Is Ninetales worth grading?
Pokémon · Emerald · 38/106 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 122× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $1,181 against $9.72 raw: a $1,171 spread, 122× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.52) 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)
- $9.72
- PSA 10
- $1,181
- PSA 9
- $14.52
- Gem premium
- 122×
- 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 | $1,181 | +$1,146 | +$1,121 | +$1,021 |
| PSA 9 | $14.52 | −$20.20 | −$45.20 | −$145 |
| PSA 8 | $60.73 | +$26.01 | +$1.01 | −$98.99 |
Net = sale price − $9.72 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% | $306 | +$246 |
| 50% | $598 | +$538 |
| 75% | $889 | +$830 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 4%. 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 | $1,181 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $677 | −$504 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $1,181 | $677 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $54.90 | $150 |
| 9 | $345 | $14.00 | — |
| 8.5 | $84.94 | — | — |
| 8 | $60.73 | $28.00 | $30.00 |
| 7 | $44.32 | — | — |
| 6 | $21.50 | — | — |
| 5 | $130 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Emerald cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Ninetales — FAQ
Is Ninetales worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ninetales sells for $1,181 against $9.72 raw: a $1,171 spread, 122× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($14.52) 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 Ninetales worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ninetales (Emerald 38/106) sells for about $1,181 versus $9.72 for a raw near-mint copy — a 122× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ninetales?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $1,181, ahead of CGC 10 at $677. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ninetales 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 Ninetales break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ninetales breaks even when it gems about 4% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $14.52).
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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