Is Zapdos-EX worth grading?
Pokémon · Plasma Storm · 48/135 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 21× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Zapdos-EX sells for $262 against $12.18 raw: a $249 spread, 21× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.52) 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)
- $12.18
- PSA 10
- $262
- PSA 9
- $33.52
- Gem premium
- 21×
- 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 | $262 | +$224 | +$199 | +$99.48 |
| PSA 9 | $33.52 | −$3.66 | −$28.66 | −$129 |
| PSA 8 | $44.75 | +$7.57 | −$17.43 | −$117 |
Net = sale price − $12.18 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% | $90.56 | +$28.38 |
| 50% | $148 | +$85.41 |
| 75% | $205 | +$142 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 13%. 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 | $262 | 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 | CGC | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $262 | — | — |
| 9 | $43.68 | $44.99 | — |
| 8.5 | — | — | $9.50 |
| 8 | $29.90 | — | — |
| 7 | $18.73 | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $5.00 | — |
| 6 | $14.00 | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $14.91 | — |
| 5 | $11.00 | — | — |
| 1.5 | — | $7.00 | — |
| 1 | $31.00 | — | — |
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 Zapdos-EX — FAQ
Is Zapdos-EX worth grading?
A PSA 10 Zapdos-EX sells for $262 against $12.18 raw: a $249 spread, 21× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.52) 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 Zapdos-EX worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Zapdos-EX (Plasma Storm 48/135) sells for about $262 versus $12.18 for a raw near-mint copy — a 21× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Zapdos-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 Zapdos-EX break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Zapdos-EX breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.52).
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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