Is The Dark Lord #4 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 2020 Return of the Jedi Black & White · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 The Dark Lord #4 sells for $55.00 against $3.53 raw: a $51.47 spread, 16× 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)
- $3.53
- Grade 9.5
- $55.00
- PSA 9
- $49.99
- Gem premium
- 16×
- As of
- Aug 16, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — Grade 9.5 | $55.00 | +$26.47 | +$1.47 | −$98.53 |
| PSA 9 | $49.99 | +$21.46 | −$3.54 | −$104 |
Net = sale price − $3.53 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% | $51.24 | −$2.29 |
| 50% | $52.50 | −$1.03 |
| 75% | $53.75 | +$0.22 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 71%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $55.00 |
| 9 | $49.99 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading The Dark Lord #4 — FAQ
Is The Dark Lord #4 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 The Dark Lord #4 sells for $55.00 against $3.53 raw: a $51.47 spread, 16× 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 gem rate makes grading The Dark Lord #4 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting The Dark Lord #4 breaks even when it gems about 71% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.99).
Is your Star Wars 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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