Is Lugia worth grading?
Pokémon · POP Series 5 · 2/17 · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $511 against $95.15 raw: a $416 spread, 5.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($144) 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)
- $95.15
- PSA 10
- $511
- PSA 9
- $144
- Gem premium
- 5.4×
- 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 | $511 | +$391 | +$366 | +$266 |
| PSA 9 | $144 | +$23.88 | −$1.12 | −$101 |
| PSA 8 | $232 | +$111 | +$86.36 | −$13.64 |
Net = sale price − $95.15 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% | $236 | +$90.62 |
| 50% | $328 | +$182 |
| 75% | $419 | +$274 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 0%. 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 | $600 | best | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| PSA 10 | $511 | −$88.99 | 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 | TAG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $511 | $600 | — | — | — |
| 9 | $3,282 | — | — | $380 | $255 |
| 8.5 | — | $299 | $1,200 | — | — |
| 8 | $1,046 | $279 | $325 | — | — |
| 7.5 | — | $370 | — | — | — |
| 7 | $353 | $125 | — | — | $239 |
| 6.5 | — | $123 | — | — | — |
| 6 | $189 | $45.00 | — | — | $200 |
| 5.5 | — | $79.78 | — | — | — |
| 5 | $87.97 | $41.90 | — | — | — |
| 4 | $76.58 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | $18.02 | — | — | $34.00 | — |
| 2 | $46.79 | — | — | — | — |
| 1.5 | $90.00 | — | — | — | — |
| 1 | $38.00 | — | — | — | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Other POP Series 5 cards worth checking
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Grading Lugia — FAQ
Is Lugia worth grading?
A PSA 10 Lugia sells for $511 against $95.15 raw: a $416 spread, 5.4× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($144) 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 Lugia worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Lugia (POP Series 5 2/17) sells for about $511 versus $95.15 for a raw near-mint copy — a 5.4× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Lugia?
By resale value, CGC 10 leads at $600, ahead of PSA 10 at $511. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Lugia 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 Lugia break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Lugia breaks even when it gems about 0% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $144).
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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