Is Articuno worth grading?
Pokémon · Majestic Dawn · 1/100 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Articuno sells for $5,000 against $41.66 raw: a $4,958 spread, 120× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($328) 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)
- $41.66
- PSA 10
- $5,000
- PSA 9
- $328
- Gem premium
- 120×
- 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 | $5,000 | +$4,933 | +$4,908 | +$4,808 |
| PSA 9 | $328 | +$261 | +$236 | +$136 |
| PSA 8 | $31.71 | −$34.95 | −$59.95 | −$160 |
Net = sale price − $41.66 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% | $1,496 | +$1,404 |
| 50% | $2,664 | +$2,572 |
| 75% | $3,832 | +$3,740 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $5,000 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $262 | −$4,738 | 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 | $5,000 | $262 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $25.20 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $202 | $25.55 | $350 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $21.00 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $30.38 | $68.62 | — | — | $112 |
| 7.5 | — | $30.88 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $44.97 | $43.00 | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $11.00 | — | $21.00 | — |
| 6 | $7.55 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $43.64 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | — | $32.00 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Majestic Dawn cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Articuno — FAQ
Is Articuno worth grading?
A PSA 10 Articuno sells for $5,000 against $41.66 raw: a $4,958 spread, 120× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($328) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Articuno worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Articuno (Majestic Dawn 1/100) sells for about $5,000 versus $41.66 for a raw near-mint copy — a 120× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Articuno?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $5,000, ahead of CGC 10 at $262. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Articuno 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.
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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