Is The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 2022 Topps Galaxy Chrome · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 19× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 sells for $95.50 against $4.97 raw: a $90.53 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $4.97
- PSA 10
- $95.50
- PSA 9
- $20.00
- Gem premium
- 19×
- 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 | $95.50 | +$65.53 | +$40.53 | −$59.47 |
| PSA 9 | $20.00 | −$9.97 | −$34.97 | −$135 |
Net = sale price − $4.97 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% | $38.88 | −$16.09 |
| 50% | $57.75 | +$2.78 |
| 75% | $76.63 | +$21.66 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 46%. 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 | $124 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $95.50 | −$28.50 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $57.00 | −$67.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $57.00 | −$67.00 | 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 | $95.50 | $57.00 | $124 | $57.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $21.50 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $20.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 — FAQ
Is The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 worth grading?
A PSA 10 The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 sells for $95.50 against $4.97 raw: a $90.53 spread, 19× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($20.00) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 (Star Wars 2022 Topps Galaxy Chrome) sells for about $95.50 versus $4.97 for a raw near-mint copy — a 19× premium as of Aug 16, 2026.
Which grading company is best for The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $124, ahead of PSA 10 at $95.50. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 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 The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting The Shadow of the Dark Lord [Refractor] #52 breaks even when it gems about 46% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $20.00).
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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