Is Empoleon worth grading?
Pokémon · Plasma Freeze · 117/116 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Empoleon sells for $3,150 against $293 raw: a $2,857 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($904) 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)
- $293
- PSA 10
- $3,150
- PSA 9
- $904
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $3,150 | +$2,832 | +$2,807 | +$2,707 |
| PSA 9 | $904 | +$585 | +$560 | +$460 |
| PSA 8 | $461 | +$143 | +$118 | +$17.76 |
Net = sale price − $293 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% | $1,465 | +$1,122 |
| 50% | $2,027 | +$1,683 |
| 75% | $2,588 | +$2,245 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $3,150 | 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 | BGS | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $3,150 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $904 | $1,799 | $1,300 | — |
| 8.5 | — | — | $211 | — |
| 8 | $461 | $163 | — | $500 |
| 7.5 | — | $202 | — | — |
| 7 | $709 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $260 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $150 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $40.00 | — | — | — |
| 2 | $235 | — | — | — |
| 1 | $260 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Plasma Freeze cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Empoleon — FAQ
Is Empoleon worth grading?
A PSA 10 Empoleon sells for $3,150 against $293 raw: a $2,857 spread, 11× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($904) 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 (Plasma Freeze 117/116) sells for about $3,150 versus $293 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× 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.
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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