Is Empoleon worth grading?
Pokémon · Stormfront · 2/100 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 9 Empoleon sells for $254 against $11.90 raw: a $242 spread, 21× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($134) 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)
- $11.90
- PSA 9
- $254
- PSA 9
- $134
- Gem premium
- 21×
- 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 9 | $254 | +$217 | +$192 | +$91.76 |
| PSA 9 | $134 | +$96.75 | +$71.75 | −$28.25 |
| PSA 8 | $38.62 | +$1.72 | −$23.28 | −$123 |
Net = sale price − $11.90 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% | $164 | +$102 |
| 50% | $194 | +$132 |
| 75% | $224 | +$162 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $218 | 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 | — | $218 |
| 9.5 | — | $23.00 |
| 9 | $254 | $7.03 |
| 8.5 | — | $24.89 |
| 8 | $12.00 | $12.44 |
| 7.5 | — | $6.00 |
| 7 | $10.00 | $8.00 |
| 6 | $20.94 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Stormfront cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Empoleon — FAQ
Is Empoleon worth grading?
A PSA 9 Empoleon sells for $254 against $11.90 raw: a $242 spread, 21× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($134) 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 Empoleon 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.
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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