![Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 (YuGiOh Magic Ruler) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-5sAAeSwvnpqdo8D/s-l1600.jpg)
Is Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 worth grading?
Yu-Gi-Oh! · YuGiOh Magic Ruler · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A PSA 10 Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 sells for $120 against $10.03 raw: a $110 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($37.15) 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)
- $10.03
- PSA 10
- $120
- PSA 9
- $37.15
- Gem premium
- 12×
- As of
- Aug 9, 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 | $120 | +$84.97 | +$59.97 | −$40.03 |
| PSA 9 | $37.15 | +$2.12 | −$22.88 | −$123 |
| PSA 8 | $21.64 | −$13.39 | −$38.39 | −$138 |
Net = sale price − $10.03 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% | $57.86 | −$2.17 |
| 50% | $78.58 | +$18.55 |
| 75% | $99.29 | +$39.26 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 28%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $156 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $120 | −$36.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $72.00 | −$84.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $72.00 | −$84.00 | 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 | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $120 | $72.00 | $156 | $72.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $41.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $37.15 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $21.64 |
| 7 | — | — | — | — | $16.32 |
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 Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 — FAQ
Is Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 worth grading?
A PSA 10 Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 sells for $120 against $10.03 raw: a $110 spread, 12× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($37.15) 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 Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 (YuGiOh Magic Ruler) sells for about $120 versus $10.03 for a raw near-mint copy — a 12× premium as of Aug 9, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $156, ahead of PSA 10 at $120. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 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 Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Painful Choice [1st Edition] MRL-049 breaks even when it gems about 28% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $37.15).
Is your Yu-Gi-Oh! 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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