Is Empoleon worth grading?
Pokémon · ラセンフォース · 056/051 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Empoleon sell for $765, only $0.00 above the $98,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($490) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $98,000
- PSA 10
- $765
- PSA 9
- $490
- Gem premium
- 0.0×
- 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 | $765 | −$97,260 | −$97,285 | −$97,385 |
| PSA 9 | $490 | −$97,535 | −$97,560 | −$97,660 |
| PSA 8 | $280 | −$97,745 | −$97,770 | −$97,870 |
Net = sale price − $98,000 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% | $559 | −$97,491 |
| 50% | $628 | −$97,422 |
| 75% | $696 | −$97,354 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $765 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $311 | −$454 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $765 | $311 |
| 9 | $490 | — |
| 8 | $280 | $150 |
| 3 | $230 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Empoleon — FAQ
Is Empoleon worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Empoleon sell for $765, only $0.00 above the $98,000 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($490) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Empoleon worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Empoleon (ラセンフォース 056/051) sells for about $765 versus $98,000 for a raw near-mint copy — a 0.0× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Empoleon?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $765, ahead of CGC 10 at $311. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
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.
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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