Is Lightning Energy worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 163/165 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 37× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Lightning Energy sells for $41.84 against $1.14 raw: a $40.70 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.91) 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)
- $1.14
- PSA 10
- $41.84
- PSA 9
- $19.91
- Gem premium
- 37×
- 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 | $41.84 | +$15.70 | −$9.30 | −$109 |
| PSA 9 | $19.91 | −$6.23 | −$31.23 | −$131 |
| PSA 8 | $20.00 | −$6.14 | −$31.14 | −$131 |
Net = sale price − $1.14 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% | $25.39 | −$25.75 |
| 50% | $30.88 | −$20.27 |
| 75% | $36.36 | −$14.78 |
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 | $41.84 | 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 | $41.84 | — |
| 9 | $19.91 | $8.00 |
| 8 | $20.00 | — |
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 Lightning Energy — FAQ
Is Lightning Energy worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lightning Energy sells for $41.84 against $1.14 raw: a $40.70 spread, 37× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($19.91) 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 Lightning Energy worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lightning Energy (Expedition Base Set 163/165) sells for about $41.84 versus $1.14 for a raw near-mint copy — a 37× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Lightning 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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