Is Carbink worth grading?
Pokémon · Ascended Heroes · 242/217 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 12× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Carbink sells for $72.73 against $5.87 raw: a $66.86 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.55) 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)
- $5.87
- PSA 10
- $72.73
- PSA 9
- $18.55
- Gem premium
- 12×
- 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 | $72.73 | +$41.86 | +$16.86 | −$83.14 |
| PSA 9 | $18.55 | −$12.32 | −$37.32 | −$137 |
| PSA 8 | $7.51 | −$23.36 | −$48.36 | −$148 |
Net = sale price − $5.87 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% | $32.09 | −$23.78 |
| 50% | $45.64 | −$10.23 |
| 75% | $59.19 | +$3.32 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 69%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $82.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $72.73 | −$9.27 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| TAG 10 | $25.61 | −$56.39 | 55/45 | 72/28 |
| CGC 10 | $16.11 | −$65.89 | 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 | TAG | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $72.73 | $16.11 | $82.00 | $25.61 | $41.93 |
| 9.5 | — | $9.60 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $18.55 | — | — | $27.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $9.60 | — | — | — |
| 8 | $7.51 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other Ascended Heroes cards worth checking
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Grading Carbink — FAQ
Is Carbink worth grading?
A PSA 10 Carbink sells for $72.73 against $5.87 raw: a $66.86 spread, 12× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($18.55) 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 Carbink worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Carbink (Ascended Heroes 242/217) sells for about $72.73 versus $5.87 for a raw near-mint copy — a 12× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Carbink?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $82.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $72.73. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Carbink need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 Carbink break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Carbink breaks even when it gems about 69% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $18.55).
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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