Is δ Rainbow Energy worth grading?
Pokémon · Dragon Frontiers · 88/101 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 9.5 δ Rainbow Energy sells for $60.00 against $0.76 raw: a $59.24 spread, 79× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34.64) 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)
- $0.76
- CGC 9.5
- $60.00
- PSA 9
- $34.64
- Gem premium
- 79×
- 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 9.5 | $60.00 | +$34.24 | +$9.24 | −$90.76 |
| PSA 9 | $34.64 | +$8.88 | −$16.12 | −$116 |
| PSA 8 | $14.40 | −$11.36 | −$36.36 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $0.76 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% | $40.98 | −$9.78 |
| 50% | $47.32 | −$3.44 |
| 75% | $53.66 | +$2.90 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 64%. 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 | $30.00 | 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 | BGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $30.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $60.00 | $4.00 |
| 9 | $34.64 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $17.50 | — |
| 8 | $14.40 | $9.00 | — |
| 7 | $15.00 | — | — |
| 6 | $12.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading δ Rainbow Energy — FAQ
Is δ Rainbow Energy worth grading?
A CGC 9.5 δ Rainbow Energy sells for $60.00 against $0.76 raw: a $59.24 spread, 79× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($34.64) 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.
What centering does δ Rainbow 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 δ Rainbow Energy break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting δ Rainbow Energy breaks even when it gems about 64% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $34.64).
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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