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Is Dark Lord of the Sith #104 worth grading?

Star Wars · 1980 Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back · full price guide →

Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw

A Grade 9.5 Dark Lord of the Sith #104 sells for $62.00 against $1.76 raw: a $60.24 spread, 35× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($56.16) 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)
$1.76
Grade 9.5
$62.00
PSA 9
$56.16
Gem premium
35×
As of
Aug 16, 2026

Break-even by outcome and fee

Dark Lord of the Sith #104: 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$62.00+$35.24+$10.24−$89.76
PSA 9$56.16+$29.40+$4.40−$95.60
PSA 8$29.70+$2.94−$22.06−$122

Net = sale price − $1.76 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 Lord of the Sith #104: expected value of submitting by gem probability
Chance it gemsExpected saleExpected net (standard fee)
25%$57.62+$5.86
50%$59.08+$7.32
75%$60.54+$8.78

Even a miss (a 9) beats selling raw after the standard fee — the gem rate only decides how much you win by.

Dark Lord of the Sith #104 graded prices by company and grade
GradeGraded
9.5$62.00
9$56.16
8$29.70
7$6.01

Run your own numbers

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Grading Dark Lord of the Sith #104 — FAQ

Is Dark Lord of the Sith #104 worth grading?

A Grade 9.5 Dark Lord of the Sith #104 sells for $62.00 against $1.76 raw: a $60.24 spread, 35× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($56.16) 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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