Is Sandslash worth grading?
Pokémon · Sandstorm · 21/100 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 76× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Sandslash sells for $130 against $1.70 raw: a $128 spread, 76× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.04) 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)
- $1.70
- PSA 10
- $130
- PSA 9
- $9.04
- Gem premium
- 76×
- 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 | $130 | +$103 | +$78.30 | −$21.70 |
| PSA 9 | $9.04 | −$17.66 | −$42.66 | −$143 |
| PSA 8 | $56.93 | +$30.23 | +$5.23 | −$94.77 |
Net = sale price − $1.70 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% | $39.28 | −$12.42 |
| 50% | $69.52 | +$17.82 |
| 75% | $99.76 | +$48.06 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 35%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $130 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $99.99 | −$30.01 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $130 | $99.99 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $9.17 | — | — |
| 9 | $37.10 | $69.77 | $16.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $29.10 | — | — |
| 8 | $56.93 | $19.97 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $12.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $38.81 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $15.60 | — | — | $2.00 |
| 5 | $9.32 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Sandstorm cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Sandslash — FAQ
Is Sandslash worth grading?
A PSA 10 Sandslash sells for $130 against $1.70 raw: a $128 spread, 76× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($9.04) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Sandslash worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Sandslash (Sandstorm 21/100) sells for about $130 versus $1.70 for a raw near-mint copy — a 76× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Sandslash?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $130, ahead of CGC 10 at $99.99. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Sandslash 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.
What gem rate makes grading Sandslash break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Sandslash breaks even when it gems about 35% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $9.04).
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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