Is Zekrom worth grading?
Pokémon · Celebrations: Classic Collection · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.8× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Zekrom sells for $138 against $15.73 raw: a $122 spread, 8.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.98) 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)
- $15.73
- PSA 10
- $138
- PSA 9
- $33.98
- Gem premium
- 8.8×
- 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 | $138 | +$97.12 | +$72.12 | −$27.88 |
| PSA 9 | $33.98 | −$6.75 | −$31.75 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $20.32 | −$20.41 | −$45.41 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $15.73 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% | $59.95 | −$5.78 |
| 50% | $85.91 | +$20.18 |
| 75% | $112 | +$46.15 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 31%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $200 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| TAG 10 | $140 | −$60.16 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $138 | −$62.51 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $80.04 | −$120 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $64.86 | −$136 | 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 | $138 | $64.86 | $200 | $80.04 | $140 | $93.40 |
| 9.5 | — | $44.06 | $61.74 | $58.51 | — | — |
| 9 | $33.98 | $23.11 | $45.03 | $12.04 | $63.59 | $38.07 |
| 8.5 | — | $24.97 | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $20.32 | — | — | — | $27.00 | $23.43 |
| 7 | $8.50 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $33.69 | — | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Celebrations: Classic Collection cards worth checking
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Grading Zekrom — FAQ
Is Zekrom worth grading?
A PSA 10 Zekrom sells for $138 against $15.73 raw: a $122 spread, 8.8× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.98) 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 Zekrom worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Zekrom (Celebrations: Classic Collection) sells for about $138 versus $15.73 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.8× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Zekrom?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $200, ahead of TAG 10 at $140. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Zekrom need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 Zekrom break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Zekrom breaks even when it gems about 31% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.98).
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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