Is Dark Sandslash worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Rocket Returns · 18/109 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 15× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dark Sandslash sells for $204 against $13.30 raw: a $191 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.84) 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)
- $13.30
- PSA 10
- $204
- PSA 9
- $27.84
- 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 | $204 | +$166 | +$141 | +$41.19 |
| PSA 9 | $27.84 | −$10.46 | −$35.46 | −$135 |
| PSA 8 | $28.05 | −$10.25 | −$35.25 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $13.30 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% | $72.00 | +$8.70 |
| 50% | $116 | +$52.87 |
| 75% | $160 | +$97.03 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 20%. 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 | $2,451 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $28.90 | −$2,422 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $2,451 | $28.90 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $147 | $550 | — |
| 9 | $225 | $233 | — | $399 |
| 8.5 | — | $55.00 | — | — |
| 8 | $150 | $83.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $45.15 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $16.02 | — | — | — |
| 2 | $15.00 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Full set checklist →
Grading Dark Sandslash — FAQ
Is Dark Sandslash worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dark Sandslash sells for $204 against $13.30 raw: a $191 spread, 15× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($27.84) 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 Dark Sandslash worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dark Sandslash (Team Rocket Returns 18/109) sells for about $204 versus $13.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 15× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dark Sandslash?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,451, ahead of CGC 10 at $28.90. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dark Sandslash 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 Dark Sandslash break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dark Sandslash breaks even when it gems about 20% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $27.84).
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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