Is Darkness Energy worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 158/165 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.1× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Darkness Energy sells for $53.00 against $8.70 raw: a $44.30 spread, 6.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.00) 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)
- $8.70
- PSA 10
- $53.00
- PSA 9
- $12.00
- Gem premium
- 6.1×
- 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 | $53.00 | +$19.30 | −$5.70 | −$106 |
| PSA 9 | $12.00 | −$21.70 | −$46.70 | −$147 |
| PSA 8 | $22.46 | −$11.24 | −$36.24 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $8.70 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% | $22.25 | −$36.45 |
| 50% | $32.50 | −$26.20 |
| 75% | $42.75 | −$15.95 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $170 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $75.00 | −$95.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $10.00 | −$160 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $170 | $75.00 | $10.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $11.00 | — |
| 9 | $69.28 | $3.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $9.00 | — |
| 8 | $44.97 | $10.00 | — |
| 7 | $24.99 | — | — |
| 6 | $8.99 | — | — |
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 Darkness Energy — FAQ
Is Darkness Energy worth grading?
A PSA 10 Darkness Energy sells for $53.00 against $8.70 raw: a $44.30 spread, 6.1× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.00) 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 Darkness Energy worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Darkness Energy (Expedition Base Set 158/165) sells for about $53.00 versus $8.70 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.1× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Darkness Energy?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $170, ahead of CGC 10 at $75.00. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Darkness Energy 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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