Is Articuno ex worth grading?
Pokémon · Nintendo Black Star Promos · 032 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Articuno ex sells for $3,534 against $191 raw: a $3,343 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($834) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $191
- PSA 10
- $3,534
- PSA 9
- $834
- Gem premium
- 18×
- 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 | $3,534 | +$3,318 | +$3,293 | +$3,193 |
| PSA 9 | $834 | +$618 | +$593 | +$493 |
| PSA 8 | $286 | +$70.38 | +$45.38 | −$54.62 |
Net = sale price − $191 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% | $1,509 | +$1,268 |
| 50% | $2,184 | +$1,943 |
| 75% | $2,859 | +$2,618 |
Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.
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 | $3,534 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $660 | −$2,875 | 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 | ACE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $3,534 | $660 | — | — | — |
| 9.5 | — | $350 | $1,800 | — | — |
| 9 | $834 | $253 | $435 | — | — |
| 8.5 | — | $165 | $251 | $100 | — |
| 8 | $286 | $70.00 | — | — | — |
| 7.5 | $145 | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | $265 | $99.99 | $133 | — | $200 |
| 6 | $173 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | $200 | — | — | — | — |
| 4.5 | — | $16.00 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $102 | $29.89 | — | — | — |
| 3.5 | — | $28.00 | — | — | — |
| 3 | $1,000 | — | — | $35.00 | — |
| 2.5 | — | $22.00 | — | — | — |
| 2 | $12.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $113 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Nintendo Black Star Promos cards worth checking
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Grading Articuno ex — FAQ
Is Articuno ex worth grading?
A PSA 10 Articuno ex sells for $3,534 against $191 raw: a $3,343 spread, 18× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($834) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 Articuno ex worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Articuno ex (Nintendo Black Star Promos 032) sells for about $3,534 versus $191 for a raw near-mint copy — a 18× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Articuno ex?
By resale value, PSA 10 leads at $3,534, ahead of CGC 10 at $660. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Articuno 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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