Is Malamar worth grading?
Pokémon · Forbidden Light · 51/131 · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 154× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 Malamar sells for $100 against $0.65 raw: a $99.35 spread, 154× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.00) 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)
- $0.65
- PSA 10
- $100
- PSA 9
- $12.00
- Gem premium
- 154×
- 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 | $100 | +$74.35 | +$49.35 | −$50.65 |
| PSA 9 | $12.00 | −$13.65 | −$38.65 | −$139 |
| PSA 8 | $30.00 | +$4.35 | −$20.65 | −$121 |
Net = sale price − $0.65 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% | $34.00 | −$16.65 |
| 50% | $56.00 | +$5.35 |
| 75% | $78.00 | +$27.35 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 44%. 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 | $100 | 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.
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Grading Malamar — FAQ
Is Malamar worth grading?
A PSA 10 Malamar sells for $100 against $0.65 raw: a $99.35 spread, 154× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($12.00) 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 Malamar worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 Malamar (Forbidden Light 51/131) sells for about $100 versus $0.65 for a raw near-mint copy — a 154× premium as of Aug 10, 2026.
What centering does Malamar 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 Malamar break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Malamar breaks even when it gems about 44% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $12.00).
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