Is Emperor Palpatine [Wave Refractor] #11 worth grading?
Star Wars · Star Wars 2022 Topps Galaxy Chrome · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Emperor Palpatine [Wave Refractor] #11 sells for $76.00 against $20.13 raw: a $55.87 spread, 3.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($69.00) 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)
- $20.13
- Grade 9.5
- $76.00
- PSA 9
- $69.00
- Gem premium
- 3.8×
- 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 | $76.00 | +$30.87 | +$5.87 | −$94.13 |
| PSA 9 | $69.00 | +$23.87 | −$1.13 | −$101 |
Net = sale price − $20.13 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% | $70.75 | +$0.62 |
| 50% | $72.50 | +$2.37 |
| 75% | $74.25 | +$4.12 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 16%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $76.00 |
| 9 | $69.00 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading Emperor Palpatine [Wave Refractor] #11 — FAQ
Is Emperor Palpatine [Wave Refractor] #11 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Emperor Palpatine [Wave Refractor] #11 sells for $76.00 against $20.13 raw: a $55.87 spread, 3.8× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($69.00) 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.
What gem rate makes grading Emperor Palpatine [Wave Refractor] #11 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Emperor Palpatine [Wave Refractor] #11 breaks even when it gems about 16% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $69.00).
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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