Is Dark Dragonair worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Rocket Returns · 32/109 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 9.5× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dark Dragonair sells for $252 against $26.56 raw: a $226 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.46) 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)
- $26.56
- PSA 10
- $252
- PSA 9
- $28.46
- Gem premium
- 9.5×
- As of
- Sep 29, 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 | $252 | +$201 | +$176 | +$75.82 |
| PSA 9 | $28.46 | −$23.10 | −$48.10 | −$148 |
| PSA 8 | $40.28 | −$11.28 | −$36.28 | −$136 |
Net = sale price − $26.56 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% | $84.44 | +$7.88 |
| 50% | $140 | +$63.86 |
| 75% | $196 | +$120 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $5,579 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $540 | −$5,040 | 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.
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Grading Dark Dragonair — FAQ
Is Dark Dragonair worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dark Dragonair sells for $252 against $26.56 raw: a $226 spread, 9.5× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($28.46) 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 $252 versus $26.56 for a raw near-mint copy — a 9.5× premium as of Sep 29, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dark Dragonair?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $5,579, ahead of CGC 10 at $540. 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 21% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $28.46).
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