Is Master Ball worth grading?
Pokémon · Power Keepers · 78/108 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 8.5 Master Ball sells for $61.99 against $0.87 raw: a $61.12 spread, 71× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.00) 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)
- $0.87
- PSA 8.5
- $61.99
- PSA 9
- $39.00
- Gem premium
- 71×
- 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 8.5 | $61.99 | +$36.12 | +$11.12 | −$88.88 |
| PSA 9 | $39.00 | +$13.13 | −$11.87 | −$112 |
| PSA 8 | $37.65 | +$11.78 | −$13.22 | −$113 |
Net = sale price − $0.87 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% | $44.75 | −$6.12 |
| 50% | $50.50 | −$0.37 |
| 75% | $56.24 | +$5.37 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 52%. 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 | $34.95 | 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.
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Grading Master Ball — FAQ
Is Master Ball worth grading?
A PSA 8.5 Master Ball sells for $61.99 against $0.87 raw: a $61.12 spread, 71× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($39.00) 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 Master Ball 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 Master Ball break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Master Ball breaks even when it gems about 52% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $39.00).
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