Is Articuno-EX worth grading?
Pokémon · プラズマゲイル · 072/070 · full price guide →
Worth grading only if it gems
A PSA 10 Articuno-EX brings $1,968 versus $1,500 raw — a $468 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($305) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
- Raw (NM)
- $1,500
- PSA 10
- $1,968
- PSA 9
- $305
- Gem premium
- 1.3×
- 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 | $1,968 | +$443 | +$418 | +$318 |
| PSA 9 | $305 | −$1,220 | −$1,245 | −$1,345 |
| PSA 8 | $73.96 | −$1,451 | −$1,476 | −$1,576 |
Net = sale price − $1,500 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% | $720 | −$830 |
| 50% | $1,136 | −$414 |
| 75% | $1,552 | +$2.28 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 75%. 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 | $2,255 | 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 | BGS |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,255 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $89.00 |
| 9 | $293 | — |
| 8 | $245 | — |
| 7 | $150 | — |
| 6 | $90.00 | — |
| 3 | $18.00 | — |
| 1 | $108 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other プラズマゲイル cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Articuno-EX — FAQ
Is Articuno-EX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Articuno-EX brings $1,968 versus $1,500 raw — a $468 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($305) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
How much is a PSA 10 Articuno-EX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Articuno-EX (プラズマゲイル 072/070) sells for about $1,968 versus $1,500 for a raw near-mint copy — a 1.3× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Articuno-EX 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 Articuno-EX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Articuno-EX breaks even when it gems about 75% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $305).
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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