Is Lugia worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 292× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $249 against $0.85 raw: a $248 spread, 292× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.73) 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)
- $0.85
- PSA 10
- $249
- PSA 9
- $20.73
- Gem premium
- 292×
- 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 | $249 | +$223 | +$198 | +$97.68 |
| PSA 9 | $20.73 | −$5.12 | −$30.12 | −$130 |
| PSA 8 | $17.22 | −$8.63 | −$33.63 | −$134 |
Net = sale price − $0.85 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% | $77.68 | +$26.83 |
| 50% | $135 | +$83.78 |
| 75% | $192 | +$141 |
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 | $249 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $170 | −$78.53 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $39.28 | −$209 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $14.20 | −$234 | 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 | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $249 | $39.28 | — | $14.20 | $170 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $11.34 | $15.01 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $20.73 | $9.38 | $15.50 | $9.90 | $25.03 | $20.16 |
| 8.5 | $15.00 | $10.99 | $12.86 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $17.22 | $6.93 | — | $1.00 | $20.50 | $15.89 |
| 7.5 | — | $10.88 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $11.35 | — | — | $4.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $12.70 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $4.00 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | $10.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Lugia — FAQ
Is Lugia worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $249 against $0.85 raw: a $248 spread, 292× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.73) 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 Lugia worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lugia (Celebrations) sells for about $249 versus $0.85 for a raw near-mint copy — a 292× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $249, ahead of TAG 10 at $170. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia 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 Lugia break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lugia breaks even when it gems about 13% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.73).
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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