Is Emperor Palpatine worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars CCG Death Star II · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Emperor Palpatine sells for $1,100 against $178 raw: a $922 spread, 6.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,000) 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)
- $178
- Grade 9.5
- $1,100
- PSA 9
- $1,000
- Gem premium
- 6.2×
- 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 | $1,100 | +$897 | +$872 | +$772 |
| PSA 9 | $1,000 | +$797 | +$772 | +$672 |
Net = sale price − $178 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% | $1,025 | +$797 |
| 50% | $1,050 | +$822 |
| 75% | $1,075 | +$847 |
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 →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $1,100 |
| 9 | $1,000 |
| 7 | $249 |
Run your own numbers
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Other Star Wars CCG Death Star II cards worth checking
Full set checklist →Grading Emperor Palpatine — FAQ
Is Emperor Palpatine worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Emperor Palpatine sells for $1,100 against $178 raw: a $922 spread, 6.2× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($1,000) 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.
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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