Is Absol worth grading?
Pokémon · Dragon · 1/97 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 13× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Absol sells for $2,070 against $165 raw: a $1,905 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($147) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $165
- PSA 10
- $2,070
- PSA 9
- $147
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | $2,070 | +$1,880 | +$1,855 | +$1,755 |
| PSA 9 | $147 | −$42.21 | −$67.21 | −$167 |
| PSA 8 | $54.77 | −$135 | −$160 | −$260 |
Net = sale price − $165 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% | $628 | +$413 |
| 50% | $1,109 | +$894 |
| 75% | $1,589 | +$1,374 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 3%. 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 | $2,070 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $259 | −$1,810 | 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 | SGC | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,070 | $259 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $65.00 | $270 | — | — |
| 9 | $425 | $131 | $60.00 | $44.00 | $330 |
| 8.5 | — | $92.58 | $225 | $58.00 | — |
| 8 | $108 | $40.00 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $9.50 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $75.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | — | — | — | $100 |
| 6 | $49.99 | — | $22.00 | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $55.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $116 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $135 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $44.78 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $31.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Dragon cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Absol — FAQ
Is Absol worth grading?
A PSA 10 Absol sells for $2,070 against $165 raw: a $1,905 spread, 13× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($147) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Absol worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Absol (Dragon 1/97) sells for about $2,070 versus $165 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Absol?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,070, ahead of CGC 10 at $259. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Absol 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 Absol break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Absol breaks even when it gems about 3% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $147).
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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