Is Ariados worth grading?
Pokémon · Unseen Forces · 2/115 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 27× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ariados sells for $550 against $20.48 raw: a $529 spread, 27× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.95) 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)
- $20.48
- PSA 10
- $550
- PSA 9
- $18.95
- 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 | $550 | +$504 | +$479 | +$379 |
| PSA 9 | $18.95 | −$26.53 | −$51.53 | −$152 |
| PSA 8 | $24.40 | −$21.08 | −$46.08 | −$146 |
Net = sale price − $20.48 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% | $152 | +$81.16 |
| 50% | $284 | +$214 |
| 75% | $417 | +$347 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 10%. 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 | $750 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $69.60 | −$680 | 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 | $750 | $67.05 |
| 9.5 | — | $39.99 |
| 9 | $70.21 | $9.54 |
| 8.5 | — | $35.00 |
| 8 | $40.08 | $51.75 |
| 7 | $19.99 | — |
| 6.5 | — | $11.00 |
| 6 | $31.00 | — |
| 5.5 | — | $7.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Unseen Forces cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Ariados — FAQ
Is Ariados worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ariados sells for $550 against $20.48 raw: a $529 spread, 27× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.95) 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 Ariados worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ariados (Unseen Forces 2/115) sells for about $550 versus $20.48 for a raw near-mint copy — a 27× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ariados?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $750, ahead of CGC 10 at $69.60. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
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.
What gem rate makes grading Ariados break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ariados breaks even when it gems about 10% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.95).
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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