Is Ho-Oh worth grading?
Pokémon · Unseen Forces · 27/115 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Ho-Oh sells for $183 against $7.62 raw: a $175 spread, 24× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.54) 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)
- $7.62
- PSA 10
- $183
- PSA 9
- $67.54
- Gem premium
- 24×
- 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 | $183 | +$150 | +$125 | +$25.28 |
| PSA 9 | $67.54 | +$34.92 | +$9.92 | −$90.08 |
| PSA 8 | $37.67 | +$5.05 | −$19.95 | −$120 |
Net = sale price − $7.62 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% | $96.38 | +$38.76 |
| 50% | $125 | +$67.60 |
| 75% | $154 | +$96.44 |
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 | $2,273 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,050 | −$1,223 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,273 | $1,050 | — | $70.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $126 | $200 | — |
| 9 | $960 | $92.39 | $323 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $52.89 | $50.00 | — |
| 8 | $249 | $63.97 | $26.03 | — |
| 7.5 | — | $68.08 | — | — |
| 7 | $97.41 | $41.13 | $69.00 | — |
| 6 | $99.99 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $46.00 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $43.00 | — | — | $38.01 |
| 3 | $21.00 | — | — | — |
| 2 | $39.00 | — | — | — |
| 1 | $61.21 | — | — | — |
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 Ho-Oh — FAQ
Is Ho-Oh worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ho-Oh sells for $183 against $7.62 raw: a $175 spread, 24× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($67.54) 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 Ho-Oh worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ho-Oh (Unseen Forces 27/115) sells for about $183 versus $7.62 for a raw near-mint copy — a 24× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ho-Oh?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,273, ahead of CGC 10 at $1,050. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ho-Oh 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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