Is Dark Houndoom worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Rocket Returns · 37/109 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Dark Houndoom sells for $271 against $21.52 raw: a $249 spread, 13× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($74.80) 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)
- $21.52
- PSA 10
- $271
- PSA 9
- $74.80
- Gem premium
- 13×
- 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 | +$224 | +$199 | +$99.17 |
| PSA 9 | $74.80 | +$28.28 | +$3.28 | −$96.72 |
| PSA 8 | $39.36 | −$7.16 | −$32.16 | −$132 |
Net = sale price − $21.52 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% | $124 | +$52.25 |
| 50% | $173 | +$101 |
| 75% | $222 | +$150 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $3,245 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $1,624 | −$1,621 | 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 | $3,245 | $1,624 | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $18.49 | $64.00 | — |
| 9 | $463 | $381 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $143 | — | — |
| 8 | $172 | $406 | — | $87.00 |
| 7.5 | — | $30.00 | — | — |
| 7 | $93.80 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $94.31 | $15.00 | — | — |
| 5 | $27.02 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $89.60 | — | — | — |
| 2 | — | $15.00 | — | — |
| 1 | $250 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Team Rocket Returns cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Dark Houndoom — FAQ
Is Dark Houndoom worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dark Houndoom sells for $271 against $21.52 raw: a $249 spread, 13× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($74.80) 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 Houndoom worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dark Houndoom (Team Rocket Returns 37/109) sells for about $271 versus $21.52 for a raw near-mint copy — a 13× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dark Houndoom?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $3,245, ahead of CGC 10 at $1,624. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dark Houndoom 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.
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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