Is Alakazam E4 worth grading?
Pokémon · Rising Rivals · 38/111 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A CGC 10 Alakazam E4 sells for $400 against $7.70 raw: a $392 spread, 52× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.99) 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)
- $7.70
- CGC 10
- $400
- PSA 9
- $49.99
- Gem premium
- 52×
- 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 | $400 | +$367 | +$342 | +$242 |
| PSA 9 | $49.99 | +$17.29 | −$7.71 | −$108 |
| PSA 8 | $14.00 | −$18.70 | −$43.70 | −$144 |
Net = sale price − $7.70 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% | $137 | +$79.79 |
| 50% | $225 | +$167 |
| 75% | $312 | +$255 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 2%. 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 | $400 | 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 | SGC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | — | $400 | — |
| 9.5 | — | $125 | — |
| 9 | $90.00 | $16.00 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $39.60 | $14.50 |
| 8 | $25.00 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $12.00 | — |
| 7 | $6.00 | $14.00 | — |
| 5 | $8.00 | — | — |
| 2 | $200 | — | — |
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 Alakazam E4 — FAQ
Is Alakazam E4 worth grading?
A CGC 10 Alakazam E4 sells for $400 against $7.70 raw: a $392 spread, 52× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.99) 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.
What centering does Alakazam E4 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 Alakazam E4 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Alakazam E4 breaks even when it gems about 2% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.99).
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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