Is Ho-Oh LEGEND worth grading?
Pokémon · HeartGold & SoulSilver · 111/123 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 28× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Ho-Oh LEGEND sells for $5,781 against $208 raw: a $5,573 spread, 28× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($144) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $208
- PSA 10
- $5,781
- PSA 9
- $144
- 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 | $5,781 | +$5,548 | +$5,523 | +$5,423 |
| PSA 9 | $144 | −$89.21 | −$114 | −$214 |
| PSA 8 | $282 | +$48.73 | +$23.73 | −$76.27 |
Net = sale price − $208 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% | $1,553 | +$1,295 |
| 50% | $2,963 | +$2,705 |
| 75% | $4,372 | +$4,114 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 2%. 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 | $5,781 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $432 | −$5,349 | 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 | $5,781 | $432 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | $390 | — |
| 9 | $144 | $288 | $105 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $218 | $274 | — | — |
| 8 | $282 | $130 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $147 | — | — | $95.00 |
| 7 | $180 | — | — | — | — |
| 6.5 | — | $150 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $127 | $48.93 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $67.62 | — | — | $26.00 | — |
| 4 | $67.06 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $83.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $101 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other HeartGold & SoulSilver cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Ho-Oh LEGEND — FAQ
Is Ho-Oh LEGEND worth grading?
A PSA 10 Ho-Oh LEGEND sells for $5,781 against $208 raw: a $5,573 spread, 28× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($144) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Ho-Oh LEGEND worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Ho-Oh LEGEND (HeartGold & SoulSilver 111/123) sells for about $5,781 versus $208 for a raw near-mint copy — a 28× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Ho-Oh LEGEND?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $5,781, ahead of CGC 10 at $432. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Ho-Oh LEGEND 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 Ho-Oh LEGEND break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Ho-Oh LEGEND breaks even when it gems about 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $144).
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.
Check my card free