Is Premier Ball worth grading?
Pokémon · Great Encounters · 101/106 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 9.5 Premier Ball sells for $69.99 against $1.01 raw: a $68.98 spread, 69× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($36.00) 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)
- $1.01
- CGC 9.5
- $69.99
- PSA 9
- $36.00
- Gem premium
- 69×
- 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 — CGC 9.5 | $69.99 | +$43.98 | +$18.98 | −$81.02 |
| PSA 9 | $36.00 | +$9.99 | −$15.01 | −$115 |
Net = sale price − $1.01 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% | $44.50 | −$6.51 |
| 50% | $52.99 | +$1.98 |
| 75% | $61.49 | +$10.48 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 44%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $8.87 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $8.87 |
| 9.5 | — | $5.95 |
| 9 | $36.00 | $4.64 |
| 8.5 | — | $6.00 |
| 8 | — | $5.97 |
| 7.5 | — | $3.05 |
| 7 | — | $3.00 |
| 5 | $20.00 | — |
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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Full set checklist →
Grading Premier Ball — FAQ
Is Premier Ball worth grading?
A CGC 9.5 Premier Ball sells for $69.99 against $1.01 raw: a $68.98 spread, 69× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($36.00) 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.
What centering does Premier Ball need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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 Premier Ball break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Premier Ball breaks even when it gems about 44% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $36.00).
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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