Is Emperor Palpatine [Aqua Refractor] #72 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 2023 Topps Chrome · full price guide →
Grading rarely pays for this card
PSA 10 copies of Emperor Palpatine [Aqua Refractor] #72 sell for $24.50, only $19.50 above the $5.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($3.23) 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)
- $5.00
- PSA 10
- $24.50
- PSA 9
- $3.23
- Gem premium
- 4.9×
- 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 — PSA 10 | $24.50 | −$5.50 | −$30.50 | −$131 |
| PSA 9 | $3.23 | −$26.77 | −$51.77 | −$152 |
Net = sale price − $5.00 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% | $8.55 | −$46.45 |
| 50% | $13.87 | −$41.13 |
| 75% | $19.18 | −$35.82 |
At the standard fee this submission does not break even at any realistic gem rate unless the miss lands above the 9 price.
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 | $32.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $24.50 | −$7.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $15.00 | −$17.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $15.00 | −$17.00 | 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 | $24.50 | $15.00 | $32.00 | $15.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $4.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $3.23 |
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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Full set checklist →Grading Emperor Palpatine [Aqua Refractor] #72 — FAQ
Is Emperor Palpatine [Aqua Refractor] #72 worth grading?
PSA 10 copies of Emperor Palpatine [Aqua Refractor] #72 sell for $24.50, only $19.50 above the $5.00 raw price — less than an economy-tier grading fee. A PSA 9 ($3.23) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money. Keep it raw unless you are grading for the slab itself.
How much is a PSA 10 Emperor Palpatine [Aqua Refractor] #72 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Emperor Palpatine [Aqua Refractor] #72 (Star Wars 2023 Topps Chrome) sells for about $24.50 versus $5.00 for a raw near-mint copy — a 4.9× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for Emperor Palpatine [Aqua Refractor] #72?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $32.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $24.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does Emperor Palpatine [Aqua Refractor] #72 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.
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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