Is Skarmory worth grading?
Pokémon · Dragon · 21/97 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 94× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Skarmory sells for $213 against $2.25 raw: a $210 spread, 94× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.00) 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)
- $2.25
- PSA 10
- $213
- PSA 9
- $17.00
- Gem premium
- 94×
- 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 | $213 | +$185 | +$160 | +$60.37 |
| PSA 9 | $17.00 | −$10.25 | −$35.25 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $27.02 | −$0.23 | −$25.23 | −$125 |
Net = sale price − $2.25 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% | $65.91 | +$13.66 |
| 50% | $115 | +$62.56 |
| 75% | $164 | +$111 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 18%. 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 | $213 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $16.37 | −$196 | 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 | $213 | $16.37 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $10.22 | — | — |
| 9 | $599 | $10.10 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $25.23 | $100 | $44.00 |
| 8 | $18.74 | $15.44 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $21.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $39.99 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $38.68 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $9.99 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Skarmory — FAQ
Is Skarmory worth grading?
A PSA 10 Skarmory sells for $213 against $2.25 raw: a $210 spread, 94× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.00) 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 Skarmory worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Skarmory (Dragon 21/97) sells for about $213 versus $2.25 for a raw near-mint copy — a 94× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Skarmory?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $213, ahead of CGC 10 at $16.37. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Skarmory 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 Skarmory break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Skarmory breaks even when it gems about 18% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.00).
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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