Is Aqua Energy worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Magma vs Team Aqua · 86/95 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 10 Aqua Energy sells for $99.96 against $4.50 raw: a $95.46 spread, 22× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.72) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $4.50
- CGC 10
- $99.96
- PSA 9
- $42.72
- Gem premium
- 22×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $99.96 | +$70.46 | +$45.46 | −$54.54 |
| PSA 9 | $42.72 | +$13.22 | −$11.78 | −$112 |
| PSA 8 | $16.30 | −$13.20 | −$38.20 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $4.50 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% | $57.03 | +$2.53 |
| 50% | $71.34 | +$16.84 |
| 75% | $85.65 | +$31.15 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 21%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $99.96 | best | 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 | — | $99.96 |
| 9 | $42.72 | $39.80 |
| 8.5 | — | $5.24 |
| 8 | $16.30 | — |
| 7 | $12.50 | — |
| 6 | $12.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Team Magma vs Team Aqua cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Aqua Energy — FAQ
Is Aqua Energy worth grading?
A CGC 10 Aqua Energy sells for $99.96 against $4.50 raw: a $95.46 spread, 22× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($42.72) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What centering does Aqua Energy need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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 Aqua Energy break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Aqua Energy breaks even when it gems about 21% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $42.72).
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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