Is Torkoal worth grading?
Pokémon · Dragon · 12/97 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 15× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Torkoal sells for $996 against $66.36 raw: a $930 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($77.44) 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)
- $66.36
- PSA 10
- $996
- PSA 9
- $77.44
- Gem premium
- 15×
- 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 | $996 | +$905 | +$880 | +$780 |
| PSA 9 | $77.44 | −$13.92 | −$38.92 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $53.93 | −$37.43 | −$62.43 | −$162 |
Net = sale price − $66.36 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% | $307 | +$191 |
| 50% | $537 | +$421 |
| 75% | $767 | +$650 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. 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 | $2,500 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $122 | −$2,378 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,500 | $60.00 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $50.03 | $250 | — |
| 9 | $200 | $82.38 | $27.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $29.90 | — | — |
| 8 | $58.58 | $36.08 | — | $20.00 |
| 7.5 | — | $12.02 | — | — |
| 7 | $31.58 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $9.50 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $30.00 | — | — | — |
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
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Grading Torkoal — FAQ
Is Torkoal worth grading?
A PSA 10 Torkoal sells for $996 against $66.36 raw: a $930 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($77.44) 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 Torkoal worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Torkoal (Dragon 12/97) sells for about $996 versus $66.36 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Torkoal?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,500, ahead of CGC 10 at $122. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Torkoal 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 Torkoal break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Torkoal breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $77.44).
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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