Is Lugia worth grading?
Pokémon · Aquapolis · 149/147 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $72,040 against $1000 raw: a $71,040 spread, 72× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($11,695) 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)
- $1000
- PSA 10
- $72,040
- PSA 9
- $11,695
- Gem premium
- 72×
- As of
- Aug 11, 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 | $72,040 | +$71,015 | +$70,990 | +$70,890 |
| PSA 9 | $11,695 | +$10,670 | +$10,645 | +$10,545 |
| PSA 8 | $11,568 | +$10,543 | +$10,518 | +$10,418 |
Net = sale price − $1000 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% | $26,781 | +$25,731 |
| 50% | $41,868 | +$40,818 |
| 75% | $56,954 | +$55,904 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $72,040 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $27,000 | −$45,040 | 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 | SGC | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $72,040 | $27,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | $13,849 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $11,695 | $8,276 | $9,044 | $2,280 | $3,052 | — |
| 8.5 | $5,031 | $9,266 | $7,065 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $11,568 | $7,231 | $6,241 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | $4,050 | — | $6,727 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $8,825 | $2,899 | $3,906 | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $3,797 | $3,240 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $6,584 | $2,520 | $2,211 | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $5,480 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $4,791 | $1,025 | — | — | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | — | $2,503 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $4,127 | $2,375 | — | — | — | — |
| 3.5 | — | $1,999 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $3,577 | $510 | — | — | — | — |
| 2.5 | — | $1,400 | $601 | — | — | — |
| 2 | $2,347 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1.5 | $847 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $2,539 | $1,550 | — | — | — | $2,139 |
Run your own numbers
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Other Aquapolis cards worth checking
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Grading Lugia — FAQ
Is Lugia worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $72,040 against $1000 raw: a $71,040 spread, 72× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($11,695) 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 Lugia worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lugia (Aquapolis 149/147) sells for about $72,040 versus $1000 for a raw near-mint copy — a 72× premium as of Aug 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $72,040, ahead of CGC 10 at $27,000. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia 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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