Is Lugia ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Pokémon TCG Classic - Venusaur · 017/034 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 48× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lugia ex sells for $124 against $2.59 raw: a $121 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.82) 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)
- $2.59
- PSA 10
- $124
- PSA 9
- $20.82
- Gem premium
- 48×
- 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 | $124 | +$96.27 | +$71.27 | −$28.73 |
| PSA 9 | $20.82 | −$6.77 | −$31.77 | −$132 |
| PSA 8 | $11.35 | −$16.24 | −$41.24 | −$141 |
Net = sale price − $2.59 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% | $46.58 | −$6.01 |
| 50% | $72.34 | +$19.75 |
| 75% | $98.10 | +$45.51 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $124 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $50.00 | −$73.86 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $17.26 | −$107 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $124 | $15.00 | — | $50.00 | $63.78 |
| 9.5 | — | $10.40 | $27.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $19.99 | $9.65 | $8.98 | $16.34 | $21.85 |
| 8.5 | — | $6.94 | $6.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $11.35 | $9.49 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $6.00 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $13.98 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $3.00 | $12.00 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Pokémon TCG Classic - Venusaur cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Lugia ex — FAQ
Is Lugia ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lugia ex sells for $124 against $2.59 raw: a $121 spread, 48× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.82) 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 ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lugia ex (Pokémon TCG Classic - Venusaur 017/034) sells for about $124 versus $2.59 for a raw near-mint copy — a 48× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $124, ahead of TAG 10 at $50.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia ex 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 ex break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lugia ex breaks even when it gems about 31% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.82).
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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