Is Desert Shaman worth grading?
Pokémon · Skyridge · 123/144 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 4.3× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Desert Shaman sells for $119 against $27.56 raw: a $91.89 spread, 4.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.82) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $27.56
- PSA 10
- $119
- PSA 9
- $17.82
- Gem premium
- 4.3×
- 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 | $119 | +$66.89 | +$41.89 | −$58.11 |
| PSA 9 | $17.82 | −$34.74 | −$59.74 | −$160 |
| PSA 8 | $16.11 | −$36.45 | −$61.45 | −$161 |
Net = sale price − $27.56 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% | $43.23 | −$34.33 |
| 50% | $68.64 | −$8.92 |
| 75% | $94.04 | +$16.48 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 59%. 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 | $127 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $89.54 | −$37.66 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $127 | $89.54 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $22.00 | — |
| 9 | $89.99 | $49.83 | $70.00 |
| 8.5 | — | $11.00 | $120 |
| 8 | $16.11 | — | — |
| 7 | $12.50 | — | — |
| 6 | $38.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Skyridge cards worth checking
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Grading Desert Shaman — FAQ
Is Desert Shaman worth grading?
A PSA 10 Desert Shaman sells for $119 against $27.56 raw: a $91.89 spread, 4.3× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.82) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Desert Shaman worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Desert Shaman (Skyridge 123/144) sells for about $119 versus $27.56 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.3× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Desert Shaman?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $127, ahead of CGC 10 at $89.54. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Desert Shaman 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 Desert Shaman break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Desert Shaman breaks even when it gems about 59% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.82).
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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