Is Rocket's Zapdos worth grading?
Pokémon · Gym Challenge · 15/132 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Rocket's Zapdos sells for $2,925 against $214 raw: a $2,711 spread, 14× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($608) 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)
- $214
- PSA 10
- $2,925
- PSA 9
- $608
- Gem premium
- 14×
- 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 | $2,925 | +$2,686 | +$2,661 | +$2,561 |
| PSA 9 | $608 | +$369 | +$344 | +$244 |
| PSA 8 | $329 | +$90.20 | +$65.20 | −$34.80 |
Net = sale price − $214 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% | $1,188 | +$924 |
| 50% | $1,767 | +$1,503 |
| 75% | $2,346 | +$2,082 |
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 | $2,925 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $1,000 | −$1,925 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $883 | −$2,042 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $243 | −$2,682 | 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 | $73.57 | $77.08 | — | $243 | $1,000 |
| 9.5 | — | $221 | $289 | $282 | — |
| 9 | $240 | $239 | $124 | — | $45.00 |
| 8.5 | $18.00 | $121 | $53.26 | $70.00 | $121 |
| 8 | $141 | $73.40 | $74.76 | $35.00 | — |
| 7.5 | $160 | $56.98 | $49.95 | — | — |
| 7 | $115 | $40.83 | — | $33.00 | — |
| 6.5 | — | $49.99 | — | $71.00 | — |
| 6 | $91.51 | — | — | — | — |
| 5.5 | — | $25.00 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $32.15 | $32.40 | — | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | $37.19 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $45.59 | $68.78 | $110 | — | — |
| 3.5 | — | $50.00 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $39.81 | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | $28.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $92.33 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
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Other Gym Challenge cards worth checking
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Grading Rocket's Zapdos — FAQ
Is Rocket's Zapdos worth grading?
A PSA 10 Rocket's Zapdos sells for $2,925 against $214 raw: a $2,711 spread, 14× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($608) 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 Rocket's Zapdos worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Rocket's Zapdos (Gym Challenge 15/132) sells for about $2,925 versus $214 for a raw near-mint copy — a 14× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Rocket's Zapdos?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $2,925, ahead of TAG 10 at $1,000. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Rocket's Zapdos 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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