Is Ponyta worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 126/165 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 8.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ponyta sells for $69.34 against $8.55 raw: a $60.79 spread, 8.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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)
- $8.55
- PSA 10
- $69.34
- PSA 9
- $24.99
- Gem premium
- 8.1×
- 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 | $69.34 | +$35.79 | +$10.79 | −$89.21 |
| PSA 9 | $24.99 | −$8.56 | −$33.56 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $34.90 | +$1.35 | −$23.65 | −$124 |
Net = sale price − $8.55 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% | $36.08 | −$22.47 |
| 50% | $47.16 | −$11.39 |
| 75% | $58.25 | −$0.30 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 76%. 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 | $1,042 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $80.00 | −$962 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $4.00 | −$1,038 | 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 | SGC | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,042 | $80.00 | $4.00 | $108 |
| 9.5 | — | $58.66 | — | — |
| 9 | $77.13 | $28.83 | — | — |
| 8 | $19.32 | $11.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $114 | $7.00 | — | — |
| 5 | $12.00 | — | — | — |
| 2 | — | $20.00 | — | — |
| 1 | $13.00 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Expedition Base Set cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Ponyta — FAQ
Is Ponyta worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ponyta sells for $69.34 against $8.55 raw: a $60.79 spread, 8.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($24.99) 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 Ponyta worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ponyta (Expedition Base Set 126/165) sells for about $69.34 versus $8.55 for a raw near-mint copy — a 8.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ponyta?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,042, ahead of CGC 10 at $80.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ponyta 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 Ponyta break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ponyta breaks even when it gems about 76% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $24.99).
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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