Is Ninetales worth grading?
Pokémon · Expedition Base Set · 21/165 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $5,208 against $195 raw: a $5,013 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($222) 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)
- $195
- PSA 10
- $5,208
- PSA 9
- $222
- Gem premium
- 27×
- 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 | $5,208 | +$4,988 | +$4,963 | +$4,863 |
| PSA 9 | $222 | +$1.35 | −$23.65 | −$124 |
| PSA 8 | $294 | +$73.45 | +$48.45 | −$51.55 |
Net = sale price − $195 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% | $1,468 | +$1,223 |
| 50% | $2,715 | +$2,470 |
| 75% | $3,962 | +$3,717 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. 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 | $5,208 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $314 | −$4,895 | 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 | BGS | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $434 | $127 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $60.00 | $325 | — |
| 9 | $98.31 | $89.54 | $90.01 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $54.99 | $322 | — |
| 8 | $61.02 | $33.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $38.67 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $31.59 | $54.35 | — | $34.99 |
| 5.5 | — | $49.81 | — | — |
| 5 | $22.00 | $30.00 | — | — |
| 4 | $69.69 | — | — | — |
| 2 | $24.00 | — | — | — |
| 1 | $41.00 | — | — | — |
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 Ninetales — FAQ
Is Ninetales worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $5,208 against $195 raw: a $5,013 spread, 27× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($222) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Ninetales worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ninetales (Expedition Base Set 21/165) sells for about $5,208 versus $195 for a raw near-mint copy — a 27× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ninetales?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $5,208, ahead of CGC 10 at $314. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ninetales 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 Ninetales break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ninetales breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $222).
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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