Is First Ticket worth grading?
Pokémon · Dragon Vault · 19/20 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 9 copies of First Ticket sell for $23.00, only $22.08 above the $0.92 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($23.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $0.92
- PSA 9
- $23.00
- PSA 9
- $23.00
- Gem premium
- 25×
- 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 | $23.00 | −$2.92 | −$27.92 | −$128 |
| PSA 9 | $23.00 | −$2.92 | −$27.92 | −$128 |
| PSA 8 | $19.96 | −$5.96 | −$30.96 | −$131 |
Net = sale price − $0.92 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% | $23.00 | −$27.92 |
| 50% | $23.00 | −$27.92 |
| 75% | $23.00 | −$27.92 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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Grading First Ticket — FAQ
Is First Ticket worth grading?
PSA 9 copies of First Ticket sell for $23.00, only $22.08 above the $0.92 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($23.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
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