Is Dark Dragonair worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Rocket Returns · 31/109 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Dark Dragonair sells for $84.97 against $7.23 raw: a $77.74 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.64) 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)
- $7.23
- PSA 10
- $84.97
- PSA 9
- $52.64
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $84.97 | +$52.74 | +$27.74 | −$72.26 |
| PSA 9 | $52.64 | +$20.41 | −$4.59 | −$105 |
| PSA 8 | $30.95 | −$1.28 | −$26.28 | −$126 |
Net = sale price − $7.23 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% | $60.72 | +$3.49 |
| 50% | $68.81 | +$11.58 |
| 75% | $76.89 | +$19.66 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 14%. 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 | $1,000 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $299 | −$701 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,000 | $299 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $133 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $131 | $67.57 | $22.00 | $69.00 | $46.92 |
| 8.5 | — | $203 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $255 | $11.13 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $147 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $37.76 | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | $97.01 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $13.50 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | $150 | — | — | — | — |
| 3.5 | — | $16.80 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $8.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $149 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Team Rocket Returns cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Dark Dragonair — FAQ
Is Dark Dragonair worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dark Dragonair sells for $84.97 against $7.23 raw: a $77.74 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($52.64) 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.
How much is a PSA 10 Dark Dragonair worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dark Dragonair (Team Rocket Returns 31/109) sells for about $84.97 versus $7.23 for a raw near-mint copy — a 12× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dark Dragonair?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,000, ahead of CGC 10 at $299. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dark Dragonair 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 Dragonair break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dark Dragonair breaks even when it gems about 14% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $52.64).
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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