Is Darkness Energy worth grading?
Pokémon · Unseen Forces · 96/115 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Darkness Energy sell for $22.60, only $20.27 above the $2.33 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Even a PSA 9 ($65.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.33
- PSA 10
- $22.60
- PSA 9
- $65.00
- Gem premium
- 9.7×
- 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 | $22.60 | −$4.73 | −$29.73 | −$130 |
| PSA 9 | $65.00 | +$37.67 | +$12.67 | −$87.33 |
| PSA 8 | $30.00 | +$2.67 | −$22.33 | −$122 |
Net = sale price − $2.33 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% | $54.40 | +$2.07 |
| 50% | $43.80 | −$8.53 |
| 75% | $33.20 | −$19.13 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 30%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $51.15 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| PSA 10 | $22.60 | −$28.55 | 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 | $22.60 | $51.15 |
| 9.5 | — | $5.99 |
| 9 | $112 | $14.00 |
| 8 | $12.50 | — |
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 Darkness Energy — FAQ
Is Darkness Energy worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Darkness Energy sell for $22.60, only $20.27 above the $2.33 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. Even a PSA 9 ($65.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Darkness Energy worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Darkness Energy (Unseen Forces 96/115) sells for about $22.60 versus $2.33 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.7× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Darkness Energy?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $51.15, ahead of PSA 10 at $22.60. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Darkness Energy need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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 Darkness Energy break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Darkness Energy breaks even when it gems about 30% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $65.00).
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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