Is Dark Dragonair worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Rocket Returns · 32/109 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 11× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dark Dragonair sells for $271 against $25.31 raw: a $245 spread, 11× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.41) 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)
- $25.31
- PSA 10
- $271
- PSA 9
- $33.41
- Gem premium
- 11×
- 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 | $271 | +$220 | +$195 | +$95.44 |
| PSA 9 | $33.41 | −$16.90 | −$41.90 | −$142 |
| PSA 8 | $30.78 | −$19.53 | −$44.53 | −$145 |
Net = sale price − $25.31 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% | $92.75 | +$17.44 |
| 50% | $152 | +$76.77 |
| 75% | $211 | +$136 |
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 | $1,700 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $596 | −$1,104 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,700 | $596 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $34.84 | — |
| 9 | $286 | $24.99 | $60.13 |
| 8.5 | — | $10.05 | — |
| 8 | $301 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $75.00 | — |
| 7 | $343 | — | — |
| 6 | $38.00 | — | — |
| 5 | $41.00 | — | — |
| 4 | $160 | — | — |
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 $271 against $25.31 raw: a $245 spread, 11× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($33.41) 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 Dragonair worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dark Dragonair (Team Rocket Returns 32/109) sells for about $271 versus $25.31 for a raw near-mint copy — a 11× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dark Dragonair?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,700, ahead of CGC 10 at $596. 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 18% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $33.41).
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.
Check my card free