Is Burned Tower worth grading?
Pokémon · HS—Undaunted · 71/90 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 76× premium in CGC 9.5
A CGC 9.5 Burned Tower sells for $150 against $1.98 raw: a $148 spread, 76× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.50) 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)
- $1.98
- CGC 9.5
- $150
- PSA 9
- $26.50
- Gem premium
- 76×
- 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 9.5 | $150 | +$123 | +$98.02 | −$1.98 |
| PSA 9 | $26.50 | −$0.48 | −$25.48 | −$125 |
| PSA 8 | $54.91 | +$27.93 | +$2.93 | −$97.07 |
Net = sale price − $1.98 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% | $57.38 | +$5.40 |
| 50% | $88.25 | +$36.27 |
| 75% | $119 | +$67.14 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 21%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CGC 10 | $40.00 | 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 | — | $40.00 |
| 9.5 | — | $150 |
| 9 | $40.07 | $79.80 |
| 8.5 | — | $35.00 |
| 8 | $54.91 | — |
| 7 | $35.00 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other HS—Undaunted cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Burned Tower — FAQ
Is Burned Tower worth grading?
A CGC 9.5 Burned Tower sells for $150 against $1.98 raw: a $148 spread, 76× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($26.50) 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.
What centering does Burned Tower 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.
What gem rate makes grading Burned Tower break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Burned Tower breaks even when it gems about 21% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $26.50).
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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