $76.73 | +$16.81 |
| 50% | $93.75 | +$33.83 |
| 75% | $111 | +$50.86 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. 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 | $128 | best | 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 |
|---|---|
| 10 | $128 |
| 9 | $46.00 |
| 8 | $29.89 |
| 7 | $7.02 |
| 6 | $6.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Dark Explorers cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Empoleon — FAQ
Is Empoleon worth grading?
A PSA 10 Empoleon sells for $128 against $9.92 raw: a $118 spread, 13× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($59.70) 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 Empoleon worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Empoleon (Dark Explorers 29/108) sells for about $128 versus $9.92 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Empoleon 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 Empoleon break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Empoleon breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $59.70).
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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