Is Dark Gyarados worth grading?
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Strong grading candidate — 17× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dark Gyarados sells for $85.19 against $4.93 raw: a $80.26 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.87) 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)
- $4.93
- PSA 10
- $85.19
- PSA 9
- $27.87
- Gem premium
- 17×
- 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 | $85.19 | +$55.26 | +$30.26 | −$69.74 |
| PSA 9 | $27.87 | −$2.06 | −$27.06 | −$127 |
| PSA 8 | $23.43 | −$6.50 | −$31.50 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $4.93 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% | $42.20 | −$12.73 |
| 50% | $56.53 | +$1.60 |
| 75% | $70.86 | +$15.93 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 47%. 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 | $193 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| TAG 10 | $94.81 | −$97.69 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| PSA 10 | $85.19 | −$107 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $46.84 | −$146 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $20.68 | −$172 | 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 | $85.19 | $46.84 | $193 | $20.68 | $94.81 | $56.51 |
| 9.5 | — | $21.02 | $36.90 | $17.98 | — | — |
| 9 | $27.87 | $15.96 | $20.98 | — | $31.58 | $13.33 |
| 8.5 | — | $10.52 | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | $23.43 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $11.55 | $12.99 | — | — | $11.50 | — |
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 Dark Gyarados — FAQ
Is Dark Gyarados worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dark Gyarados sells for $85.19 against $4.93 raw: a $80.26 spread, 17× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.87) 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 Dark Gyarados worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dark Gyarados (Celebrations: Classic Collection) sells for about $85.19 versus $4.93 for a raw near-mint copy — a 17× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dark Gyarados?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $193, ahead of TAG 10 at $94.81. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dark Gyarados 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 Dark Gyarados break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dark Gyarados breaks even when it gems about 47% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.87).
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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