Is Ekans worth grading?
Pokémon · Great Encounters · 66/106 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 31× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ekans sells for $93.00 against $2.99 raw: a $90.01 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.00) 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)
- $2.99
- PSA 10
- $93.00
- PSA 9
- $25.00
- Gem premium
- 31×
- 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 | $93.00 | +$65.01 | +$40.01 | −$59.99 |
| PSA 9 | $25.00 | −$2.99 | −$27.99 | −$128 |
Net = sale price − $2.99 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% | $42.00 | −$10.99 |
| 50% | $59.00 | +$6.01 |
| 75% | $76.00 | +$23.01 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 41%. 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 | $175 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $23.14 | −$152 | 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 | $175 | $23.14 |
| 9.5 | — | $11.03 |
| 9 | $25.00 | $10.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $7.00 |
| 7 | $14.99 | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Great Encounters cards worth checking
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Grading Ekans — FAQ
Is Ekans worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ekans sells for $93.00 against $2.99 raw: a $90.01 spread, 31× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($25.00) 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 Ekans worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ekans (Great Encounters 66/106) sells for about $93.00 versus $2.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 31× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ekans?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $175, ahead of CGC 10 at $23.14. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ekans 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 Ekans break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ekans breaks even when it gems about 41% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $25.00).
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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