Is Darkness Energy worth grading?
Pokémon · Burning Shadows · 168/147 · full price guide →
Worth grading only if it gems
A PSA 10 Darkness Energy brings $150 versus $53.42 raw — a $96.47 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($44.60) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
- Raw (NM)
- $53.42
- PSA 10
- $150
- PSA 9
- $44.60
- Gem premium
- 2.8×
- As of
- Aug 10, 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 | $150 | +$71.47 | +$46.47 | −$53.53 |
| PSA 9 | $44.60 | −$33.82 | −$58.82 | −$159 |
| PSA 8 | $36.69 | −$41.73 | −$66.73 | −$167 |
Net = sale price − $53.42 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% | $70.92 | −$32.50 |
| 50% | $97.24 | −$6.18 |
| 75% | $124 | +$20.15 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 56%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA 10 | $150 | best | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $150 | — |
| 9 | $44.60 | — |
| 8.5 | — | $13.01 |
| 8 | $36.69 | $13.00 |
| 7 | $20.35 | — |
| 6 | $11.50 | — |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other Burning Shadows cards worth checking
Full set checklist →
Grading Darkness Energy — FAQ
Is Darkness Energy worth grading?
A PSA 10 Darkness Energy brings $150 versus $53.42 raw — a $96.47 spread that covers an economy-tier ~$25 grading fee. A PSA 9 ($44.60) sells for less than raw, so anything short of a 10 loses money.
How much is a PSA 10 Darkness Energy worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Darkness Energy (Burning Shadows 168/147) sells for about $150 versus $53.42 for a raw near-mint copy — a 2.8× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Darkness Energy need for a PSA 10?
PSA publishes 55/45 front and 75/25 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 Darkness Energy break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Darkness Energy breaks even when it gems about 56% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $44.60).
Is your Pokémon 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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