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Is Dark Phoenix #5 worth grading?

Marvel · Marvel 2021 X-Men Metal Universe Planet Metal · full price guide →

Grading rarely pays for this card

Grade 9.5 copies of Dark Phoenix #5 sell for $14.00, only $0.00 above the $17.11 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.

Raw (NM)
$17.11
Grade 9.5
$14.00
PSA 9
$12.50
Gem premium
0.8×
As of
Aug 15, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Dark Phoenix #5: net result of grading versus selling raw, by outcome and fee tier
If it comes back…Sells forEconomy / bulk (~$25.00)Standard (~$50.00)Express (~$150)
Gem — Grade 9.5$14.00−$28.11−$53.11−$153
PSA 9$12.50−$29.61−$54.61−$155

Net = sale price − $17.11 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?

Dark Phoenix #5: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$12.88−$54.23
50%$13.25−$53.86
75%$13.63−$53.48

At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.

Dark Phoenix #5 graded prices by company and grade
GradeGraded
9.5$14.00
9$12.50

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 Dark Phoenix #5 — FAQ

Is Dark Phoenix #5 worth grading?

Grade 9.5 copies of Dark Phoenix #5 sell for $14.00, only $0.00 above the $17.11 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($12.50) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.

Is your Marvel 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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