Is Ariados worth grading?
Pokémon · Aquapolis · 3/147 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Ariados sell for $32.06, only $20.77 above the $11.29 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($21.11) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $11.29
- PSA 10
- $32.06
- PSA 9
- $21.11
- Gem premium
- 2.8×
- 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 | $32.06 | −$4.23 | −$29.23 | −$129 |
| PSA 9 | $21.11 | −$15.18 | −$40.18 | −$140 |
| PSA 8 | $24.89 | −$11.40 | −$36.40 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $11.29 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% | $23.85 | −$37.44 |
| 50% | $26.59 | −$34.70 |
| 75% | $29.32 | −$31.97 |
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 | $280 | 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 | $280 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $21.50 |
| 9 | $99.95 | $14.98 |
| 8.5 | — | $6.00 |
| 8 | $42.77 | $19.00 |
| 7 | $15.28 | — |
| 6 | $15.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Aquapolis cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Ariados — FAQ
Is Ariados worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Ariados sell for $32.06, only $20.77 above the $11.29 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($21.11) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Ariados worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ariados (Aquapolis 3/147) sells for about $32.06 versus $11.29 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2.8× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Ariados 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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