Is Articuno-EX worth grading?
Pokémon · Plasma Storm · 25/135 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 62× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Articuno-EX sells for $1,162 against $18.86 raw: a $1,144 spread, 62× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($43.27) 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)
- $18.86
- PSA 10
- $1,162
- PSA 9
- $43.27
- Gem premium
- 62×
- 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 | $1,162 | +$1,119 | +$1,094 | +$994 |
| PSA 9 | $43.27 | −$0.59 | −$25.59 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $27.93 | −$15.93 | −$40.93 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $18.86 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% | $323 | +$254 |
| 50% | $603 | +$534 |
| 75% | $883 | +$814 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 2%. 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 | $1,162 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $450 | −$712 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $355 | $450 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $91.02 | — | — |
| 9 | $69.91 | $41.19 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $32.00 | $32.00 | $25.00 |
| 8 | $29.97 | $32.00 | — | $35.50 |
| 7 | $29.13 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $18.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $21.71 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $10.00 | — | — | — |
| 1 | $94.70 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Plasma Storm cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Articuno-EX — FAQ
Is Articuno-EX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Articuno-EX sells for $1,162 against $18.86 raw: a $1,144 spread, 62× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($43.27) 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 Articuno-EX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Articuno-EX (Plasma Storm 25/135) sells for about $1,162 versus $18.86 for a raw near-mint copy — a 62× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Articuno-EX?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,162, ahead of CGC 10 at $450. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
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 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $43.27).
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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