Is Buffer Piece worth grading?
Pokémon · Dragon Frontiers · 72/101 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 296× premium in CGC 10
A CGC 10 Buffer Piece sells for $79.99 against $0.27 raw: a $79.72 spread, 296× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $0.27
- CGC 10
- $79.99
- PSA 9
- $15.00
- Gem premium
- 296×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $79.99 | +$54.72 | +$29.72 | −$70.28 |
| PSA 9 | $15.00 | −$10.27 | −$35.27 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $21.48 | −$3.79 | −$28.79 | −$129 |
Net = sale price − $0.27 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% | $31.25 | −$19.02 |
| 50% | $47.49 | −$2.78 |
| 75% | $63.74 | +$13.47 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 54%. 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 | $79.99 | 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 | — | $79.99 |
| 9 | $15.00 | $7.50 |
| 8 | $21.48 | $8.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Dragon Frontiers cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Buffer Piece — FAQ
Is Buffer Piece worth grading?
A CGC 10 Buffer Piece sells for $79.99 against $0.27 raw: a $79.72 spread, 296× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($15.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What centering does Buffer Piece 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 Buffer Piece break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Buffer Piece breaks even when it gems about 54% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $15.00).
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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