Is Dark Metal Energy worth grading?
Pokémon · Team Rocket Returns · 94/109 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 28× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Dark Metal Energy sells for $152 against $5.49 raw: a $146 spread, 28× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.69) 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)
- $5.49
- PSA 10
- $152
- PSA 9
- $10.69
- Gem premium
- 28×
- 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 | $152 | +$121 | +$96.39 | −$3.61 |
| PSA 9 | $10.69 | −$19.80 | −$44.80 | −$145 |
| PSA 8 | $65.64 | +$35.15 | +$10.15 | −$89.85 |
Net = sale price − $5.49 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% | $45.99 | −$9.50 |
| 50% | $81.28 | +$25.80 |
| 75% | $117 | +$61.09 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 32%. 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 | $409 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $97.67 | −$312 | 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 | $409 | $97.67 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | $36.00 | — | — |
| 9 | $185 | $49.99 | $100 | $55.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $44.99 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $65.64 | $170 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $20.00 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $34.49 | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $23.00 | — | — | — |
| 6 | — | — | — | — | $1.75 |
| 5.5 | — | $29.99 | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Grading Dark Metal Energy — FAQ
Is Dark Metal Energy worth grading?
A PSA 10 Dark Metal Energy sells for $152 against $5.49 raw: a $146 spread, 28× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($10.69) 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 Metal Energy worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Dark Metal Energy (Team Rocket Returns 94/109) sells for about $152 versus $5.49 for a raw near-mint copy — a 28× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Dark Metal Energy?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $409, ahead of CGC 10 at $97.67. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Dark Metal Energy 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 Metal Energy break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Dark Metal Energy breaks even when it gems about 32% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $10.69).
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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