Is The Ominous One #318 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 The Ominous One #318 sells for $53.00 against $2.13 raw: a $50.87 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($48.50) 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)
- $2.13
- Grade 9.5
- $53.00
- PSA 9
- $48.50
- Gem premium
- 25×
- 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 | $53.00 | +$25.87 | +$0.87 | −$99.13 |
| PSA 9 | $48.50 | +$21.37 | −$3.63 | −$104 |
| PSA 8 | $32.95 | +$5.82 | −$19.18 | −$119 |
Net = sale price − $2.13 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% | $49.63 | −$2.51 |
| 50% | $50.75 | −$1.38 |
| 75% | $51.88 | −$0.26 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 81%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | Graded |
|---|---|
| 9.5 | $53.00 |
| 9 | $48.50 |
| 8 | $32.95 |
| 7 | $24.48 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
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Full set checklist →Grading The Ominous One #318 — FAQ
Is The Ominous One #318 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 The Ominous One #318 sells for $53.00 against $2.13 raw: a $50.87 spread, 25× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($48.50) 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 The Ominous One #318 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting The Ominous One #318 breaks even when it gems about 81% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $48.50).
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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