Is Lightning Energy worth grading?
Pokémon · HeartGold & SoulSilver · 118/123 · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
CGC 10 copies of Lightning Energy sell for $25.07, only $4.46 above the $20.61 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($19.64) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
- Raw (NM)
- $20.61
- CGC 10
- $25.07
- PSA 9
- $19.64
- Gem premium
- 1.2×
- 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 — CGC 10 | $25.07 | −$20.54 | −$45.54 | −$146 |
| PSA 9 | $19.64 | −$25.97 | −$50.97 | −$151 |
Net = sale price − $20.61 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% | $21.00 | −$49.61 |
| 50% | $22.36 | −$48.25 |
| 75% | $23.71 | −$46.90 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $25.07 | best | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $25.07 |
| 9 | $19.64 | $8.40 |
| 6 | $14.00 | — |
| 5 | $15.50 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
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Grading Lightning Energy — FAQ
Is Lightning Energy worth grading?
CGC 10 copies of Lightning Energy sell for $25.07, only $4.46 above the $20.61 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($19.64) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
What centering does Lightning Energy need for a CGC 10?
CGC 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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