Is Empoleon ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Phantasmal Flames · 114/094 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 35× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Empoleon ex sells for $46.00 against $1.30 raw: a $44.70 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.36) 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)
- $1.30
- PSA 10
- $46.00
- PSA 9
- $17.36
- Gem premium
- 35×
- 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 | $46.00 | +$19.70 | −$5.30 | −$105 |
| PSA 9 | $17.36 | −$8.94 | −$33.94 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $23.93 | −$2.37 | −$27.37 | −$127 |
Net = sale price − $1.30 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% | $24.52 | −$26.78 |
| 50% | $31.68 | −$19.62 |
| 75% | $38.84 | −$12.46 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $46.00 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $44.86 | −$1.14 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $24.99 | −$21.01 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $46.00 | $24.99 | $44.86 | $32.89 |
| 9.5 | — | $13.20 | — | — |
| 9 | $17.36 | $14.40 | $9.00 | — |
| 8 | $23.93 | $8.00 | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Phantasmal Flames cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Empoleon ex — FAQ
Is Empoleon ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Empoleon ex sells for $46.00 against $1.30 raw: a $44.70 spread, 35× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.36) 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 Empoleon ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Empoleon ex (Phantasmal Flames 114/094) sells for about $46.00 versus $1.30 for a raw near-mint copy — a 35× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Empoleon ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $46.00, ahead of TAG 10 at $44.86. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Empoleon ex 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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