Is Shelgon worth grading?
Pokémon · Dragon · 42/97 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 16× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Shelgon sells for $113 against $7.13 raw: a $105 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) 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)
- $7.13
- PSA 10
- $113
- PSA 9
- $20.00
- Gem premium
- 16×
- 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 | $113 | +$80.37 | +$55.37 | −$44.63 |
| PSA 9 | $20.00 | −$12.13 | −$37.13 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $8.28 | −$23.85 | −$48.85 | −$149 |
Net = sale price − $7.13 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% | $43.13 | −$14.01 |
| 50% | $66.25 | +$9.12 |
| 75% | $89.38 | +$32.25 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 40%. 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 | $113 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $50.93 | −$61.57 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $113 | $50.93 |
| 9.5 | — | $8.00 |
| 9 | $75.35 | $29.99 |
| 8 | $8.28 | — |
| 7 | $26.94 | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Dragon cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Shelgon — FAQ
Is Shelgon worth grading?
A PSA 10 Shelgon sells for $113 against $7.13 raw: a $105 spread, 16× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) 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 Shelgon worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Shelgon (Dragon 42/97) sells for about $113 versus $7.13 for a raw near-mint copy — a 16× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Shelgon?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $113, ahead of CGC 10 at $50.93. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Shelgon 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 Shelgon break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Shelgon breaks even when it gems about 40% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.00).
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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