Is Maelstrom [Foil] worth grading?

Other TCGs · Sorcery: Contested Realms Alpha · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A Grade 9.5 Maelstrom [Foil] sells for $413 against $259 raw: a $154 spread, 1.6× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($375) 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): $259
Grade 9.5: $413
PSA 9: $375
Gem premium: 1.6×
As of: Oct 4, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Maelstrom [Foil]: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…	Sells for	Economy / bulk (~$25.00)	Standard (~$50.00)	Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5	$413	+$129	+$104	+$4.24
PSA 9	$375	+$91.24	+$66.24	−$33.76

Net = sale price − $259 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?

Maelstrom [Foil]: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gems	Expected sale	Expected net (standard fee)
25%	$385	+$75.74
50%	$394	+$85.24
75%	$404	+$94.74

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Full grade ladder

Raw conditions & history →

Maelstrom [Foil] graded prices by company and grade
Grade	Graded
9.5	$413
9	$375

Run your own numbers

Should I pay this?

Asking priceGrading fee

Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.

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